Voter list unavailable to Grijalva challengers
Voter list unavailable to Grijalva challengers
AZ Dem official says party is selective on who gets information
May 18, 2012 12:00 am • Becky Pallack Arizona Daily Star
A state Democratic Party official denied access to a voter list to two candidates in the U.S. Congressional District 3 race, saying they aren't Democrat enough.
Amanda Aguirre and Manny Arreguin, who are challenging Rep. Raúl Grijalva in the primary, requested voter lists, which are used for getting and verifying petition signatures and targeting campaign mail.
Grijalva's communications director, Adam Sarvana, said the distribution of the voter list is a state party's decision and Grijalva had nothing to do with his opponents being cut off.
State party Executive Director Luis Heredia said the party is being more selective about who gets access to the proprietary list. "We reserve that right," he said.
Heredia said he questions why the two are running against a Democratic incumbent who has been endorsed by President Obama.
"We have reason to believe these candidacies are not truly reflective of our Democratic infrastructure," he said.
Aguirre has received campaign contributions from Republicans, and Arreguin recently switched parties, he said.
He said the candidates could have asked "legitimate organizations" to back them in their requests for reconsideration, but instead they're attacking the party in the media.
Aguirre said she requested access to the voter list in March. When she received no answer, she stopped by party headquarters while she was in Phoenix to receive an award.
Heredia told her that she would not get access, and she was "disappointed and sad," she said.
Aguirre said she has been a Democrat all her life, she spent eight years in the state Legislature representing the party, and now she feels cut off.
She was willing to pay the $1,000 fee for the state list, but instead had to pay $8,000 for a list sold by a national firm.
Arreguin, a first-time political candidate, said he filled out forms two weeks ago to get access to the voter list, including a signed and notarized affidavit, but he didn't hear back from the state party. He learned he has been denied access after follow-up calls and emails.
Arreguin said he asked Heredia to reconsider, but now is looking for alternative ways to get voter information.
He acknowledged in his campaign announcement in February that he switched parties 2 1/2 years ago because he was frustrated with what he called Republican attacks on minorities and immigrants, a population he serves daily as a physician at El Rio Community Health Center.
"Ultimately, we should leave this up to the voters," Arreguin said. "We are just asking for a voice."
If challengers will be discouraged from participating in the primary election, why have a primary at all, he questioned.
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