It’s vital that we elect the best person for the job of president (#ImWithHer). It’s equally important to elect the best people down ballot—especially in Arizona where dark money Republicans call all the shots.

Arizona leads the country in number of private, for profit, charter schools while we rank next to last in educational results. This should be a big red flag. We need to adequately invest in our public schools and teachers and make sure the facilities in which they teach are safe. Our under-funded educational system is driving away businesses and jobs.

Tammy Caputi is an incredibly articulate and knowledgeable candidate with plans to change this. As a businesswoman she knows the value of a good education and sees the good teachers leaving our state in droves because of lack of good pay and support.

Unbelievably, Arizona spends more money on incarceration than education, guaranteeing that for-profit prisons are filled. Recidivism is extremely high, as should be expected since we demean and humiliate prisoners and restrict family access rather than try to rehabilitate them and give them the tools to succeed when they leave prison.

Arpaio’s tent city is a prime example. The conditions there are atrocious, inhumane and cruel. Several prisoners have died from lack of medical care. Plus, he’s cost us dearly in legal fees for his unconstitutional racial profiling and has failed to investigate hundreds of sexual abuse cases.

Paul Penzone is an outstanding choice for sheriff. He has spent 21 years in law enforcement, started the silent witness program and has won many awards for crime fighting. Paul will encourage fairness, mutual respect, modern policing and community involvement.

Tammy and Paul join an incredibly strong list of Democratic candidates this year. They all need your vote for much needed change!