By Staff Reporter |
A politically middle-of-the-road legislative district may be home to one of the state’s most liberal elected officials if voters turn to Democrat representation in the November General Election.
Karen Gresham, a Democrat, is campaigning for the Arizona House of Representatives in Legislative District 4, which covers an area of northcentral Phoenix. She currently serves as a Governing Board President for the Madison Elementary School District. In addition to her run for state house, Gresham is running for re-election to this Governing Board, where she hopes to sit for another four-year term.
On March 29, Gresham announced that she and her Legislative District 4 running mates had filed their signatures to qualify for the ballot.
Gresham appears to be an unashamed liberal Democrat, who has a lengthy record of supporting Democrat organizations, causes, and candidates. On OpenSecrets.org, a Karen Gresham from Phoenix is reported to have contributed to the Democratic Party of Arizona, Save Our Schools, Planned Parenthood of Arizona, Arizona List, Hillary Clinton, Katie Hobbs, David Garcia, Fred Duval, Ruben Gallego, Adrian Fontes, Kris Mayes, Ann Kirkpatrick, Greg Stanton, LD4 Democrats, and several other Democrat interest groups, and legislative candidates and incumbents.
The Democrat candidate is endorsed by a plethora of liberal special interest and advocacy groups, including Arizona List, Moms Demand Action, Human Rights Campaign of Arizona PAC, Sierra Club, Save Our Schools Arizona, Emily’s List, and National Organization for Women Arizona PAC.
Gresham would undoubtedly give Democrats another ardent pro-abortion vote in the legislature. On June 24, she posted to her “X” account that “in the two years since the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision, Arizonans reproductive freedom has been in a state of uncertainty. We MUST pass the Arizonans for Abortion Access initiative and flip the legislature to protect reproductive freedoms.”
When Gresham was endorsed by Emily’s List in May, she boasted that she has “been a champion for reproductive freedom for years and will continue to advocate for policies that ensure our rights.”
On her campaign website, Gresham portrays herself as a reasonable education advocate with her experience on the Madison Elementary School District board, writing, “I know what Arizona schools, teachers, and students need,” and that “I am deeply passionate about education and improving our schools.”
However, the truth appears to be far different. At a campaign event this summer, Gresham, when speaking about her views on education, said, “We’re funding three systems right now: charter schools, public schools and the ESA system. So, we need to consolidate those and bring the funding back under the public school umbrella because it all falls into place after that.”
In 2020, Gresham expressed her displeasure over “public charter schools receiving small business PPP,” adding that “this is not ok!”
Gresham is also supported by the Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC), which is raising political funds for her race to “help Dems pick up the ONE SEAT they need to flip the Arizona State Legislature from red to blue.” PCCC advocates for liberal policies such as the Green New Deal, Medicare for All, and Debt-Free College. The organization also touts its partnership with Senator Elizabeth Warren on federal legislation, and its appreciation of net neutrality, which PCCC highlights was “celebrated by the Obama administration.”
She is also endorsed by Sister District Project South Bay, which posted its support of “candidates in key state legislative races where we can build momentum at the bottom of the ticket to benefit the strategic higher-ticket Democratic opportunities in states like Pennsylvania, Arizona, North Carolina, and Nevada.” The organization states that “by helping progressive candidates win elections, we aim to …enact climate actions and environmental justice now, racial and gender equity, protect reproductive rights, and so much more.”
Legislative District 4 is one of the most competitive in the state with a 3.4% vote spread between Republicans and Democrats in the past nine statewide elections, according to the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission. Republicans have won five of those contests, compared to four for Democrats.
Gresham is running alongside former State Representative Kelli Butler in the Democrat Primary. The two will face off in November’s General Election against incumbent State Representative Matt Gress and Pamela Carter, who will both emerge from the Republican Primary.
Currently, there is only one legislator representing Legislative 4 (Gress) due to a Democrat’s resignation last month. Earlier this month, Gresham was one of three Democrats nominated to the seat (with Kelli Butler and Eric Meyer) to be considered by the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors. One of those individuals will be selected by the Board to serve for the duration of the term (until early January 2025).
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