According to Democratic candidate for governor, Kelly Fryer, Arizona needs government that is “accessible, transparent and real.”

This was just one of Fryer’s talking points during her appearance at the Thursday, Aug. 9 meeting of the Fountain Hills Democratic Club. Other speakers included Roberta Miller, candidate for Maricopa County Clerk of the Supreme Court, and Miguel Medrano, executive director of the Maricopa County of Democratic Party. Arizona attorney general candidate January Contreras was scheduled to speak but was unable to attend due to a time constraint.

Fryer began her talk with a story about how, back when she was a kid, she was the best pitcher on her father’s Little League baseball team. When game time rolled around, though, she was benched since girls couldn’t play on boys’ teams at the time.

In response, Fryer said she picked up a baton and became an accomplished twirler. She said she used this story to highlight the fact that, from an early age, she’s been frustrated with injustice.

Frye went on to state that she has a knack for walking into dysfunctional situations and bringing order from the chaos.

“Do you know a more dysfunctional place than the State Capital of Arizona,” she asked. “The potential in Arizona is incredible, but we need leadership.”

Fryer is running against fellow Democratic candidates Steve Farley and David Garcia in the Aug. 28 primaries. She made it clear that she’s a Democrat, but added that she does not see this race as being about party or politics.

“It’s not about what’s left and right, it’s about what’s right and wrong,” Fryer said. “These are moral issues. What is important to us?...These are questions I believe Arizonans long to talk about. Let’s do what’s right in Arizona.”

Speaking earlier in the evening, Miller said that not enough voters are aware of what the Maricopa County Clerk of the Supreme Court even does which, she said, is unfortunate.

“It’s an important office because of the impact it has on peoples’ lives,” she said. “What we need in Maricopa County is justice that works.”

Miller used her time to tell a story about a woman who had been the victim of a drunk driver crashing their car into her house. In the end, it took 14 years for the woman to receive restitutions for the incident, which she only ever found out about because a reporter, not the clerk, discovered the fines had eventually been paid but not delivered.

As for Medrano, he was introduced as “more of a cheerleader,” taking the microphone to encourage club members to spread literature, get involved and then vote.

“We have an opportunity to change our state…that takes a bit of work and energy,” he said.

Medrano called out the narrow window between the primary and general elections here in Arizona.

“That’s just 27 days to get a lot of people to make a lot of change,” he said.