Now that the candidates for Peoria’s special election to fill Bridget Binsbacher’s council seat have been firmly established, it’s time to get to know them better.
Binsbacher stepped down earlier this year to run for mayor, leaving the Mesquite District council seat vacant.
Former Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Diane Douglas and Interim Councilmember Brad Shaferare squaring off for a battle to fill the seat.
In this installment of the Independent's candidate Q&A series, we ask the two Mesquite District candidates about the divisive nature that has infected non-partisan politics.
Here are the candidates' responses.
Brad Shafer
Things can be divisive these days. What can you do to help bring people together rather than divide?
Sometimes in elections, passions and misinformation can run high. My biggest suggestion is, if you have a question or concern, talk to me directly. Call me, email me, text me. In my professional career, a majority of my time is spent looking at the big picture and bringing competing stakeholders together to accomplish goals. I also believe that each Peoria councilmember represents his or her district really well and I aim to foster unity among the council that will continue to propel the city of Peoria forward. The next generation of leadership is here. The key is to be a visionary and continue to focus on the end goal, which is, what is best for the citizens of Peoria. I love the quote by Henry Ford, “If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself.” I believe that to be true.
Diane Douglas
Things can be divisive these days. What can you do to help bring people together rather than divide?
If the question pertains to the community at large, isn’t that what America has been about since its very beginning; the freedom to hold differing opinions, perspectives and speak openly about them? Holding differing opinions should not be deemed “divisive” in my opinion; trying to shut down the opinions of others with whom one disagrees should be. That being said, I believe what we can do is create — not just talk about — transparency in city government. We need to invite our citizens into discussions that impact them early, often and by inviting all opinions and perspectives to the table as I did on my Listening Tours as Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction.
If the question pertains to council members, there is prevailing philosophy that city council (and school board) decisions must be a completely united consensus. In my experience, it is those in the majority who deem those in the minority to be “divisive” or “uncooperative” for standing in the way of the ultimate goal of unanimity. This is absolutely ludicrous. I always will vote my values and principles in adherence to my oath of office in the best interests of the residents of Peoria and my constituents in the Mesquite District.
Philip Haldiman can be reached at phaldiman@iniusa.org, or on Twitter @philiphaldiman.
Meet Philip Haldiman is an award-winning journalist who most recently took first place for investigative reporting in 2023 from Arizona Newspapers Association. He joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in 2015, covering Sun City West his first year. Since 2016, he has covered the city of Peoria. Prior to coming to INI, he was a reporter with The Arizona Republic for seven years, covering numerous cities throughout the Valley. Before that, he was a freelance writer.
Community: Haldiman spearheads the Peoria Independent Hometown Heroes Awards program, honoring local individuals and businesses that give back to the community. He has hosted local candidate forums over the years and is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists. Haldiman also served as a member of the Journalism Program Community Advisory Board at Glendale Community College. Outside journalism, Haldiman served as a member of the city of Peoria Complete Count Committee for the Census, 2019-2020. Lastly, he has served as a member of his HOA governing board since 2021.
Education: Arizona State University with a BA in Journalism and Mass Communications and a BA in Theater.
Random Fact: Haldiman is a fourth-generation Arizonan as well as wrote and produced an autobiographical comic book about his time spent in Hollywood and his life as a cult film star.
Hobbies: He enjoys hiking Arizona’s mountainous landscapes and is currently working on a play for the stage.
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