Letter from President Judy Stahl
Fall Election Season Means Do What You Can!
Greetings Arizona Democratic Women and friends!
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As I write this, we are fully into the 2026 election season here in Arizona. Let’s maximize our harvest this fall! There are fewer than four weeks to go until early voting begins. Please take no chances regarding this profoundly important election. Review the following checklist and make sure that you are set:
Confirm that you are registered to vote. Monday, October 5th, is the final day to register to vote in Arizona for the 2026 election.
Research the candidates on your ballot *early* to make sure that you know who deserves your vote.
Get your early ballot as soon as possible. Ballots are available starting on Wednesday, October 7th.
Read the directions on your ballot and follow them precisely.
Immediately, fill out your ballot from the “bottom up” so that you have a voice in every election in your community.
Bring your completed *signed and sealed* ballot to the official ballot box in your community and make sure it goes all the way in! You can also bring it right into your county recorder’s office and hand it to a real person. We urge you not to take chances on mailing your ballot through the US Postal Service this year. Make the extra effort to ensure your ballot is safely delivered.
Two business days after you insert your ballot into the official ballot box, call your county recorder’s office and ask them to confirm that (a) your ballot has been received and (b) your vote has been recorded. These folks are doing incredibly important work and deserve our goodwill, cooperation, and best wishes as they help us fulfill our franchise.
Once you confirm your ballot has been tabulated, remind all your friends and family to do the same. Encourage everyone to get their ballots filled out, delivered, and recorded pronto.
Then, take a deep breath in, exhale, and honor yourself for fulfilling one of the most important and precious rights that we still have as American citizens, the right to vote.
Enjoy that warm feeling for a moment and then go out and help the Democratic Party in your community to Get Out The Vote!
Candidate Forum Recap​
AZDW hosted an online candidate Forum on Zoom last month. It went really well with phenomenal candidates, great questions and answers, and the opportunity to enjoy being together while discussing issues of serious import in our state. We are grateful to the five impressive women candidates who attended and spoke with intelligence, compassion,and humor in a forthright manner. Please view the video clips in this newsletter. Please watch the whole candidate forum at the link below to get the full story about these terrific candidates:
Passcode: 95v2##8S
A quick note, LD4 House Candidate Karen Gresham’s video clip may be the shortest, but it packs a punch! Karen is HIGHLY qualified to lead, legislate, and protect Democracy in Arizona: https://us06web.zoom.us/clips/share/_Qtj0redRreLR5AkISZJ5g
Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Candidate Dr. Teresa Leyba Ruiz:
https://us06web.zoom.us/clips/share/twlE-yXwSliuiKPuu-CP4A
Arizona Corporation Commission Candidate Clara Pratte: https://zoom.us/clips/share/IfNWtTUWRRCX59Ho1n6jSA
LD13 Senate Candidate Kristie O'Brien: https://us06web.zoom.us/clips/share/rOL9XR1xSr-qydn8IdtGTg
LD17 House Candidate Holly Lyon: https://us06web.zoom.us/clips/share/rOL9XR1xSr-qydn8IdtGTg
Membership Renewal
As a reminder, AZDW is a political action committee organized and registered under the Arizona Secretary of State. We are also the Arizona state chapter member of the National Federation of Democratic Women (NFDW), which holds three voting seats on the Democratic National Committee (DNC). AZDW was formerly the Women's Caucus of the Arizona Democratic Party (ADP). In late 2019, the party asked all the caucuses to decide whether they wanted to continue as part of the party structure or to go off on their own. We still represent Arizona women with a voting seat on the ADP Executive Committee. AZDW’s Board determined to go off on our own. Then Covid hit, creating significant challenges for us to meet in person.
AZDW values being together LIVE! Our mission centers around connection, communication, and synergy. Whereas previously we had been able to gather face-to-COVIDface at the state committee meetings several times a year, during the pandemic the state party shut down in-person meetings out of an abundance of caution in the first half of 2020 and for several years thereafter. AZDW carried on as best we could without being able to gather face-to-face, but significant forward progress was on a virtual hold during that time. After that period of forced contraction, both in membership and financial resources, we are now in a rebuilding phase. Membership is open to Democrats of all genders for a reasonable $25 in dues per year. Starting October 1st, when you join, your membership will be valid through 2027. We invite you to join us at the link below:
https://secure.actblue.com/donate/azdwdues
AZDW is run by an all-volunteer board. Resources come from membership dues and other fundraising activities. We host an event at the ADP state committee meetings as often as possible. Look for our breakout session at the January 2027 meeting. We also produce several annual in-person events. In March, during Women’s History Month, we gather at the State Capitol with our elected Democratic Representatives and Senators. We give them our direction on current political issues and hear directly from them on what they need from us and how we can best support them. We also have a lovely lunch with fun activities and raffle drawings while experiencing the joy and inspiration that ALWAYS comes from being together.
Our biggest event of the year is our Women for the Future fundraiser luncheon, held in December in Phoenix. We have great speakers and delicious food while enjoying the beautiful weather in Phoenix at our spectacular venue. Attorney General Kris Mayes and Secretary of State Adrian Fontes have headlined our event in recent years, along with other fantastic speakers. We consistently receive enthusiastic feedback (from our attendees as well as our speakers and their teams) about the upbeat and action-oriented vibe of this event. Most of all, AZDW is committed to HAVING FUN!
Last but not least, we produce one Local Event every year. AZDW’s board is dedicated to reaching out to Democratic women and their friends and supporters across our state. We know that many of you may not have the time, resources, or bandwidth to travel to Phoenix, spend a significant amount of money to gather for a couple of hours, and then immediately drive back across our vast state to your kids and work. We are passionate about coming to YOU, about including YOU! Last year we went to Douglas, in southeastern Arizona. Next year, we've been invited to Sedona. The year after that we will be somewhere in northwestern Arizona.
Yuma Here We Come!
This year (drum roll please), we are delighted to be hosting our End of Summer Social in southwestern Arizona, in Yuma, on Saturday, September 19th! We have secured a lovely venue where we can all relax, be comfortable, and enjoy each other’s company. ADP Chair Charlene Fernandez, who was born and raised in Yuma, will be one of our speakers!
The majority of our time together will be about YOU, especially the women of southwestern Arizona. We want to know what is happening in your home, your neighborhood, what your challenges are, your successes, what questions you have for us, what you want and need from us, and what you want us to share with our members and followers across Arizona and beyond. We will share pictures and stories from this event in our October newsletter. The newsletter will also be sent to NFDW where it may be distributed through their national newsletter. We will let Democrats and friends across America know exactly what kind of inspiring, warrior women we have protecting Democracy in southwestern Arizona!
The link to register for our Yuma event is here: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/democraticwomenyuma
This is a critical election year and our home, Arizona, is a crucially important swing state. We have great hopes and vision for AZDW and what we can accomplish. Thank you for all you do. With your help, AZDW will continue to grow and play our part in protecting and growing our Democracy in Arizona and across our nation, for this year’s election and for generations to come.
In Action,
Judy Stahl
AZDW President​​
​AZDW is a political action committee that began as a caucus of the Arizona Democratic Party. Its board meets online once a month and the group hosts its annual Women in Blue Day at the State Capitol or nearby at a luncheon, with state leaders as speakers. Dues are $25 per year and members have access to a monthly newsletter. To sign up, click here.
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