A mildly festive mood prevailed Tuesday night as local members of the minority political party—the Democrats—gathered to follow Election Day results at a warehouse in Prescott Valley, Arizona.
They cheered when a giant flat-TV screen tuned to CBS News posted election results showing Democrats leading in statewide races in Arizona and several other states. About 40 people gathered to follow the results and chatted while eating soft tacos and chips. Organizers conducted the event to honor volunteers who manned phone banks, knocked on doors and engaged in other activities to help to get out the vote.
“We basically hope that the Democrats perform well,” said Bill Lynam, a children’s book author, precinct committeeman and former Republican who sat at my table. “There is no doubt that the Democrats are the most credible (political) party currently out there.”
Another man sitting at my table who asked to remain anonymous said that until the insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021, he was willing to rate George W. Bush the “worst president.” Former President Donald Trump now enjoys that distinction, he said.
Speeches followed, beginning with Jay Ruby, who managed the “clean slate” (relying on small donations and public financing) campaigns for state Legislative District 1 candidates: Cathy Ransom and Neil Sinclair in the House of Representatives and Mike Fogel in the Senate.
“An election night is like a time stamp,” Ruby said. “I know you have been working very hard not just for the Democratic Party but for the vision of reality.”
He asked for a show of hands from attendees who made campaign contributions, talked to a neighbor and posted on social media. I shunned neighbors because talking politics with them was not neighborly. A former neighbor took every opportunity to bash President Joe Biden, and claimed I was not well informed because I have not followed the story about Hunter Biden’s laptop. Another neighbor is a Trumper whom I rarely see. A third neighbor, a Republican who attended the same college, despises the late Sen. Ted Kennedy and said I was “brainwashed” because I told her I did not accept the inerrancy of the Bible. I rarely speak to her.
Ruby turned over the podium to Yavapai County Democratic Party Chairman John Lutes, who set a somber tone. He said Republicans “perpetuate fears,” adding it is better to build a community.
At local, state and national levels, the Democrats and Republicans have become warring camps, with Republicans more likely to be armed. The mood at the Democratic event contrasted with the intensity of a Republican rally Monday evening at the Yavapai County Courthouse Plaza featuring several Trump-backed candidates who believe the Big Lie that Biden stole the 2020 election. They blasted their Democratic challengers, trans youth, U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Hungarian-born financier George Soros and other foes – both real and imagined. One candidate made a jab at Pete Buttigieg, mocking the gay U.S transportation secretary for taking paternity leave. They recognized the presence of members of the “fake news,” drawing boos. The hyperpartisan rhetoric went over well with the testosterone-heavy MAGA and “Ultra MAGA” crowd. I don’t know whether they saw the irony in the candidates dancing to a recording of the Village People’s YMCA song.
Republicans account for about 48 percent of the 187,587 registered voters in Yavapai County, according to Yavapai County Elections & Voter Registration. In fact, Independents at 31.5 percent of the total outnumber Democrats, who account for 19.6 percent. That explains why GOP candidates running for statewide offices and Congress garnered more than 60 percent of the vote in this county, according to preliminary results.
While acknowledging he, Ransom and Sinclair had lost, Fogel saw optimism in the preliminary results. A retired educator, he serves on the governing board of the Chino Valley Unified School District.
“It has been a great experience,” Fogel said. “The Democratic Party is becoming more of a force in Yavapai County…. This has been a single-party district for too long.”
Fogel said his Republican rival, Ken Bennett, the former state Senate president and secretary of state, has agreed to meet with him to work on issues. He said he plans to succeed Lutes as county party chairman.
“We have to be well prepared for 2024,” Fogel said.
I've had to remind several of my republican friends that Hunter B. is not an elected government official. "He's like Billy Carter or the Bush twins, utter embarrassments but disconnected".
Great piece, Ken!
As a former Arizonan, I am still rooting against Kari Lake, as I think she would do everything she could to nullify Arizonans' ability to vote. Twitter personality Clue Heywood did a great job on calling her out as a Trumper a few years ago while she was still on air. I have since quit Twitter (and my mental health is better for it), but Clue is one of the great follows on Twitter. He's a real estate attorney who is based in Phoenix, but drives to Prescott all the time.