Next week, the fate of America will be sealed — for better or worse. The same goes for our state. Arizona is my home, and I am worried for her.
I’m an Arizona native, of which there are less than 20%. I was born in Scottsdale, raised in Paradise Valley and live in the heart of Phoenix. My family was here before the malls, apartment buildings and golf communities. We, and others like us, have watched Arizona grow up. I think I can speak for the majority when I say that we don’t like the bad influences changing her into something dangerously unrecognizable.
I’m making a final appeal to my fellow Arizonans to save our state and protect her for future generations. Vote for Kari Lake to be our next U.S. senator.
We live in the Wild West; a land built on freedom, possibility and individual liberty. It’s why Arizona typically votes for traditional, conservative values. We want less government, not more — Lake wants the same.
Many have moved here to enjoy the benefits Arizona offers without fully committing to her, prioritizing her needs and wants, or taking basic care of her. Those from states like California, Illinois or Michigan should remember why they came here.
I’m not here to use Arizona for personal gain. It’s a long-term commitment. It’s why I vote for stronger borders, more parental rights and laws that protect and preserve her. I vote with Arizona’s future in mind.
Our state has been run by Democrats for the majority of the last four years: Sens. Mark Kelly and Kyrsten Sinema, Gov. Katie Hobbs and Congressman Ruben Gallego.
How have we fared? 60% of Phoenix residents recently rated the level of crime as “poor” or “awful.” 65% said they felt “not very safe” or “not safe at all” walking alone at night.
The average age of a girl in the Arizona sex trade is 14 years old, some as young as 6, with law enforcement seeing girls as young as 9 being sold for sex. We also have an ongoing kidnapping problem. We additionally rank the worst in the nation for public education.
Border officials have encountered 11 million illegals attempting to enter the U.S. between October 2019 and June 2024. In the beginning of 2024 alone, more than 250,000 migrant apprehensions happened in the Tucson sector — more than any other border area.
We saw a 23% increase in our homeless population between 2020 and 2022.
According to ASU, the housing crisis has gotten worse, with rents increasing 72% from 2010 to 2022. The average sale price of an Arizona home has increased by 57% from 2019 to 2023.
This is why the Democratic Party has spent $54 million on Gallego’s campaign, paying for television ads to spread blatant lies about Kari Lake. But numbers don’t lie.
Voting for Gallego to be our senator will destroy Arizona. He’s motivated by power and doesn’t care about anyone other than himself. Lake is a compassionate person, loving mother, faithful wife, loyal friend and a woman who is unafraid to stand up for what is right — even if she is left to stand alone. She has loved Arizona since she arrived nearly 30 years ago. She is invested in Arizona for the long haul. She wants what is best for every resident of our state, regardless of whether they vote for her or not.
Voters might disagree with some of the things she says or believes in, but we don’t have to agree on everything. The point is to vote for the person who will give Arizona the best possible future. On any given day, the worst from Lake is a thousand times better for our state than the best we could ever hope to get from Gallego.
Vote for Lake like our lives depend on it. With Democratic policy-fueled skyrocketing crime statistics, they probably do.
Editor’s note: Tiffany Marie Brannon is a political strategist who writes, produces and hosts the TMB Problems podcast. Sen.Kyrsten Sinema left the Democratic Party to become an independent in December 2022. The Democratic Party currently controls the offices of governor, secretary of state and attorney general, and the Republican Party controls both chambers of the state legislature. Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at AzOpinions@iniusa.org.
