Human Rights Campaign Announces Slate of Pro-Equality Champions for Arizona Legislature

by HRC staff

Post submitted by Lucas Acosta (he/him), former Deputy Director of Communications, Politics

HRC announced its endorsement of thirty pro-equality candidates in the Arizona State Legislature.

Arizona is one of 29 states that lack explicit state-level protections for LGBTQ people. Senate Bill 1321, introduced during the 2020 legislative session, would have added sexual orientation and gender identity to the list of protected characteristics under Arizona law and bar discrimination against LGBTQ people in state employment, housing and public accommodations. Under pro-equality leadership, the Arizona Legislature can finally send this bill to Gov. Ducey’s desk.

“Right now, over 240,000 LGBTQ Arizonans live in a patchwork of protections. We are excited to endorse these champions of LGBTQ equality who have led the fight in their own communities and on the state level to advance equality and defend against attempts to roll back LGBTQ rights. Between now and November, we are laser focused on mobilizing the more than one million Equality Voters throughout the state to ensure these and other pro-equality candidates up and down the ballot are elected.”

Bridget Sharpe, HRC Arizona State Director

Today’s endorsements include:

  • Rosana Galbaldon (SD-2)
  • Sally Ann Gonzales (SD-3)
  • Lisa Otondo (SD-4)
  • Jamescita Peshlakai (SD-7)
  • Victoria Steele (SD-9)
  • Ajlan Kurdoglu (SD-17)
  • Sean Bowie (SD-18)
  • Doug Ervin (SD-20)
  • Lela Alston (SD-24)
  • Rebecca Rios (SD-27)
  • Christine Marsh (SD-28)
  • Martin Quezada (SD-29)
  • Tony Navarette (SD-30)
  • Andrea Delassandro (HD-2)
  • Andres Cano (HD-3)
  • Alma Hernandez (HD-3)
  • Charlene Fernandez (HD-4)
  • Arlando Teller (HD-7)
  • Randall Friese (HD-9)
  • Pam Powers Hannley (HD-9)
  • Jennifer Pawlick (HD-17)
  • Mitzi Epstein (HD-18)
  • Jennifer Jermaine (HD-18)
  • Judy Schweibert (HD-20)
  • Kathy Knecht (HD-21)
  • Jen Longdon (HD-24)
  • Kelli Butler (HD-28)
  • Aaron Lieberman (HD-28)
  • Robert Meza (HD-30)
  • Raquel Teran (HD-30)

HRC previously endorsed:

  • Felicia French (SD-06)
  • Rep. Daniel Hernandez III (HD-02)
  • Coral Evans (HD-06)
  • Rep. Cesar Chavez (HD-29)

In the closing weeks of the 2018 election, HRC had 18 staff on the ground organizing Equality Voters in Arizona. In the midterm elections, HRC members and supporters completed over 1,149 volunteer shifts. In the final four days of GOTV alone, our staff and volunteers knocked on over 13,625 doors. HRC hosted over 130 volunteer events and six Equality Action Academy trainings to give HRC members and supporters the tools they need to take action locally in legislative advocacy and in support of pro-equality candidates. In 2018, HRC's unprecedented grassroots mobilization worked to recruit volunteers, mobilize constituents, register voters and grow the organization's grassroots army in an all-out effort to pull the emergency brake on the hateful anti-LGBTQ agenda of the Trump-Pence administration and elect a Congress that would hold them accountable. In 2020, our engagement and mobilization efforts will only deepen. HRC will have at least 45 full-time staff in seven priority states (AZ, MI, NV, OH, PA, TX, and WI) and an additional 20 staff focused on a second tier of states and districts.

Paid for by Human Rights Campaign PAC (www.hrc.org) and not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s agent or committee.

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