PPAA’s 2020 Candidate Endorsements: Early voting has begun in Arizona!

For many years, Arizona has been a deep red state, but now there’s a historic Blue Wave running through as Mark Kelley and former Vice President Joe Biden lead in the polls. In fact, if Biden wins Arizona's 11 electoral votes, he will be the first Democrat to win a presidential race in our state since Bill Clinton in 1996. 

This election there is so much at stake. Arizona in particular needs leadership that they know will be dedicated to furthering the cause of reproductive justice and progress for all. We at Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona are excited to endorse Jevin Hodge and Patrice Horstman to their respective Boards of Supervisors races, Anna Tovar for Arizona Corporation Commissioner and Mayor Gallego for re-election in Phoenix. Arizona’s challenges are many, and time is short--this is a time to elect leaders who will get things done and defend our communities. Let’s show them our support by making a plan to get out the vote today!

Jevin Hodge is an Arizona native born in Tempe. Hodge is an energetic candidate with a long history of strong advocacy and campaign experience. He has worked with community leaders and elected officials, often focusing on increasing civic engagement in Arizona. Hodge’s experience includes hosting town halls and roundtables with Members of Congress, Cabinet officials, local chiefs of police, and state legislators. He currently serves as the Chair of the Booker T. Washington Child Development Center. Hodge is also the former President of the Tempe Union High Schools Education Foundation, and sits on the boards of several non-profit charitable institutions around Arizona. Previously, he served as the Vice-Chairman of the Arizona Democratic Party (ADP) where he spent three years traveling across the state to engage people civically. During this time, he was elected by the ADP’s State Committee twice to serve as the youngest African American statewide official in the entire Democratic Party. In 2020 he was recognized by the City of Tempe’s Human Relations Commission and McClintock High School for his civic efforts. If elected to the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, Hodge plans to invest in education, health, the economy and Arizona’s infrastructure. He believes Maricopa County has an obligation to return taxpayer dollars to the people and with his leadership, Arizona can beat the 15% poverty rate. Learn more about Hodge’s platform here.

Patrice Horstman - Coconino County Board of Supervisors

Patrice Horstman is a tribal lawyer involved with the Flagstaff and the Coconino County community for more than 30 years, working to preserve equal rights for humans and environmental conservation. She is a long time supporter of Planned Parenthood and women’s health and reproductive rights. 

Throughout her 45 years of serving Coconino County, both as a lawyer and as a community activist, Horstman has worked with numerous organizations advocating for women’s rights, strong healthy families, public education, racial justice, LGBTQ equality, economic development, sustainability, and public lands.  As a lawyer serving public school districts throughout the state and on the Navajo and Hopi Nations, Horstman understands the intersectionality of social and economic justice. If elected to the Coconino County Board of Supervisors, Horstman is committed to building a more equitable and vibrant Coconino County.  Learn more about Horstman’s vision here.

Anna Tovar is a former state legislator, school board member, city council member and current Mayor of Tolleson. She is a proud product of the Tolleson public school system, where she was raised, and has dedicated her career to giving back to the Tolleson community. Tovar taught for five years for the Tolleson Elementary School District, served on the Tolleson City Council for seven and a half years and was the Vice Mayor for two years until she joined the House of Representatives in 2010 and where she served as Minority Whip. In 2013, Tovar assumed office as a member of the Arizona State Senate, representing District 19 and left office in 2015. As a Senator, Tovar developed a reputation as a legislator who fought for the dignity of underserved people. She served as Senate Minority Leader and Latino Caucus Chair. In 2016, Tovar returned to Tolleson and was elected Mayor. She is the first female to hold this office. Tovar supports raising education funding, reforming the tax code, stopping the expansion of private prisons, and instituting stronger restrictions on gifts to legislators. She is running for the Arizona Corporation Commission because she believes many of the Corporation Commissioners have forgotten about the people they were elected to serve and therefore  wishes to restore transparency and integrity to the Corporation Commission. Learn more about the key issues Tovar plans to address here. 

Mayor Kate Gallego is the second elected female Mayor in Phoenix history and the youngest big city Mayor in the United States. She graduated from Harvard University and earned an MBA from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. Before being elected to Phoenix City Council, Mayor Gallego worked on Economic Development for the local utility company, Salt River Project. 

Mayor Gallego has focused on three key policy areas during her time in office: diversifying the economy, strengthening infrastructure investment, and working to make Phoenix a leader in sustainability. Her record of proven results includes leading the campaign to pass Phoenix's citywide transportation plan through 2050, which was the largest local government commitment to transportation infrastructure in the country when it passed in 2015.  She has also led efforts ensuring equal pay for equal work. Mayor Gallego is passionate about building a Phoenix that works for everyone and increasing the quality of life for all Phoenicians. Stay updated on Mayor Gallego’s re-election campaign here.