Districts 23 and 25: What to know ahead of Tuesday
YUMA COUNTY, Ariz. (KYMA) - The races for state representative and senator's races for Districts 23 and 25 are approaching the finish line ahead of Tuesday's election.
The candidates running to represent District 23 in the Arizona State House are Michele Peña (R), Gary Garcia Snyder (R), State Rep. Mariana Sandoval (D), who is running for reelection, and Emilia Cortez (D).
News 11 spoke with Cortez at the Democratic Get Out to Vote launch Sunday, where she shared that she's reaching out to voters throughout the district prior to Tuesday.
"So what we're doing is basically trying to talk to the community, spread the word, spread the voice. Make sure that everybody tells everybody to vote, make a plan, make sure that they have any questions regarding my campaign," Cortez explained.
For State Rep. Sandoval, this is her third time running, but she said this campaign is different from any other.
"I would say that the attacks are really heightened this time around. And I think because there is a chance of us actually flipping this time around. It's looking really good for Democrats to take over the House, which hasn't happened since the Vietnam War in 60 years," Sandoval remarked.
Like Cortez, Garcia Snyder is going around town to the voting centers Monday and on Tuesday.
"We're excited our campaign is going to be calling, texting to make sure people get out and vote. That's our job. We'll also be touring the polls in Yuma County," Garcia Snyder said. "I will be present at every poll throughout the whole day for my district to make sure people see me, say hi to me and have any questions before they go vote that I'm available there for them."
For Cortez and Garcia Snyder, this race has been really important for them as they've never been in office, and they have a final message to voters.
"Please get out to vote right now. We need to represent our community. We need to be up in front with making sure that our community is heard. Make sure your voice is heard," Cortez said.
"Vote with what you see and what you know. If you haven't been happy the past two to four years because of the changes, change it. And it starts by making sure who you want to vote for and that they will actually make a difference," Garcia Snyder added.
News 11 reached out to Peña for an interview, but we did not hear back from her.
Cortez and Sandoval, and their campaign, will be holding a watch party together, with Sandoval hosting one in Phoenix and Cortez hosting one in Yuma, while Garcia Snyder will be with his family on Election Night.
Meanwhile, the candidates running to represent District 25 in the Arizona State House are State Reps. Nick Kupper (R) and Michael Carbone (R), who are both running for reelection, and Tiffany Byrne (D).
Over in the State Senate race, State Sen. Brian Fernandez (D) is running for reelection to represent District 23, and he's facing off against Michelle Altherr (R).
State Sen. Tim Dunn (R) is also running for reelection to represent District 25, and he's facing off against Laura Huber (D).
