Members of the Baja Arizona Kos█████ met last night in midtown Tucson. We enjoyed good food and good conversation like we always do but this time we had a special guest: Dr. Matt Heinz, Democratic candidate in Arizona’s 2nd Congressional District. Click through for photos and more.
Here’s the group shot:
Dr. Heinz joined us. He a gave a brief introduction, caught us up on what he’s been doing since his last campaign and took questions from the assembled smart-ass bloggers.
Arizona’s 2nd Congressional District, where most of the Baja Arizona Kos reside, will be one of the most closely watched House races in the country in 2016. It’s a deep purple district where the margin of victory is always razor-thin and recounts are common. There are no landslides here. That said, if he can get through the primary, I think we’ve got the candidate who can win back Gabby’s old district for Team Blue. Matt’s strong suit will be healthcare policy. After all, he’s a doctor in his day job, and he’s just back from D.C. where he consulted for the Obama administration on the Affordable Care Act. He knows the ACA isn’t perfect, but he knows exactly where and how to fix it. Matt will also be stronger on women’s issues than his opponent who voted to defund Planned Parenthood.
Most of us in BAK tend towards the Progressive side so naturally we talked about the role of Progressives in the upcoming election. Last time around the incumbent, Rep. Martha McSally (R), won by a mere 167 votes. There was a significant undervote on the Democratic side. Undervotes are ballots where the voter has bubbled in Democrats in other races but left the House race blank. Many of the undervoters were no doubt disgruntled Progressives who just couldn’t pull the trigger for a Blue Dog. Suffice it to say, Matt is aware of that and gave us all a chuckle when he reminded us of the infamous Halloween mailer from 2014. Remember these ?
Most of us got one of these and I was surprised to learn that I was not the only one who saved his. In a surprisingly cynical move, the Arizona Republican Party printed and mailed these flyers to suppress the Barber vote by reminding Progressives that the Democratic incumbent at that time was not really one of them. The flyer didn’t influence me, I voted for Barber like a good Dem, but maybe it influenced somebody, maybe 168 somebodies, who knows ?
Anyway, I think Matt Heinz can win in this district. This is a Presidential year so Democrats who only vote every four years will turn out and I think Matt is liberal enough that he won’t turn off any Progressives. We were gratified that the candidate could spend some time with our little group and listen to our concerns. I don’t know what kind of a ground game Col. McSally will have but I intend to help ensure that ours is better.
Oh yeah, there was food too. I thought the hummus was outstanding.