Tucson Dems — Reps. Alma and Consuelo Hernandez — lead new PAC

With just two weeks left before Election Day, Rep. Alma Hernandez and her sibling, Rep. Consuelo Hernandez, have launched the new Arizona Democratic Action Political Action Committee, or PAC, to elect moderate, “common-sense” Democrats, they told the Star.

The PAC has raised over half a million dollars, they said. The funds will be spent between now and Nov. 3 on door-to-door canvassing and paid phone calls.

“We are not doing the YouTube ads and everything. It’s so saturated right now, that the only way we're going to convince voters is at their door,” Alma Hernandez said.

The Hernandez sisters credit face-to-face interactions with voters as the most effective strategy that got them their seats. Alma Hernandez is a current state representative running for the Legislative District 20 Arizona Senate seat, while Consuelo Hernandez is seeking a third term in the House.

The PAC is aiming high for a “trifecta” of the House, Senate, and Arizona governor’s office held by Democrats. Democrats haven’t held a majority in the House in over 60 years, which Alma Hernandez said has been a challenge over her eight years as a legislator.

“I've been under the minority with a Republican governor and a Democratic governor, and we definitely understand kind of how difficult that's made things,” she said.

Current Democratic incumbent for Legislative District 17 Kevin Volk will receive PAC money in his race against Republican incumbent Rachel Keshel and newcomer John Winchester. The district covers Marana, Oro Valley, the Catalina Foothills and parts of northern Tucson.

Candidates were chosen based on the competitiveness of their districts and their platforms, and whether they’d worked with them before, Alma and Consuelo Hernandez said. Common sense means a willingness to work across the aisle if they win the legislative seat, they said.

“At the end of the day, we Democrats want the same thing. I believe we want to make sure that we are funding our public schools, but we also want to make sure that we're creating opportunity and jobs here in Arizona for everyone,” Alma Hernandez said.

Consuelo Hernandez said they looked for candidates that focus on day-to-day issues including rising costs and health care.

“The extremism on both sides doesn't help anybody,” she said.

Three other PAC fund recipients are in the Phoenix area.

Current state Sen. Kiana Sears is running to keep the seat in the 9th district covering Mesa, after being appointed last year. Her campaign priorities include lowering costs, expanding high-wage jobs and improving public safety with community policing, according to her website.

PAC money will also go to newcomer Jacob Martinez, one of two Democrats in the race for the LD9 House seats. The 24-year-old was the former chairman of the Arizona Teenage Republicans, but stepped down in 2018 because of the Republican Party’s stance on gun control, 12 News reported at the time.

Alma Hernandez also went to law school with Martinez, she said.

Tammy Caputi is running for the House seat in Legislative District 4, covering Scottsdale and North Phoenix. She has called herself a “development friendly” candidate when she served on the Scottsdale City Council, and was one of two councilmembers who voted in favor of a controversial Axon development that included 1,900 apartments. She lost the city council seat in 2024.

Alma and Consuelo Hernandez would not name direct contributors to the PAC, but said they represent a mix of individuals and organizations.

“They want leaders who focus on affordability, strong public schools and a secure water future and who work hard to get results,” Consuelo Hernandez said.

Campaign finance laws mean Consuelo and Alma Hernandez can’t have contact with any of the candidates their PAC money is funding. The pair said they hired Roy Herrera, a prominent campaign and elections lawyer, to advise the formation of the PAC.

The Arizona Democratic Action PAC registered on Oct. 1, according to campaign finance information from the Secretary of State’s Office, the day after the Sept. 30 filing deadline for election-related spending reports.

“Everything will be in compliance,” Alma Hernandez said.