The Arizona Daily Star editorial board endorses Hollace Lyon and Ralph Atchue for the state Legislature in District 11, which includes northern Pima County and SaddleBrooke.
Lyon, a Democrat, is running for the House against Republican incumbent Mark Finchem, Republican Brett Roberts and Democrat Marcela Quiroz. While voters will send two candidates to the Legislature, we are limiting our endorsement to Lyon.
For the Senate seat, Democrat Ralph Atchue is running against incumbent Republican Vince Leach.
We endorse Lyon and Atchue because they are impressive candidates, and because we have watched Finchem and Leach operate as two of the most right-wing conservative ideologues in the Legislature, to the detriment of LD11 and the state.
Lyon and Atchue have each run for office before and have made personal outreach a hallmark of their campaigns. Lyon said they have knocked on nearly 14,000 doors in their district, making connections with residents and hearing their concerns personally. This kind of grassroots canvassing, focusing on independent voters, is commendable and informs their positions.
Lyon is a retired Air Force colonel who has twice commanded a squadron, worked at NATO and was a strategic and budget planner for the Air Force.
Her extensive knowledge of setting goals, building systems and creating operational plans will be invaluable in the Legislature.
Atchue served in the Air Force and spent 33 years in the U.S. Postal Service, representing letter carriers and administration in labor negotiations, and retiring as a postmaster.
Atchue said, “The Governor and Legislature have put balancing the budget over everything else. They’re running it like a bargain basement business.”
We think that Hollace Lyon and Ralph Atchue will best represent LD11 and use their skills to benefit the Legislature and Arizona.
