press release from AZ Democratic Party on Honoring Arizona’s Tribal Communities:

Over the last few days, we’ve been honoring Arizona’s Democratic heritage, sending along a few profiles each day of noteworthy figures in the history of our Arizona Democratic Party. However, Arizona’s history is much longer than 100 years. While it is important to learn about the men and women who brought Arizona into statehood, we want to especially encourage you to learn about the tribal communities who not only have deep history in Arizona, but who continue to make Arizona a great place to live every single day.

As we mark our centennial and honor our heritage, I ask you to join me and visit the links below and learn about the tribal communities who deserve special recognition not just for their contributions to our past, but for the important role they will play in our future.

Ak-Chin Indian Community

Cocopah Tribe

Colorado River Indian Tribes

Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation

Fort Mojave Tribe

Gila River Indian Community

Havasupai Tribe

Hopi Tribe

Hualapai Tribe

Kaibab-Paiute Tribe

Navajo Nation

Pascua Yaqui Tribe

Pueblo of Zuni

Quechan Tribe

Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community

San Carlos Apache Tribe

San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe

Tohono O’odham Nation

Tonto Apache Tribe

White Mountain Apache Tribe

Yavapai-Apache Nation

Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe

Sincerely,
Luis Heredia
Executive Director, Arizona Democratic Party

I used to be a tribal staff attorney for the Pascua Yaqui Tribe of AZ, so I know a bit about the 22 Native American tribes in Arizona. This message is part of the AZ Centennial of 100 years of statehood, but most of these tribes were here in this Southwest area before February 14, 1912.

At the AZ 100 and Counting event at Centennial Hall on Saturday February 11, Mayor Jonathan Rothschild spoke of when Arizona became a state in 1912, UA President Eugene Sander spoke of when the University of Arizona was founded in 1885, but UA Regent’s Professor of Linguistics Dr. Ofelia Zepeda spoke of how long her tribe– the Tohono O’odham had been here (thousands of years).

After a great deal of soul-searching and encouragement from elected leaders, grassroots activists, and friends throughout the state, I have decided to run for the position of Chair of the Arizona Democratic Party. We’re at a critical point in Arizona’s history – one where so much is on the line with the choices our state and nation make. That’s why I ran for State Treasurer. And that’s why I have made this decision today.

A couple of years ago, Arizona was seen as a state trending “purple” – a swing state where candidates for office would have to build broad coalitions to win. But in 2010, we were swamped by a tsunami. Despite the incredible efforts of Democratic volunteers and candidates, Republicans won up and down the ticket – and throughout the state – without offering any positive ideas to build Arizona’s future and by playing the dirtiest sort of wedge politics.

Democrats let that happen. As I campaigned in every part in Arizona, I saw firsthand that a lot of people who supported us in years past did not trust us to fight for their interests, defend their values, or make their lives better. While we attacked the many Republican missteps, we failed to campaign with a unified message that told the people of Arizona who we are, what we stand for, and how we’ll lead our state.

I believe that offering that message has to be job #1 of the next State Chair. That’s especially true because, for the first election in nearly fifteen years, we did not elect a single statewide Democratic official to act as the spokesperson for our ideas and plans. We need the next State Chair to be a unifying figure and a strong messenger for a compelling vision of where Arizona needs to go.

The fact is that Russell Pearce’s Republican Party has deliberately vacated the center of Arizona politics. They disdain independents and their own party’s moderates. They’re betting that they can rely on extremist supporters and money from out-of-state corporations to carry the day. They will if we let them. I’m determined that this won’t happen. Instead, we need to build a big tent Arizona Democratic Party where independents and disaffected Republicans are welcome and have a home. And we need to go on the offense to fight for better schools, safer streets, and an Arizona economy that works for those who work hard and not just those with the connections and the lobbyists. We should not shade our ideas or sand down our message, but instead should show the contrast between Arizona’s present and the brighter future Arizona Democrats can help bring.

Here’s what I’ll work toward as Chair:

* A Democratic Party that Works from the Bottom-Up, Not the Top-Down. Without a statewide elected official to serve as our rallying point, we are entering a new era for Arizona Democrats. This is a chance to build a party that is not about one person at the top calling the shots, but one where county chairs, LD chairs, state committee members, precinct committee members, and activists are empowered to make more decisions, have the tools they need to do their work – and held accountable as well. As a former elected PC and former LD chair, I know what it means to work at the party’s grassroots. To rebuild the Arizona Democratic Party, we need a 15 county strategy that works to win votes and convert voters in every part of our state.

* A Democratic Party with a Clear Vision. Before Arizonans trust our take on what the Republicans are doing to our state, they need to trust that we’ll do a better job. While we must take Russell Pearce and Jan Brewer to task, we have a responsibility to offer new, common-sense ideas to meet Arizona’s toughest challenges. Arizona Democrats must offer more than responses to the Republican agenda, and instead make clear where we will lead the state. But our vision for the state is meaningless if Arizonans don’t know what it is. Arizona Democrats’ communications efforts have to reach newspapers, television, radio and blogs in every part of the state – from Nogales to Kingman, and Yuma to Window Rock.

* A Democratic Party that Wins Again. Ultimately, if we want to rebuild Arizona, we have to start winning more elections. Redistricting may create the most serious opportunity to make large gains in the state legislature in decades. A new congressional seat and President Obama’s reelection means the chance to make sure we have leadership in Washington that is focused on meeting America’s challenges. In this moment, we can’t afford to be divided. Our task is to build a stronger Democratic Party, not to squander the work of the past decade. I was proud that my State Treasurer campaign raised more than any previous non-Governor statewide campaign – with the vast majority of contributions amounting to $100 or less. That kind of grassroots support – combined with the support of our Democratic Party leaders – is the unity we need to move forward. I am honored to have the support of Democrats from the grassroots to our top elected officials in this campaign for Chair. It’s not enough to just fight the good fight, we need to win. Millions of Arizonans are counting on to do so – and that means we need to have the message, money, and momentum to carry the day.

As my friend from Cochise County, Bob Bland, said to me the other day: “When Republicans win, they splinter. When Democrats lose, they come together.” We lost in 2010 – and Arizonans are paying the price. Now, we need to come together, unite as one, take the fight to those who are driving Arizona into the ground, and win.

If you’re a Democrat, I hope to earn your support for Chair and then work with you in the months to come. If you’re a frustrated Republican or independent, I hope that, as Chair, I can convince you to join us in taking Arizona in a new direction.

Here’s an article about my announcement from the Phoenix New Times:
http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/bastard/2011/01/andrei_cherny_announces_bid_fo.php

Please follow my Chair’s campaign on Facebook or Twitter and – as always – please stay in touch either by email (info@andreiforarizona.com) or at (602) 688-2336.

Thank you,
Andrei

Breakdown of the November 2, 2010 election results on Treasurer position, Cherny received 41.33 % of the vote, losing to Republican Doug Ducey.

CHERNY, ANDREI (DEM)
41.33% 685,865
DUCEY, DOUG (REP)
51.80% 859,672
EICHENAUER, THANE (LBT)
3.99% 66,166
MEADOWS, THOMAS (GRN)
2.78% 46,115
Write-in
0.11% 1,831
1,659,649 Total votes cast

Andrei Cherny

State Senator Jorge Luis Garcia

LD 27 State Senator/Senate Minority Leader Democrat Jorge Luis Garcia passed away suddenly due to a heart attack on Friday, October 15, 2010. He was 57 years old. Senator Garcia was elected to the Arizona State Senate representing LD 27 in 2003 and has served as Senator Minority Leader for the past 2 years. He had previously served in the Arizona House of Representatives (2 terms) from 1993 to 1997.

His colleague LD 28 State Senator Paula Aboud stated this morning: “Senator Garcia was one of the most committed and dedicated senators I have ever known. In the Senate he was our beacon of goodness and kindness…and he will be missed so dearly by our Democratic community and his colleagues who loved him so.”

Because Jorge was termed out of the State Senate he chose to run for state-wide Corporation Commission this year. He was the top vote getter in the 8/24/10 Democratic primary for Corporation Commission, garnering 142,859 votes (34.08%), more than fellow candidates David Bradley and Renz Jennings. I last wrote about that race on October 4 (click here). His name will remain on the General Election ballot since early voting has begun.

In his own words from his campaign bio for Arizona Corporation Commission (www.votegarcia.org):

“I was born in Nogales, Sonora. At age 9 my mother, who was born in Miami, AZ, moved us to Nogales, AZ, and later to Phoenix. After graduating from Phoenix Union HS, I moved to Tucson with my wife. I earned my Bachelors degree (Sociology) from the U of A and a Master’s degree in Social Work from ASU. Maria and I have three adult children: Yvette (Special Education Teacher), Dominique (Marketing) and Rolando (Civil Engineer). Maria and I also have four grandchildren.
In my 7 years as STATE SENATOR for District 27, I have worked hard to bring JUSTICE to the interests of WORKERS, CONSUMERS AND THE ENVIRONMENT.”

I worked with Jorge back in 1996/97 when I served as Tribal staff attorney for the Pascua Yaqui Tribe of Arizona. He served as Director of Social Services at the Pascua Yaqui Tribe from 1988 to 1999. He was soft-spoken, but caring and compassionate for the underprivileged. When I last spoke with Jorge, I joked with him saying that he would miss the excitement of being in the State Legislature since he was termed out, and now running for Corporation Commission.

His career history from Project Vote Smart:

Social Worker/Practicing Registered Nurse, University Physicians, Incorporated, 2005-present
Contract Social Worker, Self Employed with Indian Tribes, 2002-present
Independent Contractor, Various Tribal Governments, 2000-2005
Home Health Administrator and Program Manager, Tohono O’odham Nation, 1999-2001
Social Service Director, Pascua Yaqui Tribe, 1988-1999
Emergency Room Social Worker/Practicing Registered Nurse, Maricopa Medical Center, 1990-1998
Social Worker/Practicing Registered Nurse, University Medical Center, 1991-1993
Clinical Manager, Maricopa Medical Center, 1984-1987
Deputy Director, El Rio Health Center, 1980-1984

You can see that Jorge dedicated his life to social service work and health care. He will be sorely missed by his family, friends & constituents in Legislative District 27, his fellow legislators, the Pima County Democratic Party, and the Arizona Democratic Party.

Memorial services are pending (click here.)