Saturday, March 17, 2012

Arizona Democratic Party elects new chair

Because the Arizona Democratic Party chair elected in January 2011 resigned recently to run for Congress, the Party met today at the Church of the Beatitudes in Phoenix and elected long time environmental activist, and my friend, Bill Roe to be the new chairman.

In 2010, Bill applied to become a member of the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission and took an active interest, closely following the redistricting process throughout the last year. He joked from time to time about being thankful he was not selected as a member, reflecting on the contentiousness that engulfed the process.

The ADP released the following statement:
PHOENIX, AZ--Bill Roe, the noted Tucson conservationist who has spent over 35 years fighting to advance progressive causes in Arizona, was elected by acclamation as Chair of the Arizona Democratic Party today at a meeting of the Arizona Democratic State Committee at the Church of the Beatitudes in Phoenix. Roe ran on a platform seeking to empower grassroots leaders by building strong, resilient county party organizations, which he contends are the backbone of a robust statewide organization.
"I'm honored and respectfully accept the State Committee's decision to elect me as the new Chair of the Arizona Democratic Party.  I look forward to hitting the ground running; we don't have a moment to waste.  After historic victories in last year's local elections, we have momentum on our side--I am confident that with a lot of hard work, we can carry our message to the voters of Arizona and make substantial gains in 2012," Roe said on Saturday.  "More and more, Arizonans are rejecting the Tea Party extremism of the Republican Party, putting Arizona in play as a competitive state for Democrats. From re-electing the President to making gains at the Legislature, I'm optimistic about our chances in 2012," Roe added.
"Our party stands united behind Chairman Roe," said Luis Heredia, Executive Director of the Arizona Democratic Party.  "From his service on the State Parks Board, his public service on a number of citizen boards in Pima County and throughout the state, to his current service on the Democratic National Committee, Bill Roe has demonstrated that he has both the skills as a leader and the passion to steward our Party towards a new Arizona," Heredia added.
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For more than 35 years, since his arrival in the state in 1975, Bill Roe has dedicated himself to improving Arizona’s environment and championing land conservation efforts. Bill has served on the boards of directors of the Arizona League of Conservation Voters and AZLCV Education Fund for more than a decade and is the groups’ longest serving board member. He has also served two six-year terms on the Arizona State Parks Board, served on the Arizona Land and Water Trust Board, and dedicated years to long-term service as a leader in developing the Nature Conservancy in Arizona. A Tucson resident, Bill is chairman of the Pima County Conservation Acquisition Commission and is involved in land and watershed protection in southeastern Arizona.
More recently, Bill was elected Arizona's Democratic National Committeeman with 77% of the vote.  In this role, Bill was able to take his skills as an advocate and Party Leader to the national level, advocating for Arizona's interests in the national Democratic Party.
As a proud Tucsonan, Bill is the first Chair of the Arizona Democratic Party to come from outside Maricopa County in a generation.
Bill graduated from Oberlin College in Ohio and received his law degree from Columbia University. He and his wife, Alice, have been married for 45 years and have two children and three grandchildren.
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Congratulations Bill Roe, but even more so, I am excited for the upcoming election year for Democratic activists, candidates and voters throughout Arizona.

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