Two newcomers are challenging an incumbent in the Democratic primary election for legislative district 2, which includes southern Pima County, Sahuarita, Green Valley, Arivaca and Nogales.
Daniel Hernandez, a Sunnyside school board member, and Aaron Baumann, a recent law school graduate, face Rosanna Gabaldón, the incumbent who has served two terms in the Arizona House of Representatives.
Voters will choose two out of the three Democrats in the primary. The chosen two will face Republican incumbent Chris Ackerley, who is unopposed in the GOP primary, in the general election for the two House seats. The primary is Aug. 30.
The Star asked the Democratic candidates five questions about the issues and concerns in their legislative district and the state. Their answers have been edited for brevity and clarity.
Q. What makes you uniquely qualified for this position?
Baumann: I think being a soon-to-be lawyer makes me qualified to make the law. In the Legislature, you have a lot of people who weren’t elected by the people, including lobbyists and interest groups, crafting the law. It’s uniquely important that we have people in the office who can draft legislation themselves.
Gabaldón: As a former Sahuarita Town Council member and having served two terms at the Legislature, I have demonstrated my ability to represent and fight for the interest of the citizens in LD2. I supported successful efforts to fund infrastructure in our area.
Hernandez: Having been on the Sunnyside school board for five years, and most recently served as president, I’ve been at the forefront of producing results and reforming government. I have experience working across party lines to get things done.
Q. Who are your constituents and what are their needs?
Baumann: My constituents are residents of Southern Pima County and Santa Cruz County. That is a large low-income, minority and Latino population. Their needs are representation that serves their interests by providing good-paying jobs, good education, affordable colleges and community colleges.
Gabaldón: LD2 stretches from 22nd Street south to Nogales and from Elgin west to Arivaca. The major concerns in the area are economic development, educational opportunities and sustainable water supplies.
Hernandez: The district is predominantly a Latino district. The big things include working to ensure that we create both economic and educational opportunities for those that live here.
Q. What are the top three issues in your legislative district and what do you intend to do about them?
Baumann: I think the top need is adequate K-12 education and, with that, affordable and accessible community colleges and universities. The second need is economic growth that produces good-paying, stable employment. Third is the Rosemont Mine, which is planned to be built in the Santa Rita Mountains. I oppose the plan. For education, we need to find ways to fund it so that the system is equal for every student. To boost the economy, we need adequate infrastructure to support it. As for the mine, it’s a federal issue but I want to represent my people in talks with federal decision-makers.
Gabaldón: The major issues in the area are lack of jobs, educational funding cutbacks and depletion of our water supplies. I will continue to work with my fellow legislators; if we don’t start working together we are not getting anywhere. It is critical that we educate our citizens and help them to develop meaningful employment opportunities. Southern Arizona must continue to work together in support of good water management.
Hernandez: The top three issues in my district are education, economy and infrastructure. We need to provide additional funding for education, particularly career and technical education programs. We also need to invest in our roads and bridges to help promote cross border trade and travel.
Q. What are the biggest issues facing Arizona and what do you intend to do about them?
Baumann: The biggest issues that Arizona is facing as a state are, again, education, but also the influence of corruption and dark money and divisive, hateful rhetoric .
Gabaldón: As a state, we must focus on improvements to public education, our community, economy, public safety and natural resources. I will propose and support legislation that will strengthen our economy, create jobs and improve our schools while keeping reserves in place.
Hernandez: The most important issues facing Arizona are education, jobs and common-sense gun safety. I believe that investing in our schools is an investment in our future. Lack of investment has meant we haven’t created the best environment for business. Finally, we must look at addressing gun-violence prevention.
Q. What is going well in the Arizona Legislature and what isn’t going so well?
Baumann: What’s going well is that you have a movement starting to form. Legislators, as well as voters, are starting to recognize the problems in the state — that we need to see changes in education and the campaign finance system. What’s going bad is that the process is very slow. There are students, for example, who will never recover from the lack of support coming to schools from the government.
Gabaldón: I was delighted when my proposed bills on public safety and aging population passed through their assigned House committees. I was hopeful when the bills passed through the House. I was disappointed that the bill did not get heard at the Senate. It is unfortunate that some good ideas were prevented from moving forward.
Hernandez: I feel the Legislature is going in the wrong direction. We must work to repair our brand as a state to attract greater tourism and trade. Years of policy left us with a stained reputation and I want to run to help showcase all the great things Arizona has to offer.
