Will shifting demographics turn Arizona from red to blue? Will our state be ready for what could be a rash of mail-in ballots? And what effect will the election results have on businesses and residents?
These are among the questions that will be answered at An Election of a Lifetime, a free event hosted by PHX East Valley Partnership, SRP and Alliance Bank of Arizona, from 11 a.m. to noon on Sept. 24 via Zoom.
Three of the Valley’s top public policy experts – Chuck Coughlin of High Ground Public Affairs Consultants, Chad Heywood of Camelback Strategy Group, and D.J. Quinlan of Radar Strategies – will share the latest insights and analysis on everything from hotly contested races to ballot propositions and the status of both in-person and mail-in voting.
“All eyes will be on Arizona, as voters cast their ballots during one of the most consequential elections of our lives,” said Denny Barney, president and CEO of PHX East Valley Partnership. “The experts will help put the candidate races and ballot initiatives into context and explain the potential implications of the election outcomes.”
Except for Bill Clinton’s win in 1996, the traditionally reliable red Arizona has voted Republican in every presidential election since 1952. That includes in 2016, when Donald Trump won the state by 3.5%.
“But the presidential race aside, our experts will also track the polling results for Mark Kelly’s race against Martha McSally in the U.S. Senate, and state Legislature, mayoral and other races,” Barney said. “There are a number of key issues – including funding for education and health care on the ballot, too.”
In particular, the public policy experts will share the pros and cons of a measure to legalize, regulate and tax marijuana; an initiative that, if approved, would enact a minimum wage standard for health workers, along with health care insurance regulations; and a proposal that would increase the tax on incomes exceeding $250,000 to benefit teacher salaries and schools.
For more information and to register, visit phxeastvalley.com.
PHX East Valley Partnership was created in 1982 as a 501(c)(6) nonpartisan coalition of civic, business, education and political leaders dedicated to the economic development and promotion of the East Valley of Greater Phoenix. The Partnership advocates in economic development, education, transportation and infrastructure, health care and other important areas.
