Author: rraz-admin22

There have been two attacks on Tucson synagogues in less than a month. We must not allow this kind of violence to darken our community. To Rabbi Rami Bigelman and Rabbi Yehuda Ceitlin, and the entire Southern Arizona Jewish Community, the Pima County Republican Party extends our sincerest support and commitment to stand with you in combating these heinous acts of intimidation, hatred and antisemitism. We also extend our support to the Tucson Police Department as they work to protect our community against such acts of violence.

Our First Amendment states:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

As Republicans, we fight to preserve our Constitutional Rights: our freedoms and liberties, including respect for religious rights. For these reasons, Republicans find the recent comments coming from Bonnie Heidler, Chair of the Pima County Democrat Party, especially despicable! She implies that Republicans are racists and white supremacists and somehow responsible for the recent attacks. She actually says, “We must point out to every voter how dangerous the Republican Party has become, as its leaders continue to fuel the racist fire that has been burning for millennia.” I find this breath-taking, as it is well-known that all the anti-Semitic rhetoric coming from political parties is coming from democrats in Washington D.C. The Anti-Defamation League has seen attacks against Jews rise nationwide since the conflict escalated between Israelis and Palestinians. We must not allow this hatred and rhetoric of violence to creep into our community and weaken respect and support among neighbors, or the commitment to Tucson’s and Pima County’s success.

Republicans will continue to work in Pima County to strengthen relationships with our voters as we demonstrate our commitment to each one of them and spread our message of a stronger more vibrant county. To that end we will meet in our community, building a bright future for Pima County, while Bonnie Heidler continues to lead the democrat party with messages of fear and hatred.

Our Republican Precinct Committeemen continue to work throughout the community in our clean-up efforts, doing a Litter Clean Up on Old Nogales Highway across from the Desert Diamond Casino on Wednesday, June 16, at 6:30 am. A special thank you to Councilman Richard Fimbres from Ward 5 for providing the trash bags and notifying the Tucson Police Department of our event. Please join us as we demonstrate our commitment to each other and a “brighter and cleaner” Pima County.

The voters are deciding. Republicans are out-registering the democrats. Our Precinct Committeemen applications are exceeding the democrats. We are not dangerous; we are effective and winning!

There is only one way to end the disappointment, frustration, anger, and hopelessness that many Pima County Republicans feel right now. We need a win. Of course I want to see a win in our U.S. Senate race and our state-wide races, and I want to stop the government spending and overreach of the Biden administration; but my focus is Pima County. There are 14 other counties in Arizona with amazing Republican Chairmen who will do their part. We must do ours. I hear from a lot of people about what has happened in the past. We can’t fix that. What we can do is put steps in place to win in November 2022, and we have been doing just that!

For Pima County Republicans, we have

• Introduced E-Tracks Weekly Updates and E-Stampedes for Calls to Action
• Established the Pima County E- Academy offering bi-monthly learning opportunities
• Updated our website http://www.pimagop.org
• Facilitated the Request to Speak (RTS) signups
• Created the GREAT AMERICAN BLOCK PARTY to register voters. Precinct Committeemen registered 106 Rs in 1 week—24 more than the Ds
• Honored Police Departments in Pima County with Proclamation of Support
• Hosted FAIR MAPS for a discussion on Redistricting 2022
• Hosted Scott Presler, winner of the Ronald Reagan Freedom Award
• Created Trunk and Tusk Copper/Silver/Gold Membership; Golden Eagles, and Lincoln’s Cabinet
• Instituted Chairman’s monthly radio on AM 1030 KVOI with WakeUp Tucson’s Chris DeSimone
• Hosted the first Trunk and Tusk Border Tour
• Scheduled “A Night with Congressman Andy Biggs” coming up this summer
• Collaborated on upcoming INDEPENDENCE DAY BBQ with Pima County Republican Women’s Club

For our Precinct Committeemen, we have

• Started revising the Operations Manual so you know what the jobs in the Exec Committee are
• Increased Precinct Committeemen from 347 to 615 to date
• Developed a Comprehensive Precinct Committeemen Handbook
• Designed and delivered 2-hour Precinct Committeemen training classes
• Delivered train-the-trainer PC Training classes to Legislative Districts
• Made our ExCom meetings transparent through ZOOM
• Hosted a PC Appreciation Picnic

For our Candidates, we have

• Hosted four School Board Candidate Training sessions
• Hosted the Candidate School which SOLD OUT
• Set up another Candidate School in September
• Opened up Headquarters to be available for meeting with constituents and passing out your literature

For our State, we have

• Participated in Calls to Action to stop the selection of Haystag Mapping Company for redistricting
• Spoken out about vaccine passports
• Made a statement on the Arizona Corporation Commission rules
• Hosted the quarterly AZ Republican Party State Executive Meeting and Border Bus Tour in Tucson, AZ
• Helped LD 9 Clean Up on Calle Santa Cruz and upcoming on June 15 on Nogales Highway
• Hosted a meeting with the County Chairmen from Pinal, Pima, Yuma, Santa Cruz, Cochise, Graham and Greenlee

We still have a lot of work to do to elect our Candidates, and we are off to an amazing start. We are always looking for new ideas, volunteers, fundraising and candidates. There were 207,758 people who voted for Donald J. Trump for President, and 207,317 people who voted for Martha McSally for Senate in 2020 in Pima County. We know you are out there. It’s time to go to work. We need a win.

Time. Remembrance. Honor.

“I know how strongly American Civilization now leans upon the triumph of the Government, and how great a debt we owe to those who went before us through the blood and suffering of the Revolution.” These words were penned by Major Sullivan Ballou, 2nd Rhode Island Volunteer Infantry, to his wife Sarah just days before he was mortally wounded. They remind us of the ultimate sacrifice so many have made for our freedom and liberty. Ballou had joined the new Republican Party when it was formed in the late 1850s, and through his affiliation with the Republican Party, Sullivan Ballou became acquainted with Governor Sprague of Rhode Island. Governor Sprague commissioned Ballou in the 2nd Rhode Island Regiment and on June 5, 1861, the regiment was mustered into service. In the battle at Matthews Hill, a 6-pound solid shot tore off Sullivan Ballou’s right leg and killed his horse, “Jennie.” Major Ballou was taken to the field hospital at Sudley Church and was left behind after field surgeons amputated his right leg. He later died on July 28 at the age of 32. When the Union troops returned to Manassas on a body-recovery mission, they found that the body of Major Sullivan Ballou had been desecrated by the 21st Georgia Regiment as history would write. “I have no misgivings about, or lack of confidence in, the cause in which I am engaged, and my courage does not halt or falter.” These words from Sullivan Ballou speak to the courage of those who have fought for the country.

Julius Caesar’s famous quote, “I love the name of honor, more than I fear death” is written in the hearts of many of our warriors as they go into battle. Honor is synonymous with the bravery and selflessness we have witnessed and seen recorded throughout history from those who have given all on the battlefields in the fight for our lives, our liberties, and our freedoms.

On this Memorial Day, 2021, know that those who take up the shield to protect us have no knowledge of how much time they will have, but we must let them know they will always be remembered and honored by “we the people” of these great United States. Today I wish you time, memories, and honor to stay in the fight. Our fight may not be on the battlefield, but we are nonetheless in the fight for the soul of our country — and must continue forward with the heart of a warrior.

I almost don’t like to watch the news anymore. Watching the craziness that is coming out of the White House, the House of Representatives, and the Senate should motivate every American to get involved. Closer to home, the consequences of our elections really hit Arizona and Pima County. While many Arizonans may not be directly affected by the Nord Stream pipeline, learning that our Republican Senator (T.J. Shope, LD-8) voted with the democrats to stop HB 2190 (vaccine requirement prohibited in businesses, universities, and health care facilities) hits home.

As a business owner I do appreciate the freedom to deny service to a customer, but #shopemeyourpapers won’t happen in my business. Do we want to allow businesses to deny service to those who choose not to be vaccinated with a vaccine that is not approved by the FDA? This is a very dangerous can to open; what’s next? While Governor Ducey issued an Executive Order banning “vaccine passports” and preventing state and local governments from requiring Arizonans to provide COVID-19 vaccination status to receive service, it did fall short of extending the executive order to businesses.

Many of our children are still masked up in our schools as summer school starts along with our Arizona 100+ degree weather. The Arizona election audit resumes the count today, and other states are following Arizona’s lead and looking at their own election results and processes. Meanwhile the Independent Redistricting Commission is working on redistricting the Congressional and Legislative districts in Arizona. For our Legislative Districts, that means we will be reorganizing in the coming months. Right here in Pima County, Supervisor Steve Christy continues to fight the good fight on the Board of Supervisors, working not only for his District 4 but for all Pima County–while the democrats on the BoS attempt to keep the community locked down.

So we must remain happy warriors. The phrase “happy warrior” comes from an 1806 poem by William Wordsworth titled Character of the Happy Warrior. A happy warrior was described as a brave, generous, and moral man, who was able to remain virtuous even in the midst of distress; an optimist who is able to thrive amidst conflict. The Pima County Republicans will remain happy warriors as we work to register voters, appoint Precinct Committeemen, meet our Candidates, walk our neighborhoods, and have some fun together. Hope to see you all at the baseball game on Thursday! Bear Down, Happy Warriors!

As the Chairman of the Pima County Republican Party (PCRP) for the past 5 months, I have had so many wonderful experiences throughout Pima County. All my experiences have had one thing in common–people. The people of Pima County are energized, hard-working, committed, and passionate about their beliefs.

Last week I had the opportunity to meet the Police Officers at the Sahuarita Police Department and the University of Arizona Police Department. Other members of the Executive Committee met with the eight (8) other Police Units in Pima County. The Police Officers were all so grateful for the PCRP’s Proclamation (and goodies!) recognizing them for their hard work and service. The PCRP is committed to supporting our law enforcement personnel and the public safety initiatives. I hope everyone was able to follow us on Facebook as we were out in the community with our law enforcement heroes.

Another wonderful experience last week was attending the National Football Foundation, Southern Arizona Chapter, Hall of Fame Reception at the UA Sands Club. I got to meet Jedd Fisch, UA Football Coach. Coach Fisch said “with schematics, we can compete; with good people, we will win.” That’s true in any organization. Recruitment is the key. As Coach Fisch works to recruit the best players for UA football, we must also work to recruit the best people in the Republican Party to ensure that we win. Whether we are looking for Candidates, Precinct Committeemen (PC), Legislative District (LD) leadership, or County/State leadership, we must recruit, organize, and retain the BEST. We have to work for the win.

The PCRP has put together the schematic, and we are recruiting the BEST PCs. Amazing Candidates are organizing their campaigns. We are offering training to new PCs so they are ready to go out onto the field. We are making some changes, adding some new things, and building best practices. The PCRP is a building team. We are authorized to have 1,595 PCs, and we are building. We have an 80,000 Republican voter deficit in voter registration, but we are working hard to add new Republican voters. We are holding our elected officials accountable. E-Stampede is working. We are branding a product line and operating like a business to win elections. We are a building team.

If you believe in Republican values, if you realize that to be a successful team you must play your position and play it well, and if you like what we are doing…then, Welcome to the Pima County Republican Party.

It’s a pretty amazing week when you see one win after another happening in the Pima County Republican Party (PCRP). On January 16 when the PCRP strategized our plan to elect and re-elect Republicans, we started moving forward with purpose in mind. We will not run in fear of losing races, we will run forward to win races. We don’t look backward and argue history, we move forward and make history.

Just this week we have seen

• Hundreds of voter registration packets go out the front door for the Great American Block Party
• Food, friendships, and fun at our first PC Appreciation Picnic with Arizona legislators and 100 PCs in attendance
• The PCRP Proclamation in support of National Police Week with gift baskets for our 10 police organizations in Pima County ready to go
• A Call to Action which stopped the selection of an Obama-Sanders mapping company for the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission
• A Call to Action which influenced our Arizona Corporation Commission to NOT adopt an Arizona Green New Deal
• A Call to Action to the Pima County Board of Supervisors to STOP THE MASK MANDATE
• 20+ new PC appointment forms sent to the Board of Supervisors
• Entrepreneurial meetings to develop new products to inform and persuade voters
• A new program, the Citizen Journalist, to involve our Precinct Committeemen and Republicans in sharing REAL news in E-Tracks
• Legislative Districts gathering socially to build relationships and work toward making things happen in Pima County
• E-Tracks went out on Monday morning for the 14th consecutive week
• Nonpartisan groups of parents meeting to organize their voices and be heard in our schools in support of their children

Having the office open five days a week with volunteers every day is a big win. As we move into the campaign season, our PCRP office will provide our candidates a place have their petitions, palm cards, and signs available for their constituents. We are ready for this; we planned this on January 16. Arguing the past and fighting against the future is a losing strategy. So if you are a Republican who wants to move forward and make history, join the team. Start by forwarding this E-Tracks to your family and friends, become a Precinct Committeemen, check out who is running for office at www.azsos.gov , and get involved.

Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) used the expression “sick and tired of being sick and tired” in an interview this week. Me too. I have spoken with a lot of people this week and here is what I am hearing: frustration, irritation, impatience, disappointment, blame, anger, even some hate and revenge. What worries me is that those feelings are the steps to powerlessness.Let’s be very clear, we are not POWERLESS. We are making a difference. We will continue to fight for our God-given freedom and liberty.

This week we rolled out the Pima County Republican E-Stampede, our new vehicle for sending Action Alert emails to Republicans. Our first E-Stampede was part of a powerful movement that sent a message to the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission. Our parents at Vail USD showed up and let the administration know to STOP MASKING OUR CHILDREN!EZAZ.org is fighting against sine die of our Arizona Legislature (see website and complete the survey). While we may be “sick and tired of being sick and tired,” we will not be a HOUSE DIVIDED, and we will not allow the federal government to destroy our freedoms. Stay involved because you are making a difference!

On the field during play, the opponent will try to distract you and your teammates. Remember the Rocky movies when they had the press briefings before the fight? All the smack talk? Well, our opponents are doing exactly that. And, one thing I learned long ago from Coach Joannie Harris is not to let them distract you! You need to be ready: practice. You have a position: play it. You have a goal: win. Sometime between the game and the next practice, she would give us feedback (“coaching”) on what went right and what went wrong. We never took it personally, we just worked to get better. Most importantly, we never told the other team what our plan was, we never put down our teammates, we listened to Coach Harris, and we stuck together.

Today the Pima County Republican Party has an exceptional Executive Team, amazing Legislative District leadership, and 560 Precinct Committeemen (players), all of whom I am proud to call my coaches. We have about 200,000 fans (voters) in the stands waiting for us to win the game. They aren’t practicing with us right now, but they will show up on game day (Election Day).

We may not always agree with what the Coach tells us to do, but we stick with our team and follow the play. Occasionally something will happen in the game, and we have to “make the play” as best we can. Hopefully, we are seasoned and practiced enough to make a good call. We are always reviewing our plays to get better. If we all have the same goal, then we cannot be divided.

As the democrats bring on the lawsuits in our audit, we will stand side-by-side and not be distracted by the tactics. We have a goal, we have a position on the team, and we are ready to win. I support our Republican team. I support the Arizona Senate and President Fann. And I support you. Play your position. Stand strong. Be Republican.

I saw Coach Harris at my high school reunion a couple of years ago, and we sat and had a glass of wine (she told me she wouldn’t bench me). All these years later I am still learning. But now you are my coaches. Let’s win together.

“Idle hands are the devil’s workshop.” My Grandmother used to say that to my Mom because my Mom let us four kids watch television—the evil of the time. While the democrats are following their science and double-masking, locking down, vaccinating infants and children needlessly, and shutting down businesses; the Republicans are at work recruiting Precinct Committeemen (PC), holding training classes, writing op-eds, conducting Legislative District (LD) meetings, hosting Republican club meetings, meeting their fellow Republicans, and registering voters. My Grandmother’s saying is taking on new meaning for me!

There are about 525 PCs now working in concert toward our vision: to elect and re-elect Republicans. The most important elected representatives in the Republican Party are the Precinct Committeemen. They are the face of our organization and the voice of our mission. They are so important that their positions are written into Arizona Revised Statute 16-822. So what should PCs be doing once they are appointed? First, Contact your LD Chair, introduce yourself, and find out when the next PC Training Session is–either at Pima County Republican Party (PCRP) Headquarters or within your LD. Attend. Second, Ask the LD Chairman who you should contact to get a list of the 125 Republican neighbors you are responsible for within your precinct. If they have not made the assignments yet, they soon will. Third, make sure you are reading E-Tracks every week and get involved. Come to the Learning Academy Classes, register for Candidate School, and learn what candidates need to do and how you can be a valuable member of their team. Call the PCRP Headquarters and ask how you can help out, or send me an email telling me what else you need to be successful (chairman@pimagop.org). The PCRP has been so successful in the past 4 months that we are getting stronger every day! Let’s keep moving forward.

We also need to start sharing our message with the most vulnerable among us—our children, our seniors, our minorities, and our lower-income populations. I worry about lives wrecked from Covid lockdowns: patients delaying and foregoing healthcare (and even dying as a result), students denied perhaps their day’s only nutritious meal while stagnating socially and academically, jobless and desperate people turning to drugs and alcohol, and spouses and children suffering from abuse. And these effects are most severe among lower-income populations and the most vulnerable. That’s not fair. (Adapted from Engage to Win by Melanie Sturm)

I spoke with a restaurant owner who had scheduled seven (7) interviews for servers last week. Not one person showed up for an interview. Not one person called. The week before, I had spoken with a fast-food restaurant owner in Tucson who said he couldn’t find people to work. He also mentioned that people don’t show up or call to cancel their interviews. Are things really so good in Tucson that no one needs a job? I don’t think so–but why work when the unemployment is in the bank? In Pima County, children don’t go to school. County and local officials rule their communities using the “pick and choose rule” for public administration without regard to state policies. The potholes in our roads engulf our cars. Bureaucrats work behind closed doors on schemes to raise water rates and taxes. The bench strength of the Tucson Police Department is so thin that the Chief publicly acknowledges that they will be prioritizing calls and not even responding to some. Our border has gone from “not secure” to a crisis. Children are being dropped over 14 feet walls and left in the desert alone and scared. If you think that a 10-year-old left in the desert alone is reprehensible, you probably need to stop reading now because you are too angry to move forward.

Most likely, no one reading this voted for any of the democrats that are bent on destroying our country, our state, our county, or our city. Many times we “held our nose” and voted for Republicans that we didn’t want because “any Republican is better than a democrat.” In politics 101 that is probably true. Many of the bills on Governor Ducey’s desk would not be there if we did not have the (slim) majority in the Senate and the House. At the same time much of what has not been done in our country (think rescinding ObamaCare) is the result of politicians who forgot who they serve. Soon we will be in the campaign season and listening to all the promises of our future Senator, Governor, Secretary of State, etc. Our country is in crisis, our state is in confusion, and our county is in collapse. It’s going to be up to us to pick the person who realizes that they serve at the pleasure of the people, not at the glimmer of their next election.

In Pima County there are approximately 80,000 more democrats than there are Republicans. How did that happen? Is it possible that we didn’t show up for the interview or that we walked away from the job so we could let someone else do the work? It’s up to you now. This is the call for the interview. Are you going to show up?