Local opinion: Time to put public service over politics

It is an incredible honor to serve as a State Representative for Legislative District 17. In office, I have sought to keep my focus on public service, first and foremost.

What does that mean? That means talking to and being willing to work with any legislator, regardless of party, to get results. That means focusing on the issues I hear about most - tackling rising costs of living, improving our schools, protecting our water, and keeping our communities safe. That means knocking on thousands of doors, holding town halls, and giving updates so that people are hearing from me; but more importantly, so that I'm hearing from them.

I ran due to frustration with a state legislature that was too political and too unproductive. That's still the case.

It is hyper-partisan. This year, Governor Hobbs signed 264 bills. Of those bills sent to her by the (narrowly) Republican-controlled state legislature, 254 (96.2%) were Republican-sponsored. Only 10 (3.8%) were from Democratic sponsors.

There are other practices - overnight voting, suddenly adding 100+ bills to vote on, extended recesses - that are also making our state legislature look more and more like Congress. That's not good.

Each year, I have been able to get legislation passed - to get funding to Arizona organizations without taxes, and to toughen penalties related to drunk driving. It's not impossible to get bipartisan things done, but it is much too rare.

The Arizonans I talk to are disappointed by the almost total lack of bipartisanship. They want us to be evaluating ideas based on their merits, not party affiliation. We should be having real conversations about how to solve problems - not disenfranchising voters who might have another perspective.

It's definitely an uphill battle to change the politics-first culture, and to take on our state's biggest challenges. But I think it's a fight worth fighting.

That's why I'm running again.

I'm grateful for the support this time around, from individuals - Democrats, independents, and Republicans - to organizations like the Arizona Police Association, the Arizona Fraternal Order of Police, the Arizona State Troopers Association, the Professional Fire Fighters of Arizona, and others.

And I'm running with reinforcements: Edgar Soto for State Senate, and Holly Lyon for the second State Representative seat (in Arizona, you can vote for two representatives per district).

Based on their life experiences and the people I know them to be, I believe they will bring the type of public service ethos to the state legislature that we desperately need more of. People who will use their role to benefit the people of Southern Arizona, not political leadership in Phoenix.

Edgar Soto is a Marine Corps veteran who followed his military service with a successful career in education. He worked as a middle school teacher, then joined Pima Community College, where he has been for 30 years — in roles including coach, administrator, professor, and campus leader — helping people achieve lives of meaning and purpose.

Holly Lyon is a former middle school teacher who then joined the Air Force. She served honorably for more than 26 years, retiring as a full Colonel. During her service, she helped save American taxpayers $100 million on federal contracts. After retiring, she has been involved in supporting local schools and increasing community civic engagement.

You don't have to wonder if Edgar and Holly are running for the right reasons. They have been dedicated to serving their nation and their community for their entire lives.

In the business world, where I come from, you don't fixate on party affiliation. Edgar and Holly have a similar perspective from the military. We're used to completing the project, or completing the mission — and working with anyone to make it happen. We need more of that.

In a legislature where politics rules — and one that is slow, unproductive, and disorderly as a result - proven public servants like Edgar and Holly can help make a real difference in changing its practices.

I humbly ask for your support to help send the three of us to the legislature — Edgar Soto for State Senate, both myself and Holly Lyon for State Representative — to move the focus away from politics and partisanship, and back towards governance and service.