PPAA’s 2020 Candidate Endorsements: One Month to Election Day!

It’s officially October, which means early voting starts next week (October 7th) for this year’s 2020 general elections! Reproductive health has been under attack, both nationally and statewide, especially for Arizona where abortion access is on the line. If we want to make sure reproductive health measures are protected we need to elect officials in state and local office that share our values. That’s why we at Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona are proud to endorse Adelita Grijalva for Pima County Board of Supervisors, District 5 and Betty Guardado for Phoenix City Council, District 5, two candidates who put our health and rights first.

Lifelong Tucsonan, Adelita Grijalva, has committed her last 27 years to work with youth and their families. She is currently serving her 5th term as a board member for the Tucson Unified School District and is the Director of Pima County Teen Court, a Juvenile Court Diversion program. Grijalva has utilized her skills, experience, and drive to fight for the opportunity for each Pima County youth to achieve success and now wants to expand to Pima County as a whole. This is what makes her Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona’s endorsed candidate for Pima County Board of Supervisors of District 5. Her responsibility serving a four year term on the Board of Supervisors would be to steer public policy within Pima County by overseeing its various departments and ensuring public safety, economic development, managing natural resources, and protecting each resident’s public health. As the District 5 representative on the Board of supervisors, Grijalva hopes to focus on recovery. She pledges to help small businesses, increase readiness for future public health threats, expand upon solar energy while decreasing fossil fuel use, work with local schools to create apprentice programs for a strong Tucson workforce, and more. Learn more about Adleita’s experience and stance on key issues on her website. 

Betty Guardado has dedicated her life to public service and improving the lives of others. Now she wants to continue to do so through being re-elected to Phoenix City Council. From humble beginnings in a working-class family, working as a housekeeper in a hotel to becoming director of her local hospitality union, Guardado has always been a fighter for the people. As a city council member, Betty is a part of a local policy and law-making body which has the power to pass Phoenix laws and ordinances. In her last term of serving as Phoenix City Councilwoman, she has emphasized a team Phoenix approach to governing by collaborating with neighborhood leaders, stakeholders, and local government. She and her team have focused on strengthening communities, economic investment, beautification of neighborhoods, and raising the standard of living for working-class families. Guardado has even gone a step further in her dedication to taking an active role in more City Council Committees than any other Phoenix City Council Member. These committees include Public Safety and Justice, Land Use and Livability, Transportation, Infrastructure and Innovation, and serving as the Co-Chair of the Latino Cultural Center. Guardado does not take her role as a City Councilwoman lightly and wants to contribute all she can to improving the lives of the citizens of District 5. As a 12 year resident of Maryville, she hopes to be re-elected to continue to fight for the opportunities and resources necessary for a vibrant West Phoenix. Learn more about Betty Guardado’s Continued mission here.