On Thursday, May 12, the Fountain Hills Democratic Club (FHDC) will convene for its final meeting until the fall at the Community Center. The meeting will begin at 6 p.m. for socializing, with the scheduled speakers to address the club at 6:30 p.m.

The following Democratic candidates will be in attendance: Martin Quezada, who is running for Arizona State Treasurer; Aaron Lieberman, one of four candidates for Arizona Governor; Lauren Kuby, a candidate for the Arizona Corporation Commission and Kris Mayes, who is running for election as an Arizona Attorney General.

Quezada has served in the Arizona State Senate since 2014, having been re-elected in 2016, 2018 and 2020, holding the current leadership position of Democratic Whip. According to a press release from FHDC, Quezada is widely considered one of the most passionate, reliable and impactful advocates for progressive values in the State Legislature. As a native Arizonan, he is a product of the Arizona public schools and went on to practice as an attorney on criminal defense, domestic relations, civil litigations and election law.

Aaron Lieberman is a former Representative in the Arizona House. Lieberman worked with Democrats and Republicans during COVID-19 to secure millions in funding so teachers could get professional support for distance learning as needed. He led the fight for more Community Colleges funding and has advocated for $5,000 grants to help Arizona small businesses get through the pandemic.

“Always a proponent for advancing programs for children, Lieberman dedicates his career to creating opportunities for kids to get the education they need, no matter the obstacles,” the FHDC press release said. “He understands the huge impact of early childhood intervention, so in college he helped found Jumpstart, a national nonprofit whose vision is to ensure all children enter kindergarten prepared to succeed.”

To date, more than 50,000 college students have served as Jumpstart Corps members, earning over $200 million in college scholarships through AmiCorps.

Lauren Kuby is a two-term councilmember and a former Mayor of Tempe. According to the FHDC press release, Kuby has spent her career standing up to special interests and fighting for consumer, environmental and worker protections in Arizona. She is a sustainability scientist at ASU and a recognized national champion for climate action and clean energy. Kuby spearheaded an initiative through the Tempe City Council to help marginalized workers and businesses meet pay goals.

Kuby championed the creation of the Tempe Family Justice Commission, which has created a safe avenue of care for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and sex trafficking. Kuby has a master’s degree in Public History from ASU and a bachelor’s degree in Early American History from the University of Chicago.

Finally, Kris Mayes will be in attendance.

“During her time as an Arizona Corporation Commissioner, Kris Mayes’ leadership helped create tens of thousands of high-paying jobs, saved Arizonans billions of dollars, and fought climate change by requiring utilities to produce more clean energy, including solar, wind and energy efficiency,” the FHDC press release said.

Mayes oversaw one of the largest expansions of utility water conservation programs in state history. After joining Janet Napolitano’s campaign for Governor as press secretary, Mayes was appointed to the Corporation Commission in 2003. Since 2010, she has worked as a senior sustainability scientist at ASU’s School of Sustainability and teaches a course on energy law for the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law.