Democrats aim to turn Tucson’s red district blue

Wolf knocked on more than 5,000 doors throughout the sprawling district and held numerous conversations with voters, hoping to unseat any of the Republican incumbents, Rachel Jones and Corey McGarr.

“This is a typical split-ticket district,” Wolk said, adding that he believes voters are tired of hyperpartisan politics. “I think you saw the real extreme politics and hardline ideology of McGarr and Jones.”

Neither Republican responded to interview requests. Leach initially responded and said he would speak to the Mirror, but did not respond to multiple follow-up messages requesting an interview.

“They’re really tired of the extremes,” Wolk said of the voters he spoke with. “They are ready to see the temperature drop.”

This temperature is partly amplified by the current district representatives. Jones, married to an election rigger conspiracy theorist Seth Keschelis part of the far-right Arizona Freedom Group and has sponsored legislation this would declare Donald Trump the winner this year, even if voters choose Kamala Harris.

And McGarr has sponsored legislation it would remove President Joe Biden from the Arizona ballot, while Leach did racial joke this reinforced racist lie that demonizes Haitian immigrants.

While voters want the rhetorical temperature to cool, literal temperatures were high in Marana during a heat wave in mid-October as both Wolf and McLean made the rounds in areas with independent voters they hope will vote for them.

In middle-class neighborhoods made up of mostly white families, there were few people who would open doors for men as they walked in with brochures in their hands and wearing wide-brimmed hats to protect them from the late morning sun.

“We’ve never had a candidate come to us before,” one man told McLean as he accepted literature from a legislative hopeful.

The next door went a little differently.

“We’re Republicans here,” the man told McLean after learning his party affiliation. The man politely but sternly told McLean that he voted only for Republicans.

A few blocks away, Volk was talking to independent voters.

“It’s not going to happen, man,” an independent voter told Volk. “It’s not about you, it’s about the party.”

After conversations in which Wolk said he intended to help increase funding for public education and that he himself was alarmed by partisan politics, the man began to change his tune.

“I appreciate your candor and I’m going to take a look at you, which is more than I could have expected from a Democrat,” the voter said before telling Wolk he was upset with the Biden administration’s treatment of Southern officials. border.

“To be clear, I am not running for president,” Wolf shot back.

The two men separated because an independent voter accepted his literature and said he would research Wolf.

“There is no average experience,” Wolk said of how voter interactions typically happen when he canvasses districts. “It’s a good reminder of how unique each individual voter is.”

While walking around the area, McLean noticed that Republican canvassers had already visited the area and saw their materials swept under the rug. McLean said he hasn’t had as many interesting interactions as Wolf, who has been knocking on doors since early January, but he feels it’s very important to be in the community he wants to represent.

Both men will need to win over the state’s growing number of independent voters to win their respective seats. Independents have become the fastest growing bloc of voters in the state, and many see them as the key to victory.

“In general, I think people are ready to see a different type of politics,” Wolk said, adding that he wants the position to be more about public service. “We have reached the peak of politics as entertainment.”