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During a hearing about a border wall bill, GOP state Sen. Janae Shamp asked a civilian speaker a graphic question about rape. By Morgan Fischer | February 3, 2026 As far as polite conversation goes, questions about vaginas, anuses and rape probably fall a good bit short. Monday at the Arizona Legislature, one such question caused quite a ruckus. The incident took place during a meeting of the Arizona Senate’s Military Affairs and Border Security Committee. Members of the public had packed the hearing room to express their displeasure with a number of Republican-pushed immigration bills, particularly one from far-right state Sen. Wendy Rogers that would set aside $20 million essentially to pay towns to build their own border walls. Immigration activist Albert Rivera, who has also pushed for continued court oversight of the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, was one of those who spoke against the bill. Standing at a microphone, the 20-year-old argued that the money allocated in Rogers’ bill should be spent on other issues facing the state, calling the bill a “waste of time” and “un-American to the core.” He also accused lawmakers of caring only “about following the Trump agenda.” Rivera had said his piece and moved away from the microphone when GOP state Sen. Janae Shamp, a red “Trump Was Right About Everything” Stanley tumbler in front of her, summoned him back to answer a particularly graphic question. “Sir,” Shamp began, “do you know what it’s like to be in the operating room with a 23-year-old woman who’s been tied to a tree and raped so much you can’t tell the difference between her vagina and her anus? Do you know what that looks like?” While Shamp didn’t name the woman, Rivera and many in the room assumed she was speaking about the murder of 22-year-old Augusta University student Laken Riley by an undocumented man who had entered the country illegally. Riley’s death has been used by many Republicans as a talking point to clamp down on illegal immigration. Notably, as many on the right have pointed out ad nauseam, Riley’s killer was caught and released by border agents after entering the country illegally, suggesting a lack of border wall may not have been the problem. It was an odd question, but Rivera mustered a response. “I feel sorry for that woman who died, and by no means am I trying to justify anything that that guy did. It was horrible what he did,” Rivera told Shamp. But, he added, “the fact that you continue to use that as an excuse is disgusting.” Shamp began to ask another question after saying, “That’s not what I was referring to.” But Rivera began to walk away again as others in the hearing room told him he didn’t need to engage in a graphic tit-for-tat with Shamp that had little to do with his testimony. Then things boiled over. GOP state Sen. David Gowan, the committee’s chairperson, piped up and pointed at Rivera, telling him that he needed “to stand at that podium” and answer Shamp’s questions. Democratic state Sen. Sally Ann Gonzales, who had voiced an objection to Shamp’s original question, then stood up and said Rivera didn’t need to answer any questions at all. Rivera, still standing by the podium, asked Gowan, “Are you trying to intimidate me here?” Gowan said Rivera either needed to answer Shamp’s question or “he can stand all the way out of the committee” room. He then turned to Gonzales and told her to sit down. Putting her hands on her hips, Gonzales refused. Gowan asked her if “you’re going to disobey the chair,” at which point Gonzales demanded that the Senate’s rules attorney be called into the room to weigh in on just what the chair can do. Gowan maintained that Rivera needed to answer Shamp’s question or leave. Rivera took Option B, watching the rest of the hearing from the lobby. Last week, Rivera decided to leave the a hearing of the same committee, over another slate of anti-immigration bills, after another activist was kicked out for a disruption. The rules attorney finally arrived and sided with Gowan, saying it is “appropriate for him to keep decorum however he sees necessary” and that it’s “up to the chairman” if Gonzales could stand or not. The rules attorney also said the Gowan could compel a member of the public to either answer a question from a senator or leave. Gonzales expressed her disapproval, saying, “It is not right to make members of the public answer any questions that they do not want to answer.” She asked for a vote to appeal Gowan’s answer-or-leave directive but was shot down by Gowan. At that point, Democratic Sens. Catherine Miranda and Kiana Sears and more than 30 members of the public in the room also rose in protest. They all remained standing for the rest of the committee hearing. Bill advances Rogers’ bill eventually passed out of committee with only Republican votes. Republican Timothy Dunn said the bill was needed because “cartels and drug runners are still active,” while Rogers blamed undocumented immigrants for the increased cost of housing as justification. But Sears called the bill “absolutely ignorant” and “careless,” and Miranda said the proposed law caused more “confusion” and “fear.” Sears also told Gowan that she stood because “I’m disappointed that we compelled a member of the public to actually answer a question,” adding that, “I believe that any citizen, anyone who comes in to speak, has the right to come and go as they please.” But Gowan doubled down on his decision to compel Rivera to speak or leave, calling it “just a rude situation.” Vivian Serafin, an attendee who also stood to protest Gowan, said after the hearing that the chairman was “on a bit of a power trip.” “You’re not going to silence any of our voices. You’re not going to tell us how to speak,” said Serafin, who also works for the immigration organizing group Living United for Change in Arizona. "We’re not going to allow them to stifle our voices or control it in any way.” Reached after the meeting, Miranda told New Times she’s “going to stand with my colleague” and called the demonstration a “smaller sense of the atmosphere” compared to the near-daily protests outside the senate building. “All we have and all we can do is publicly tell the facts. The United States is under chaos, so we have to just keep speaking,” Miranda said, adding that the anti-immigration bills are “going to get vetoed” by Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs. “Thank goodness for the veto pen,” Miranda said. Neither Shamp nor Gowan responded to requests for comment on the incident. Speaking to New Times after the vote, Rivera thanked everyone who stood, including the three Democratic senators. The gesture “it almost brings me to tears” and “really warmed up my heart that there were so many other people standing up for me,” he said. Rivera then grabbed a bullhorn from another activist and continued to make his voice heard from the grounds outside the senate building “We can’t sit back. We can’t just idly sit back and say, ‘Oh well, we can’t do anything,’” Rivera told New Times. “We have to stand up.”

Speaking outside one Zipps location raided Monday night, activists blasted ICE intimidation tactics and use of force. By Morgan Fischer | January 28, 2026 “Several dozen” people were detained by federal agents as a result of the Monday night raids on Zipps Sports Grill locations in the Valley, immigration activists said at a press event Tuesday afternoon. “We don’t know how many,” Beth Strano, the executive director of Borderlands Resource Initiative, told Phoenix New Times. But, she added, “it’s safe to say that dozens” were detained. Neither ICE nor the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona immediately returned messages seeking the number of arrests made during the raids. The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced Monday afternoon that Homeland Security Investigations — a division of ICE and the Department of Homeland Security — was serving warrants “at 15 locations throughout the Phoenix area.” The warrants were served as “part of a months-long criminal investigation,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said, and were “executed as part of a criminal investigation into felony violations of federal law.” The release did not mention Zipps nor specify the federal laws allegedly violated, but federal agents were seen raiding all 14 Zipps locations in the Valley. Some individuals were detained, and Phoenix’s network of rapid responders went out to each location to track activity and saw dozens of people arrested, Strano said. Strano and other activists spoke Tuesday in front of the Zipps at Park Central in midtown Phoenix, where more than 200 protesters had gathered the night before to document and jeer at HSI agents raiding the restaurant. At the presser, longtime immigration activist and former state legislator Raquel Terán criticized immigration agents for going after hard-working immigrants. “Workers should not be the target,” Terán said. “These are people who are providing for their families. Basic human thing, provide for your family. Work.” It is not yet clear if the raids were part of a general immigration sweep. Similar raids on other restaurants in the past year have resulted in federal charges for illegally employing and transporting undocumented workers. That led activists to speculate that the raid on Zipps may be the result of a failed I-9 audit, a process that verifies employees’ legal authorization to work in the country. Immigration agents have used them recently to conduct raids on other restaurants in Arizona, including El Taco Loko, Taco Hiro and a sushi chain. But Strano said the show of force, with masked and armed federal agents at each site, was over the top. “I-9 audits are a normal part of business. We’ve had I-9 audits in our state for a long time,” Strano said. “They don’t usually look like this. This is overkill. It’s intentionally overkill.” Strano thinks the company’s failed I-9 audit is an “excuse” for federal immigration officers to get a judicial warrant, but the “collateral damage” is why they’re actually there. Immigration groups, such as Puente and Borderlands, said Zipps employees informed them that agents allowed more “white-looking” employees to leave the restaurant after it was raided “without a lot of asks or information,” Strano said. But “other folks were asked to stay,” and agents checked IDs, took photos and asked for employees’ social security numbers. Strano said that Zipps employees who didn’t work Monday night called Puente and Borderlands to report that ICE agents are now showing up at their homes. Valley residents can report ICE sightings to Puente’s Migra Watch hotline by calling 480-506-7437. “We’re going to continue to respond for people who are being targeted by this administration,” Terán said. “The community came out and stood in solidarity.” Though the Zipps raids appear to be more of a targeted operation compared to the general immigration sweeps conducted in other cities, they also resulted in the use of force against some protesters and observers who gathered to document them. Dozens of people were pepper-sprayed at multiple Zipps locations; at the 32nd Street and Shea Boulevard location, an ICE agent maced protesters standing on the sidewalk as his vehicle drove away. Protesters at Zipps locations in Scottsdale and Tempe were also hit with pepper spray, according to activists. The Greenway location in Scottsdale, which was the last location targeted by agents, was hit the hardest. Terán was there and said three or four people were taken to the hospital, including one person who had a seizure. Strano believes federal immigration agents’ show of force aimed to “make people feel powerless.” But it appeared to have the opposite effect. Hundreds of people showed up at Zipps locations across the Valley on Monday to oversee activity and protest federal immigration enforcement in their communities. She thinks that’ll only continue. “There were so many organic community responders last night that just heard this was happening,” she said, “and drove to their nearest Zipps and were like, ‘Not OK with me.’” Terán and others decried “escalation of violent tactics” by federal agents, pointing also to the recent shooting deaths of legal observers Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti, both of whom were U.S. citizens. Democrat Rep. Yassamin Ansari, who was also among the crowd outside the Park Central Zipps location Monday night, criticized the administration for “trying to gaslight the American people from believing what they saw with their own eyes” and the “despicable” and “ongoing authoritarian takeover of the United States of America.” Organizers also called on Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego and Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs — both Democrats — to speak out against ICE’s presence in the Valley. Hobbs and Gallego have both criticized the Trump administration in the past, but neither has been as vociferous about it as, say, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes. “We are in the most violent of times being carried out by this administration,” said Alejandra Gomez, the executive director of Living United for Change in Arizona. “This is violence now on the American people.” Read Original Article Here

By Micaela Marshall | January 27, 2026 PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Protestors gathered for a rally in central Phoenix Tuesday afternoon in response to Monday’s raids at Zipps Sports Grill locations across the Valley. “ICE of out Phoenix! ICE out of Phoenix!” a couple of hundred people chanted while marching from Zipps on Central Avenue near Thomas Road to the ICE Phoenix Field Office down the street. Some elected officials and activists are demanding ICE agents leave Arizona, calling the recent search warrants traumatic and chaotic. While questions pile up about what exactly happened and why, anger continues to build. “It does not matter if you are undocumented or a citizen, it does not matter if you are protesting or just living your life, all it takes is being in the wrong place at the wrong time,” said Alejandra Gomez with Living United for Change in Arizona, or LUCHA. The restaurant chain is at the center of controversy after Homeland Security Investigations and other federal agencies raided 15 Zipps locations across the Valley on Monday. “Direct assault on the dignity of immigrant workers and a chilling reminder of how law enforcement actions can tear right through the fabric of our community,” said Beth Strano with Borderlands Resource Initiative. Immigration attorney Juliana Manzanarez ran from her nearby law office to witness it for herself and speak with workers. “Everything happened really quickly. They came in, they shouted, they cleared the restaurant, and they said that they were detained while they were making this investigation,” said Manzanarez. Arizona Democrat Rep. Yassamin Ansari was on scene, too. “This is despicable, as the daughter of immigrants who fled an authoritarian regime to come to this country for a better life and opportunity to see the ongoing authoritarian takeover of the United States of America,” said Ansari. We don’t know what prompted the search warrants or if any actual arrests were made. All the U.S. Attorney’s Office will tell Arizona’s Family is that this was not an ICE sweep or raid, but instead related to a long-term criminal investigation involving felony violations. “This type of operation shouldn’t be carried out with masked agents and pepper spray and mace,” said Manzanarez. Speakers at the rally were calling on Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego and Gov. Katie Hobbs, both Democrats, to stand up to ICE and force the agency out of our state. Gov. Hobbs posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that she’s gathering details about the raids and criticized the Trump administration for not giving her office enough notice about the searches. Read Original Article Here

Arizona Families at the Brink While GOP Holds the Government Hostage FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 27, 2025 Contact: press@luchaaz.org Number of Days Arizonans Are Without SNAP PHOENIX — A startling national warning arrived this week: 855,273 Arizonans could see their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food benefits halted beginning Saturday if the Republican federal government shutdown continues . AZ Mirror LUCHA will be organizing a community rally at the Phoenix DES office, located at 1717 W. Jefferson Street, to bring the community together and demand “Food on Every Table” on October 30th at 4:00 p.m. This will be the first of many actions. Thursday will mark the beginning of a food drive campaign to provide aid to those in need until Republicans reopen the government and restore the aid to Arizonans that was lost. For media interested in attending the event, RSVP by responding to the email or emailing: cesarf@luchaaz.org Make no mistake: this crisis is a direct result of the shutdown engineered by representatives Juan Ciscomani, David Schweikert, and all other Arizona Republicans who refuse to negotiate. While working-class families face hunger, Republicans are locking in tax cuts for billionaires and slashing funding for food assistance, healthcare, and education. The cost to Arizona is immediate and devastating: Thousands of rural schools and food pantries are preparing for massive demand as food stamps are delayed or canceled. Arizonans plagued by food deserts and rising grocery prices will be plunged into deeper hardship and uncertainty Families who rely on those benefits say they may soon need to choose between groceries and rent. Rural hospitals, already operating on thin margins, will feel ripple effects as hunger and instability drive health-care needs. For Tre Rhodes , a Tucson native and food stamps beneficiary, the cuts are personal: “I grew up watching my mom work two jobs while we relied on food stamps to get by,” said Rhodes. “Even today, programs like SNAP and Medicaid keep families like mine from falling through the cracks. If Republicans keep this shutdown going, people will go hungry. It’s that simple.” “Arizona families are paying the price of this shutdown,” said  Alejandra Gomez , Executive Director of LUCHA. “And now Republicans are threatening to cut their food, their dignity, and their future so billionaires can keep getting richer. This is moral bankruptcy.” Why this is happening: SNAP is funded by annual congressional appropriations. The current lapse — driven by GOP refusal to budge — means funds will run out unless Congress acts. The July tax-and-spending bill, euphemized as the Big Ugly Bill, also slashed hundreds of billions from critical programs. Axios Republican leaders continue to hold budget talks hostage to priorities that benefit billionaires, not working families.

By Kenneth Wong and Ashlie Rodriguez | November 4, 2025 PHOENIX - As the ongoing federal government shutdown continues, it is also putting a spotlight on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known by its acronym SNAP. With SNAP benefits being affected as a result of the shutdown, here's what to know about them, as well as resources that are being offered to those affected. What's SNAP? According to USDA's website, SNAP stands for "Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program," and it "provides food benefits to low-income families to supplement their grocery budget so they can afford the nutritious food essential to health and well-being." The backstory: SNAP, per the USDA website, can trace its roots back to 1939, when the first Food Stamp Program began. That program ended in 1943, but a new pilot program was launched in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy. The pilot program was later made permanent with the passage of the Food Stamp Act in 1964. USDA officials said SNAP received its current name as a result of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008, in an effort to fight stigma surrounding the program. How many people receive SNAP benefits in Arizona? By the numbers: Data from DES shows 855,273 people receiving SNAP benefits as of September 2025, including around 508,000 adults and 347,000 children. "On average, [Nutrition Assistance] households receive approximately $359 each month to purchase groceries for their families," DES officials wrote. Data also shows that of the over 855,000 people receiving SNAP benefits, about 442,000 of them, or about 51.7% of all program participants, live in Maricopa County. How is the SNAP benefits pause affecting Arizonans? Local perspective: In recent weeks, we have reported on how the uncertainty over SNAP benefits, in addition to the government shutdown, is affecting Arizonans and community organizations. On Nov. 1, the 150 boxes prepared by Streets of Joy Food Bank in Mesa were gone in less than an hour. The food bank's founder, Eric Jenkins, said they had to tell a long line that consisted of more than 150 people that they had run out of food. "The hardest thing to do is to turn somebody away who’s been sitting, waiting, for three to four hours, not knowing if they’re going to get anything or not,m and now I got to go tell them that they can’t," Jenkins said. According to Lutheran Social Services, the average number of food boxes given away each month was around 500. For 2025, that number rose to nearly 900. Meanwhile, Native American communities within Arizona are also preparing for negative effects. The worry is so high, in fact, that the Gila River Indian Community has issued an emergency declaration, which frees up funds to provide a $1,000 stipend to households. "To get our members through the shutdown without missing meals or payments on electricity or other bills," said Gila River Indian Community Governor Stephen Roe Lewis. "Missing one month of rent can put you out on the streets. One month of car payment could have you car-less. And then missing that rent and then you have no car and no apartment," said Roxanne Wilson, who is preparing to help cover meals in the community. Dig deeper: "I can stretch a pound of hamburger and feed seven people, and it’s just the way I’ve learned, and I’ve learned how to do it," said Dee McDonald. McDonald takes care of her five grandsons, and uses food stamps to make ends meet. "It feels like sitting in your room and crying," said McDonald. "That’s what it feels like, to be honest, which I’ve done at times, and I try to do that in my room, away from the boys like I’m about to do now – not do it on camera – but that’s what it feels like. It’s like, ‘how am I going to feed these boys?’" "Being what it is, with the gridlock in Congress, nobody is thinking about the poor people," said Jenkins. "The battle over healthcare – I understand that, but the reality is: food is needed today. One thing you can’t kick down the road is hunger. This is the time as Americans, we need to come together and make sure the ones who have the need don’t have to go hungry, because of the politics of our government." What are people doing about the ongoing pause in SNAP benefits? During a news conference held on Nov. 4, the group Living United for Change in Arizona (LUCHA), along with other community organizations, raised the alarm, pointing to data that shows 15% of families in Maricopa County receive food stamps, and 17% report being food insecure. LUCHA is calling on local politicians to put pressure on Washington to end the shutdown. Meanwhile, Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs has pledged $1.8 million for Arizonans affected by the SNAP benefits pause. $1.5 million will go to food banks across the state to fill the gap where SNAP leaves off, while another $300,000 will go to an emergency fresh food program. There is also a temporary program called Food Bucks Now, which provides $30 in credits to SNAP households that can be redeemed for SNAP eligible food purchases at participating farmer’s markets, food stands, and community grocery stores. What you can do: The Arizona Food Bank Network has resources available online for those who need help, as well as those who want to help. People can also donate to St. Mary's Food Bank and St. Vincent de Paul. Read Original Article Here

By Alejandra Gomez October 3, 2025 The government is shut down, and let’s be clear about why: Republicans own this. Instead of governing, they walked away from the table, mocking Democratic leaders with racist deepfake videos and sending their caucus home while families braced for impact. Under Donald Trump’s direction, Republicans rammed through the disastrous “Big Beautiful Bill,” ripping $1 trillion from Medicaid, slashing food assistance, and draining public schools. The Real Crisis: Affordability The Republican shutdown is bigger than petty Washington politics: it is about the real costs to Arizona families. Trump and Republicans campaigned on lowering prices for working families, but the opposite has happened. Inflation is up, and food prices have climbed 3.2% compared to last year. That’s less money in our pockets. Gas, groceries, rent, and energy bills are stretching household budgets to the breaking point. Republicans promised relief, but instead they passed the so-called “Big Beautiful Bill” (HR1), ripping away the very supports families depend on. Allow ACA subsidies to expire means more than 100,000 Arizonans will lose affordable coverage, forcing families to choose between medical bills and rent. Slashing Medicaid will devastate rural hospitals that depend on it to stay open, putting entire regions at risk of losing emergency care and basic services. In our schools, the cuts eliminate Medicaid reimbursements used for nurses and services for kids with disabilities, reduce school meal reimbursements by shrinking SNAP eligibility, and funnel money into private vouchers that drain public classrooms. Meanwhile, Republicans are spending $175 billion on mass deportations, while showering billionaires with tax breaks. Arizona, with its rural towns, border communities, and working-class families, will undoubtedly be hit hard. Arizona Isn’t Broke, It’s Being Robbed Arizona’s state budget is already in crisis, with lawmakers forced into “Hunger Games”-style discussions over whether to fund schools, healthcare, or housing. Because so much of our budget depends on federal dollars, cuts in Washington cascade down here at home. Medicaid cuts blow holes in the safety net, rural hospitals scramble to stay open, and schools already stretched thin are left with even less. But the crisis isn’t only coming from Washington. Arizona Republicans have spent years making things worse for families: passing billions in permanent tax cuts for the wealthy, draining public schools with an unaccountable voucher program, refusing to raise new revenue, and even pushing to bail out billionaire stadium owners while everyday Arizonans shoulder higher costs. The truth is simple: Arizona is not broke; it’s being robbed. Trump’s giveaways and Republican priorities, at both the federal and state levels, siphon money upward while families, classrooms, and hospitals are left behind. The Fight Ahead While Republicans drive chaos with this shutdown, we are fighting alongside Democrats for working families and for a government that actually works for the people. Together, we are saying no to billionaire tax breaks and yes to affordable healthcare, strong schools, and food security. This fight is about whether Arizona families can afford a doctor’s visit, whether rural hospitals survive, whether kids have food on the table, and whether public schools have the resources they need. We are fighting for a future where healthcare is affordable, rural hospitals are strong, and schools are fully funded. This is the moment we have been waiting for since January. Now is the time to reject Trump’s cruelty, to hold Republicans accountable, and to demand a future where working families, not billionaires, come first. Read Original Article

Official Statement: Trump Winning in November is an Unacceptable Outcome. For Immediate Release June 27, 2024 Contact: press@luchaaz.org PHOENIX – At tonight’s first presidential debate former disgraced president Donald Trump unleashed a tirade of hatred and disinformation, breaking every fact-checking machine covering this debate. According to CNN Trump shared over 30 lies in the 90-minute discussion. Voters are demanding honesty, integrity, and leadership. Tonight Trump gave the complete opposite.  Trump’s persistent peddling of blatant lies is dangerous. From misleading statements about the COVID-19 pandemic to baseless claims about electoral fraud, and lies on abortion and immigration his words have real consequences. They sow confusion, create unnecessary fear, and undermine public trust. This pattern of deceit is not just problematic; it is a deliberate strategy to destabilize and manipulate this country for the sake of political expediency.  “One thing is clear, Trump is still the same wannabe dictator he was during his first term, his candidacy remains an existential threat to our Democracy, and the very communities he scapegoats on the campaign trail. If Donald Trump wins in November he will unleash an all-out attack on our institutions from the media to our justice department. Brown and Black communities across this country will bear the brunt of Trump's chaos.” Said Alejandra Gomez, Executive Director of Living United for Change in Arizona. Gomez continued.  “Latino voters rejected Trump once before in 2020, and they are poised to say no to hate and chaos once again. In Arizona, they will represent 1 of every 4 voters, the road to the White House goes right through our state.”

LUCHA's Official Statement FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 21, 2024 Contact: press@luchaaz.org PHOENIX — Moments ago, President Joe Biden announced he would step aside and “stand down” from the presidential race. While we are in a historic moment of some uncertainty, one thing is clear: this country could be four months away from potential authoritarianism. Former President Donald Trump vowed to be a dictator on day one. That outcome would be a nightmare. President Biden’s election in 2020 was in defense of our Democracy, and the defeat of a tyrant. In 2024, we must rally behind the Democratic nominee in defense of our democracy and our communities once again!  To provide quick clarity at this moment, LUCHA’s member-led Endorsement Committee swiftly voted unanimously to support Vice President Kamala Harris’ bid for President, and joined President Biden in endorsing her campaign. LUCHA members spoke clearly that they wanted to be a part of this once-in-a-generation opportunity to elect our first female, Asian-American, and just 2nd Black president. The mandate for us is clear: this election is about defeating fascism - unity will be required, and we must rally around VP Harris. And the LUCHA members look forward to electing her in November. “This is a time of extreme consequence. Not only is our democracy on the line, but so are our communities in Arizona, who already endured a Trump presidency once before. But we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to coalesce and unite behind a daughter of immigrants, a Black and South Asian woman to become our next president,” said Alejandra Gomez Executive Director of LUCHA. “Kamala Harris will effectively prosecute the case against a wannabe dictator who vilifies immigrants, and communities of color for his political gain. This is a call to action to rally behind Vice President Harris in defense of our Democracy.”  Let it be known, President Biden led this country through a deadly pandemic, and enacted an ambitious domestic agenda that made historic investments, lowered prescription drugs for seniors, expanded access to healthcare, and has forgiven billions in student loans for millions of Americans, passing additional protections for undocumented immigrants, and capping rent increases at 5 percent. LUCHA members know Kamala will be an extension of that leadership and want her to continue to build on that legacy for all Americans and we will work tirelessly to elect Harris as our President. “Now is the time to deploy resources and scale our programs. There is no time to wait,” Gomez said. “We must act immediately to defeat authoritarianism and elect  Kamala Harris as our next President.”

Terán’s Likely win in November will Make her the First Latina Elected to Congress out of Arizona. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: press@luchaaz.org PHOENIX - In a historic effort, Victory PAC has spent over $600K dollars on canvassing efforts and over $500K in ad buys to elect Raquel Terán in Congressional District 3. Our Canvassers have knocked on nearly 90,000doors since March in support of Raquel's campaign. In total LUCHA’s Victory PAC has spent north of 1 million dollars.  From grassroots organizer to state senator, Raquel has championed higher wages, led the fight against Arizona’s abortion ban and defended our democracy against extremists.  “Since March, our team of canvassers have worked tirelessly knocking on doors in CD3 for Raquel,”  said LUCHA State Director Liz Luna .  “We spoke to voters every day of the week about the issues that matter most to them, and campaigned for the candidate we know is a champion for her community and progressive values. We can proudly say over 90,000 homes across the district will have been visited by LUCHA canvassers with the historic contribution made to support these efforts. The work doesn’t stop here, it will continue through November, when we defeat Trump, and elect Raquel Terán to Congress.”

Primaries are Too Close to Call. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: press@luchaaz.org PHOENIX – With Primary election results still rolling in, we wanted to take a moment to congratulate all of our LUCHA Blue-endorsed candidates for their tireless efforts and hard-fought victories. We faced off against a billion-dollar special interests MAGA led opposition campaign but our grassroots, people-powered movement didn’t just show up; they invested over $1.5 million to fuel progressive, people-centered campaigns across the state. The LUCHA Blue campaign unleashed a powerful force of canvassers, volunteers, and community members, who knocked on nearly 100,000 doors, made countless phone calls, and mobilized voters for decisive victories. This isn't just a testament to grassroots organizing; it’s proof of the undeniable power LUCHA has built over a decade and the unwavering resolve of our communities. We’re not backing down—we’re just getting started. Though ballots are still being counted, a number of our LUCHA Blue candidates that faced a contested primary are on the road to victory: Pima County Board of Supervisors (District 3) victory for LUCHA-endorsed Jen Allen. LD 5 wins for LUCHA-endorsed candidates Sarah Liguori and Aaron Marquez in the House; An LD 8 race that will have one LUCHA-endorsed candidate in the State House, but was too close to call;  LD 11 wins for LUCHA-endorsed Oscar de Los Santos and Junelle Cavero; LD 23 wins for LUCHA-endorsed Mariana Sandoval and Matias Rosales; LD 24 win for LUCHA-endorsed candidate Anna Abeytia in the House; and an LD 24 win for LUCHA-endorsed Analise Ortiz in the State Senate. Our non-contested primary LUCHA Blue Candidates are also heading straight to the general election in November. They include: U.S. Senate primary win for Ruben Gallego; Congressional District 6 - Kirsten Engel LD 12 Senate - Mitzi Epstein LD 18 Senate - Priya Sundareshan LD 9 House - Lorena Austin LD 9 House - Seth Blattman LD 13 House - Nicholas Gonzales LD 18 House - Nancy Gutierrez LD 20 House - Betty Villegas LD 26 House - Cesar Aguilar LD 26 House - Quanta Crews It's absolutely critical that we wait for every single vote to be counted in the remaining close contests to ensure every voice is heard. Many races are still too close to call, including races for Congressional District 3, where Raquel Terán is within a few hundred votes of winning. No matter the outcome, one thing is for certain - we are fired up and ready to go! We will double our efforts to defeat Donald Trump and the MAGA extremists up and down the ballot in November and we are working tirelessly toward victories for Kamala Harris and Ruben Gallego, and wins for democracy at large.

Living United for Change in Arizona vows to await a recount to ensure every voter can have their voice heard in historic CD3 race for Raquel Terán FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 5, 2024 Contact: press@luchaaz.org PHOENIX -  With today's results, we know the historic race for Congressional District 3 will be subject to an automatic recount with margins as close as .01 percent or just 42 votes. Therefore, as advocates for a free and fair democracy, we expect a count that includes every last vote because we know every voter deserves to have their voice heard. This continues to be a historic, grassroots campaign supporting Raquel Terán. Young, first-time voters, parents and people of color fueled this campaign, who turned out under extreme weather conditions because they knew what was at stake in this election. These are the same voters who have witnessed Raquel building community power for the last decade - standing up for immigrants, students and the community across CD 3.  The district was inundated with outside money and influence from MAGA extremists and billionaires. These billionaires poured millions into the race for their dark money special interests, attempting to drown out the voices of the very community Terán’s opponent is seeking to represent, and elect a MAGA-funded outsider who is disconnected from the values and needs of the district. Despite that spending, Raquel supporters showed up and the vote-count is now separated by just a few voices, which means this historic campaign for the first Arizona Latina Congresswoman has triggered an automatic recount. Alejandra Gomez, Executive Director, LUCHA said in a statement: “For the past 16 years, I have witnessed Raquel’s influence and her mentorship. More than trying to become the first Arizona latina Congresswoman, she’s a friend. She’s a mentor and a mother. She’s our neighbor and a community leader. Everywhere she has gone, she continues to build up her community. Because of that, Terán's campaign was endorsed early on by our LUCHA members and is rooted in genuine service and advocacy for working families. She has a proven track record of standing up to right-wing extremists and fighting for justice. With today's news, the campaign goes into a recount, and the work will continue. We remain steadfast in our commitment to building grassroots power and will continue to fight against MAGA extremists and outside influence in our state.”

LUCHA's Official Statement FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 6, 2024  Contact: press@luchaaz.org PHOENIX –  Living United for Change in Arizona (LUCHA) is thrilled to support Kamala Harris' selection of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her Vice Presidential running mate. Governor Walz embodies the unapologetic progressive spirit of our organization and has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to advancing progressive priorities throughout his career.  Alejandra Gomez, Executive Director of LUCHA said,  “Governor Walz has worked diligently with grassroots organizations like ISAIAH to deliver Paid Family Leave, free school lunch, tax fairness and many more policies that communities deserve and desperately need in Minnesota. Now, we are optimistic that he brings that same commitment to the American people. His considerable legislative and policy accomplishments speak to his dedication to improving the lives of all Americans, particularly the most vulnerable.We are excited to support this strong and dynamic ticket, and we are confident that Governor Walz's presence will energize voters across the nation.”  Governor Walz has been a tireless advocate for expanding healthcare access and affordability, protecting reproductive rights, and increasing public school funding. He has championed clean energy initiatives, advocated for labor and workers' rights, and supported LGBTQ+ rights. Additionally, he has pushed for crucial social justice and criminal justice reforms.” Under Governor Walz's leadership, Minnesota has seen significant progress in various areas, including: Free breakfast and lunch for students  Funding Public Transit Raising Corporate Taxes 3 Months of Paid Sick Leave Passed recreational Marijuana  Passed Universal background checks for guns Implemented tuition-free college for low-income families  Governor Walz's experience extends beyond his tenure as Minnesota's governor. He served as a U.S. Representative for Minnesota's 1st Congressional District, gaining valuable legislative experience. Additionally, his 24 years of service in the Army National Guard provide him with a unique perspective on national security and veteran issues. LUCHA believes that Governor Tim Walz's selection as Kamala Harris' running mate signals a powerful commitment to a progressive agenda. His leadership and unwavering dedication to progressive values align with our vision for a more just and equitable future.