Gov. Doug Ducey spent several minutes greeting members of the Fountain Hills Republican Club Saturday, July 7.

He was in the community to campaign for his reelection. David Schweikert (R-AZ 6th District) introduced the governor. In an introduction outlining Ducey’s accomplishments, Schweikert asked the audience to look back four years ago.

“Judge our governor through his accomplishments,” Schweikert said. “He has brought Arizona back to the top of the food chain.”

Ducey spoke on several topics, including what he has achieved in the state without raising taxes.

“I am not talking just about education,” he said. “There were 676 regulations eliminated, saving the state $50 million.”

Ducey, who has worked toward a relationship with Pres. Donald Trump, said Arizona “has a partner in the White House.”

With that partnership, Ducey said, “We can stop the drug cartels, the human smuggling and other illegal activity at the border.”

The governor also said he is excited Trump will appoint his second Supreme Court justice.

Ducey expressed his concern about outside influences in the state but indicated that in spite of “Democrats dreaming of winning the majority through Arizona, they can keep dreaming. This is the land of Barry Goldwater.”

The audience was responsive to Ducey’s message, applauding him throughout his 20-minute speech.

Ducey said he supports the nominees in the state election and looks forward to the “fight and tussle” between Republicans and Democrats.

He addressed the #RedforEd issue, saying he had already announced his plan to give teachers an average of 20 percent pay increase by 2020.

“It was about a tax increase modeled after a California movement to tax the rich,” he said.

The Invest in Education Act is designed to raise income taxes on the state’s wealthiest citizens. The initiative is expected to be on the ballot in November after backers submitted some 270,000 signatures.

“I am counting on you in this election cycle,” Ducey said.

Following Ducey’s address, Schweikert spoke on a variety of topics, emphasizing that “really good things are happening.”

He called changes in a government “a miracle,” saying that the administration’s and legislature’s solutions are “actually working.”

He said the economy is robust and that America’s melting pot is working.

“We should be joyous,” Schweikert said. “These things have been talked about for decades, and they are now working.”

He addressed the surge from the left but countered that rise saying that conservatives are making life better.

“We can’t let them win,” Schweikert said. “We are the party embracing facts, math, science. We have come so far. The ships are rising because the tide is rising.”

Following those speeches, Republican Club President Rosemary Hansen introduced other candidates, including those running for state House and Senate, Superintendent of Public Instruction, mayor and Fountain Hills Town Council.