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On June 7th, 2025, State Committee Members (SCMs) of the Arizona Democratic Party (ADP) voted overwhelming to establish a "People’s Primary" — a bold move to stop billionaires and corporations from buying our primary elections. Over the next three months, an ad-hoc committee will work to draft a policy to "ensure, to the greatest extent possible, that candidates in Democratic primaries are not benefited by, dependent on, or elected due to outside or independent electioneering spending funded by big donors who are circumventing legal limits on direct contributions to a candidate’s campaign fund to spend tens or hundreds of thousands and even millions of dollars of private wealth to elect the candidates of their choice."

We need your help. The SCMs, who will vote on our final policy on September 13th, 2025, are elected by the Precinct Committeepeople (PCs) of our Legislative District and County parties. For every three PCs a county gains, they get to elect one additional SCM. If we want to build an Arizona Democratic Party that stands up for the working class, and stands against billionaires and corporate influence, we need to recruit working class PCs that won't hesitate to advance the agenda of the 99% from inside the party.

To endorse our resolution and sign up to be a PC, fill out this form and we will get you connected with your Legislative District Chair!

Why This Matters

The Research is Clear

Big Money is Bigger than Ever

  • Nearly 60% of ads in 2022 Democratic House primaries were funded by outside groups, not candidates.
  • In 2012, just 159 donors gave $1 million or more, accounting for nearly 60% of all Super PAC funding nationwide.

Arizona Hasn't Been Spared from Outside Spending

Our Resolution

Resolution passed by the Arizona State Democratic Party on June 7th, 2025

Title: Resolution to Establish a “People’s Primary” Policy Banning Billionaires and Corporations from Buying or Unduly Influencing Democratic Primaries

WHEREAS, the Democratic Party is the party of the working class and Americans who believe in a one person, one vote democracy where our elections are determined by We the People as equal citizens –– not billionaires and big corporations; and

WHEREAS, working class voters should have no doubt that the candidates chosen in our primaries are not beholden to the same billionaires and corporations that are exploiting and hurting them; and

WHEREAS, the Arizona Democratic Party (ADP), as a voluntary association, has the authority and responsibility to regulate its internal affairs, including nominating processes and primary elections, to ensure fairness, integrity, and alignment with our values; and

WHEREAS, to strengthen our party’s brand, win back trust from many voters, and empower our party to win elections and govern to deliver for the working class, the Arizona Democratic Party must act to confront the crisis of big money corrupting our democracy within the arena under our direct authority: our primary elections;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Arizona Democratic Party will establish a "People's Primary" policy to bar, to the greatest extent possible, the use of massive private wealth to buy or unduly influence our primary elections. This policy will ensure, to the greatest extent possible, that candidates in Democratic primaries are not benefited by, dependent on, or elected due to outside or independent electioneering spending funded by big donors who are circumventing legal limits on direct contributions to a candidate’s campaign fund to spend tens or hundreds of thousands and even millions of dollars of private wealth to elect the candidates of their choice.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Chair of the ADP Rules Committee shall form an ad-hoc committee to develop this policy that includes the organizers of this resolution and one mutually-agreed member of the ADP Executive Committee. The committee will be charged with developing this policy to achieve the purpose established here-in and with formulating official proposed ADP People's Primary policy and procedures, including any bylaws changes, if necessary, to implement and enforce it. This policy and associated procedures, and any additional supporting resolution or bylaws changes, will be prepared and submitted for a vote at the September 2025 State Committee Meeting.

Endorsements

See National Leaders

Want to add your name as an endorser? Go to this form to sign in support.

Helpful vocabulary: ADP = Arizona Democratic Party, LD = Legislative District, SCM = (ADP) State Committee Member, PC = Precinct Committeeperson

Arizona Leaders

  • Kai Newkirk, Co-Chair, ADP Progressive Council; founding Mission Director, Democracy Spring
  • Missa Foy, Co-Chair, ADP Progressive Council; Chair, Navajo County Democratic Party
  • Eric Robbins, Chair, Pima County Democratic Party
  • Nick Collins, Secretary, ADP Progressive Council
  • Dan O’Neal, State Coordinator, Progressive Democrats of Arizona; Chair Emeritus, ADP Progressive Council
  • Emily Kirkland, PC, LD 8, Former Executive Director, Progress Arizona
  • Jennifer Hilsbos, Chair, Pinal County Democratic Party
  • Paul Stapleton-Smith, SCM, LD 21
  • Sen. Priya Sundareshan, Senate Democratic Leader, LD 18
  • Sen. Catherine Miranda, Senate Democratic Assistant Leader, LD 11
  • Sen. Analise Ortiz, State Senator, LD 24
  • Sen. Lauren Kuby, State Senator, LD 8
  • Rep. Mariana Sandoval, State Representative, LD 13
  • Rep. Brian Garcia, State Representative, LD 8
  • Raquel Terán, Former Chair, Arizona Democratic Party; Former Senate Democratic Leader
  • Markus Ceniceros, Board Member, Littleton Elementary School District; SCM, LD 22; 3rd Vice Chair, Maricopa County Democratic Party
  • Melissa Galarza, SCM, LD 12
  • Nicolas Mink, Vice Chair, Arizona Democratic Party
  • Shawnte Rothschild, Vice Chair, Arizona Democratic Party
  • Sarah Stuart, President, Arizona College Democrats; Coconino County Democratic Party, Youth Committee Chair; PC, LD 7
  • Laura Carter, Chair, Coconino County Democratic Party
  • Martín J. Quezada, Former State Senator, LD 29
  • Richard Andrade, Former State Representative, LD 29
  • Celia Barotz, Former Vice Mayor of Flagstaff; SCM, LD 6
  • Eva Putzova, Former Flagstaff City Councilmember; SCM, LD 6
  • Jackson Reed, ADP Executive Committee Member; SCM, LD 8
  • Connie Cockrell, Chair, Gila County Democrats
  • Alison Porter, Co-Chair, ADP Small Business Council; Co-Founder, Save Our Schools
  • Ben Armentrout, President, University of Arizona College Democrats; Youth Rep, ADP Progressive Council; PC, LD 20
  • Jess Staggers, Membership Director, Maricopa County Young Democrats; SCM, LD 29
  • Angela Buer, Former Chair, LD 9 Democratic Party
  • Joan B. McDermott, Chair, MCDCC District 3
  • Jeffrey Tucker, SCM, LD 13; At-Large Board Member
  • Alex Kack, Executive Director, Pima County Democratic Party
  • Dhruv Rebba, Co-Chair, ADP AAPI Caucus, Vice President, ASU Young Dems
  • Ashton Dolce, AZ State Chair, High School Democrats of America
  • Alex Alvarez, SCM, LD 12
  • Hunter Holt, 2nd Vice Chair, Pima County Democratic Party; President, Marana Unified School Board, State Senate Candidate, LD 17
  • Salil Deshpande, SCM, LD 18
  • Susie Thornton, Secretary & SCM, LD 12
  • Alex Ray Sanchez, Communications Chair, Pima County Democratic Party; Southern Arizona Vice Chair, ADP Progressive Council
  • Ann Heitland, Former Senior Vice-Chair, ADP; Former Chair, Coconino County Democratic Party
  • Brianna Westbrook, Former Vice Chair, Arizona Democratic Party
  • Natacha Chavez, Vice Chair, ADP Progressive Council, SCM, LD 22
  • Thomas Dunning, 1st Vice President, Democrats of Rim Country
  • Betts Putnam-Hidalgo, SCM, LD 20; Former Co-Chair, ADP Progressive Council
  • Athena Shao, Director of Political Affairs, AZ College Democrats
  • Suzi Walling, SCM & Former Chair, LD 29; Former President, Grand Democrats
  • Michael Bradley, SCM, LD 4
  • Marilyn Weissman, PC, LD 6
  • Donna Hanley, SCM, LD 7
  • Charlie Silver, SCM, LD 6
  • Ken Kenegos, SCM, LD 18
  • Cathy Ransom, SCM, LD 1
  • Mike Fogel, SCM & Former Clean Election Senate Candidate ('22 & '24), LD 1
  • Kathy Fitzmaurice Yontz, SCM, LD 12
  • Peter Cerchiara, 2nd VC Community Engagement, LD 3
  • Jessica Chalberg, PC, LD 21
  • Roemello Chavez, PC, LD 8
  • Michael David Bryan, SCM; VP, Democrats of Greater Tucson
  • Kevin Glover, SCM, LD 3
  • Mikah Dyer, PC, LD 28
  • Connor Roland, Northern Development VP, Young Democrats of AZ; PC, LD 13
  • Issac Young Jr., Political Director, Young Democrats of AZ; PC, LD 3
  • Kaycee Campbell, Vice President, Maricopa County Young Democrats
  • Cooper Long, Chief of Staff, University of Arizona College Democrats
  • Joey Hauger, Finance Director, Arizona College Democrats
  • Eric Stafford, Vice Chair, LD 29
  • Sharon Regen, SCM, LD 1
  • Sherri Johnson, SCM, LD 12
  • James Jursich, PC, LD 12
  • Nancy Scharff, SCM, LD 1
  • Karen Dubin, SCM
  • Ruthee Goldkorn, SCM, LD 28
  • Marshall Militano, 2nd Vice Chair, LD 27
  • Shasta Guthrie, 2nd VC, Yavapai County Democratic Party; SCM, LD1
  • George McGaughey, Chair & SCM, LD 19
  • Leigh Emrick, PC
  • Bernard Buddy Fleitz, SCM, LD 1
  • James Perry Durand, 1st Vice Chair, LD 25
  • William Olear, Chair, LD 25
  • Marlene Bluestein, SCM, LD 18
  • Susan Heck, M.S., FNP, PC, LD 17
  • Stephen Harshman, Chair, The Apache Junction Democrats
  • Lin Ogburn, SCM, LD 5
  • Sean Feeney, PC, LD 22
  • Timothy Kosse, First Vice Chair, Pima County Democratic Party; SCM
  • Debra Block, SCM, LD 6
  • Donna Durand, Former Chair & State Committee Person, LD 25
  • Catherine Ralls, PC, LD 12
  • Katherine Ginzel, SCM, LD 1
  • Rivko Knox, SCM, LD 2
  • Vivian Perry, Executive Committee Member & SCM, LD 1
  • Rebecca Villalpando, SCM, LD 1
  • Aaron Essif, SCM, LD 17
  • Ricky Spann, SCM
  • Melissa Westbrook, SCM, LD 12
  • Victoria Watson, Secretary, University of Arizona College Democrats
  • Joshua Evans, PC
  • David Gámez, PC & Treasurer, LD 21; Southern AZ Regional Director, AZ College Dems
  • Marilyn Weissman, SCM, LD 6
  • Mike Nickerson, SCM, LD 17
  • Chris Donat, Candidate for Congress, AZ 06; PC, LD 17
  • Gary Michiel Montiel, PC Chair
  • Nikkie Iglar, Communications Director, Pima County Young Democrats
  • Julie Tang, PC, LD 8 (Rolling Hills Precinct)
  • Lila Dessen, University of Arizona College Democrat
  • Dylan Williams, Democratic Voter, Mesa
  • Jacob Carlson, Democrat Voter, Snowflake
  • Lynn Cannon, Democratic Voter
  • Jacob Gross, Democratic Voter, Phoenix
  • Amy Axelrod, Democratic Voter, LD 8
  • Kiel Revenew, Democratic Voter, LD 8
  • Jacob Petray, Democratic Voter, Phoenix
  • Margie Gomez, Democratic Voter
  • Anna Makin, Democratic Voter, LD 10
  • Ellie Yar, Democratic Voter, Mesa
  • Eric Paschal, Democratic Voter, Phoenix LD 5
  • Christopher Oakley, Democratic Voter, LD 8
  • Rutger Hartmann Olden, Democratic Voter, Tucson
  • Paola Campos Martinez, Democratic Voter
  • Tyler Thalmann, Voter, Phoenix
  • Henley Knex Gilles, Democratic Voter, Tucson
  • Arizona College Democrats
  • University of Arizona College Democrats

National Leaders

  • Sen. Bernie Sanders, US Senator, Vermont (Statement of support)
  • Lawrence Lessig, Chair, Equal Citizens
  • Rep. Ro Khanna, US Congressman, CA-17 (Statement of support)
  • Larry Cohen, Past President Communication Workers of America; Board Chair, Our Revolution; DNC Member
  • Bill de Blasio, Former Mayor of New York City
  • Christine Pelosi, DNC Executive Committee Member
  • Nomiki Konst, DNC Reform Commission Member (Statement of support)
  • Alan Minsky, Executive Director, Progressive Democrats of America
  • Progressive Democrats of America
  • Our Revolution

About Us

The Stop Big Money AZ campaign is a project of a grassroots coalition of Arizona Democrats committed to building a party that puts the working class first, not billionaires and big corporations. The coalition is helmed by the Arizona Democratic Party Progressive Council, which is the largest Caucus or Council in the Arizona Democratic Party with over 150 members. We are united by the mission to bring the progressive values of our communities to the state legislature and beyond, to create the Arizona and United States of America we all deserve. Interested in joining us? Check us out on Facebook and sign up to join our council!

See a problem? Contact the site author, Ben Armentrout, at benarmentrout29@gmail.com. Please be nice - I'm better at building lasers than websites :)