Get ready to vote in the U.S. Congressional District 1 Dem primary
With the incumbent running for U.S. Senate, this Congressional race has attracted two former Republicans to run as Democrats.
Candidate Tom O’Halleran spent nine years as a Republican in the Arizona legislature before he became and independent and now a Democrat. He touts his experience working on bipartisan issues like passing all-day kindergarten and boosting funding for what was then Child Protective Services. If elected, O’Halleran said he will work on incentivizing jobs in rural America, improving veterans medical care and addressing tribal unemployment.
Miguel Olivas, who has never held elected office despite running for Congress two other times, said he has gained an extensive knowledge of the federal government from years working as an aid for five Republican federal legislators and as a nonprofit and business consultant helping secure federal funding and legislation. He emphasized his understanding and work with the federal appropriations process, education policy, trade agreements and agencies like the U.S. Forest Service, compared to O’Halleran’s state-level experience.
• Voters who are on the Permanent Early Voter list (about 72 percent of Arizona voters) and those who requested an early ballot will got a bal…
Meet the candidate
Meet the candidate
While expressing general support for the Affordable Care Act, the candidates had differing ideas on how to improve Obama’s trademark healthcar…
O’Halleran said he doesn’t support banning high capacity magazines or assault rifles, but said he’s behind expanded background checks and bann…
One of Olivas’ biggest focuses is the protection of personal freedom when it comes to things like gay and transgender rights, marriage equalit…
Militarization of the border is not the answer to the country’s immigration struggles, Olivas said. Instead, he’s advocating for a secure econ…
O’Halleran criticized the EPA’s Clean Power Plan for not giving appropriate consideration to the economics of rural Arizona, but emphasized hi…
O’Halleran said he supports an increase in the minimum wage, but said he believes it should be done on a regional level that takes into accoun…
On education, both Olivas and O’Halleran support more state control over education.
Olivas said the government needs to better guarantee the financial stability of the Social Security trust fund, as much of that money is inves…
