Local opinion: Sweaters in a heat wave: How Democrats are losing Arizona

Arizona is burning — literally and politically. Our state could decide control of the House and the presidency in 2026 and 2028. The stakes for democracy, for our rights, and for the future of this country could not be higher. Yet Arizona’s Democratic leadership acts as if we’re living in another era — one where Donald Trump and the movement behind him are not the greatest threats to American democracy in our lifetimes. But here’s the truth: Arizona has the power to stop him.

While the Grand Canyon smolders and our democracy teeters, Democratic leaders are sending out tired fundraising emails and recycling alarmist talking points. What I see is a patchwork of siloed organizations, each jealously guarding turf and competing for the same dollars and attention. It’s political navel-gazing at its worst. It’s like knitting a wool sweater in a Phoenix summer — dangerously out of touch.

Sure, there are cross-promotions, but that’s not enough for a state as pivotal as Arizona. We are not strategizing together. Do any Democratic agencies or elected officials here have a relevant, modern strategy as Trump grows more ruthless by the day? I know for a fact one prominent group’s “strategic plan” is older than some of its volunteers, and its board meets only a handful of times a year. Where is the leadership setting a clear platform of what we’re for? Who is making the case that public service, civic participation, and community are the lifeblood of democracy?

Here’s the truth: Trump 2.0 is meaner, darker, and more dangerous than anything we’ve seen. The threat has metastasized. Yet Arizona Democrats still act like it’s business as usual. That’s not just shortsighted — it’s political malpractice.

The deeper problem is structural. Too many leaders focus on protecting fiefdoms instead of building the unified, relentless movement we need to win. Instead of connection, we get isolation. Instead of collaboration, duplication. This siloed mentality won’t save democracy.

And yes, we’re all complicit. We stopped paying attention. We stopped breathing life into our democracy and our party. But the time for passivity is over. We need our leaders to help build a new movement — top-down and bottom-up — where grassroots energy and a generational shift swing the pendulum back to policies and rights that embody the best of America.

This isn’t rocket science. For 25 years, I’ve helped businesses, nonprofits, and coalitions tackle “wicked problems” — challenges so complex no single stakeholder could solve them. The solution is collaboration: coming together across boundaries, aligning resources, and constantly adapting.

Arizona Democrats need that same coordinated approach. Imagine: instead of a glossy three-year plan gathering dust, young and diverse Arizonans help shape real priorities. A living strategy reviewed every few months by a smaller, empowered group that asks: What’s working? Where are the gaps? How do we amplify instead of duplicate? Imagine leaders locking arms instead of guarding turf, donors uniting behind shared strategy, volunteers working statewide in one coordinated network.

This vision isn’t fantasy — it’s necessity. Arizona could become the model for every swing state, showing how collaboration, agility, and grassroots energy can defeat even the most dangerous opponents.

But it requires courage. Courage to stand up to Trump. Courage to set aside personal agendas. Courage to recognize that these times demand urgency unlike anything we’ve seen.

Arizona voters, this is our moment. Our leaders must lead with boldness — or risk losing it all. History will ask if we rose together to meet this fire with something stronger than fear: hope, unity, and determination.

The flames are real. But so is our power to put them out. Millions of Arizonans are ready. Which agencies will lead this? I’m ready to lock arms. Who’s with me?