TheDGT.org Presents AZDP Chairperson Candidates, Yolanda Bejarano & Steve Gallardo

We will be presenting our featured speakers, Yolanda Bejarano and Steve Gallardo, at a new time (6:00 PM) and in an unusual format (formal panel discussion, followed by audience questions) for this event at the request and agreement of the candidates. For security reasons, we will be taking questions via chat only and the moderators will present them to the candidates for this session.

The Arizona Democratic Party (ADP) will be selecting a new Chairperson to replace outgoing Chair Senator Raquel Téran on Jan 28th in a general party meeting in which delegates will select the ’23-’24 Chairperson. The leadership of the ADP and the ADLCC (the organizing and fundraising arm for Arizona’s legislative races) are key to the Democratic Party’s success in the 2024 elections.

Please register in advance for this meeting:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82704268362?pwd=RU1Da0p6dFBxc0lLY0x6OTkyM2ZPUT09

Following are biographical campaign statements and personal images provided by the respective campaigns:

Yolanda Bejarano:

“I am running to be the next Chair of the Arizona Democratic Party because I am committed to building a stronger party that is capable of delivering up and down the ballot. In 2022, we saw historic wins due to early investments and Democrats working together to make sure Arizonans knew what we stood for and got out to vote. But we also know there’s more to do — in 2024, we have to win back the State House and State Senate and elect more Democrats to Congress, in addition to securing our U.S. Senate seat and Arizona’s 11 presidential electoral votes. And with Republicans doubling down
on their dangerous agenda that has all but ended the right to an abortion, defunded our public schools, villainized immigrants instead of working to fix the system, and denied our fair and free elections, our work has never been more important.

I am a lifelong Arizonan and the daughter of immigrants. I grew up in Roll, a small town right outside Yuma. My father was a farm mechanic and my mother a homemaker. As a lifelong community activist, I have committed my life to supporting Arizonans and lifting up communities too often left behind. As the Field Director with the Communications Workers of America (CWA), an affiliate of the AFL-CIO, I recruit and train union members to build worker power through electoral work. I have facilitated over 50 trainings for union members focused on political and leadership development. Having led the political field program for CWA in Arizona and across the country, I have helped scores of Democratic candidates get elected to office up and down the ballot.

With so much at stake in the years ahead, it’s critical that we build on our foundation to continue empowering people of color and young Arizonans. If we invest in these critical communities and leverage the energy in Arizona to further strengthen our party, we will continue to elect Democrats up and down the ballot for years to come. I’ve spent my career organizing in every community, fighting for Arizona families, and successfully supporting Democratic candidates across the state. It would be an honor to continue that work as Arizona Democratic Party Chair.”

Steve Gallardo:

“Steve Gallardo is one of the most prominent progressive voices in Arizona today. A native-born Arizonan, and one of the most well-known Latino leaders in the Arizona Democratic Party, Steve has been a proven fighter in the progressive movement for nearly three decades. That’s why Governor-Elect Hobbs and a broad coalition of labor unions endorse him for State Party Chair.

Steve has devoted his adult life to public service at the local, county, and state level. He understands that sustained change is only possible by building power at the grassroots level.

Steve got his start as an organizer in Maricopa County, developing candidate training programs, spearheading voter registration drives, and organizing Get Out The Vote campaigns. Steve knows firsthand that we grow our party through the hard work of voter registration and investing in the ground game.

In 2006, Steve chaired the ballot initiative that instituted a state minimum wage in Arizona, granting relief to hundreds of thousands of working people. And in ten years in the state legislature, Steve was among the loudest voices fighting for civil rights, sounding the alarm against GOP attempts at voter suppression, and gaining national attention for his leadership in the fight against SB 1070.

During his term as State Representative, Senator Gallardo served as the House Minority Whip and in 2013 was selected to be Senate Democratic Whip.

In 2015, Steve was elected to the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, where he still serves as the sole Democrat. Steve worked with his fellow Supervisors to fight back against Donald Trump’s attempts to undermine democracy and overthrow the Constitution following the 2020 election.

Steve has continued to stand strong against attacks on our democracy as Kari Lake, Mark Finchem, and Abe Hamadeh attempt to undermine the results of the 2022 elections.

Steve is also very involved with the local and national Hispanic community and served as a member of such organizations as NALEO (National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials), LCLAA (Labor Council for Latin American Advancement), and is an MALDEF alumnus (Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund).

Steve is a proven leader who knows what it takes to win. He’ll bring his experience as a winning elected official and leader of grassroots campaign efforts to the Arizona Democratic Party to deliver real change for Arizonans. As Chair, Steve will be laser-focused on growing our party to greater heights, from flipping the state legislature in 2024, to winning local offices up and down the ballot.”