Basic biographical information:
- Name: Nancy Gutierrez
- Office they are seeking: I am running for the Arizona State House in LD18.
- Age:ย I am 50 years old
- City of residence:ย Tucson, AZ.ย My husband, children and I moved here in 2007.
- Occupation:ย I am a teacher at Tucson High Magnet School, and a proud member of Tucson Education Association and Arizona Education Association.
- Education:ย I earned my Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education with an emphasis in Math from Northern Arizona University in 1994.ย I am also a Certified Yoga Teacher with 500+ hours of instruction and training.
- Previous elected office: In 2010, I was the President of the Manzanita Elementary School Family Faculty Organization and in 2018, I was elected the President of the Tucson Chapter of the National Organization for Women. This is my first campaign for the House.
- Other relevant qualifications: I am a lifelong volunteer and advocate for public education. I began teaching in Arizona in 1994 and have taught preschool, elementary, high school and community college math. I have always sought leadership positions including serving as Department Chair for the Physical Education Department at Tucson High. My work with students and adults has given me much experience in communication and leadership. This will directly correlate to serving in the House of Representatives and working with elected officials who do not necessarily agree with my positions. Teaching yoga in the Tucson Community since 2009, has given me great opportunities to learn from students of all ages and from all over Tucson and listen to their concerns for our community. I am a skilled communicator and will make it a priority to keep the community informed about the work that we do in the House.ย ย
1. What do you see as the most important issue to address and how would you address it?
I think the most important issue facing Arizona right now is the ban on abortion. This has stripped away a basic right to privacy and healthcare from Arizona women. This is completely unacceptable and I will not stop until every Arizonan has the right to abortion care. No one should have to go to another state for care and no physician should fear giving care to a patient. Forced birth is barbaric. This law puts an unfair burden on pregnant people. This is not the stateโs right to take.ย ย
Another issue that is truly critical in Arizona is our public education. This is what prompted me to run in the first place. I have seen our public education system torn apart and destroyed over the past two decades. I will fight for every single student in Arizona to have a quality, equitable and safe education. We must stop the latest vouchers that give public money to private, charter, homeschools and micro schools with absolutely no accountability. This money being taken from public education cripples our schools. We must fully fund our schools, reinstate requirements for teachers to be trained and certified, increase funding for mental health awareness, training to teachers and more counselors at each school sight. We need our schools to be more secure and the funding to hire more security personnel who are trained to de-escalate intense situations before they get violent. We need money to fix and repair our school structures, air conditioning and busses. Perhaps most importantly, we need to stop the misinformation about curriculum and ensure that teachers and staff have the respect they deserve. This includes paying teachers and staff at the national average, at a minimum.
Other important issues are passing gun sense legislation that will help our communities be much safer. We need to acknowledge our climate and water crisis and start implementing solutions now. We must always protect our voting rights. This is a critical component of democracy. Arizona has proven time and time again that we have safe and fair elections. We must keep voting convenient and that includes protecting mail in voting. This is a great state and I am proud to have lived here most of my life and to have raised my children here. I am running because I want Arizona to be a place where my daughters will want to choose to live. We can work together to ensure that happens.ย ย
2. Why should voters choose you, rather than other candidates?
Voters should choose me because if anyone can stand up and fight for our public education system, it is a teacher.ย I will not only bring my voice, but the voices of other teachers, students and staff to the House.ย Theseย Legislators need to hear how their budget cuts have affected us.ย They need to hear that because of our inadequate gun safety laws, we all cringe at every announcement fearing the worst.ย They need to be shown our crumbling buildings and hear what it is like to attend school with no working air conditioning.ย I will be the only teacher in the Legislature from southern Arizona.ย Not only will I stand up for schools, but for safety, for unions, for our abortion rights, our environment and our voting rights.ย I ask for your vote because I will represent all of LD18 and do it with heart and determination.
3. Could you please provide a list of the people and organizations that have endorsed you?
Arizona Education Association
Arizona List
Emilyโs List
Arizona AFL-CIO
Arizona Medical Association PAC
Arizona National Organization for Women PAC
Arizona Nurseโs Association PAC
Everytown for Gun Safety
Human Rights Campaign PAC
LUCHA
NARAL, Pro Choice Arizona
National Association of Social Workers
Planned Parenthood of Arizona
Progressive Turnout Project
Sierra Club
Southwest Carpenters Union
Stand For Children Arizona
