Democratic Congressional Candidates to Hold Forum in Mesa

For Immediate Release

Date: 6/17/14—

 Democratic Congressional Candidates to Hold Forum in Mesa

Mesa, AZ – AZ’s toughest fighting Congressional Democratic candidates converge this Friday, June 20^th, in Mesa to present their case as to why the future of AZ is blue. Hailed as the “Gale Force Progressives,” the 3 Democrats challenging GOP incumbents in AZ’s 3 east valley Congressional districts, 4, 5, & 6, are joining forces to hold a candidate forum that advances some of the more cutting edge progressive ideas in the political spectrum.

In Congressional District 4, educator/activist/entertainer Mikel Weisser is challenging Tea Party favorite Paul Gosar. In Congressional District 5, blind visionary James Woods is challenging established AZ GOP leader, Matt Salmon. And, in Congressional District 6, high school English teacher, W. John Williamson is taking on equally entrenched Republican, David Schweikert. In each of the races the Democrat challenger is at a stark disadvantage. In each District, registered Republicans outnumber registered Democrats nearly 2 to 1. Yet the three Democratic challengers each somehow found their own inspirations to take on the kind of race more traditional politicians steer clear of.

“I knew it was an uphill battle when I started,” laughs Weisser. “It wasn’t ever about expecting to win for me,” says Weisser who is now in the three year of campaigning, “it is about bringing a fight to GOP ideas I know are wrong for America. About stopping Republican terrorism and backwards thinking and working for a 21^st century America.” Like Williamson, who still teaches 11^th grade English in Scottsdale and is also in his 2^nd Congressional campaign, Weisser’s decision to take on the quixotic battle of being an average man running for Congress came from teaching his students civic responsibility. “Teach a class of 8^th graders how to a bill becomes law by showing them how to analyze ‘Mr. Smith Goes to Washington’ five times a day for five years straight and there’s no way I would not stand up for what I believe in.”

James Woods, one of the few blind people to ever run for Congress, has an even more compelling reason to fight: the fact that he is alive today is a miracle of modern medicine—a living breathing success story of socialized medicine saving lives, the same kind of socialized medicine Republican Reps. Gosar, Salmon, & Schweikert have consistently worked against. Hospitalized for a rampant infection, Woods spent more than six years in hospitals, often in intensive care, surviving amputations, multiple multiple-organ failure crises, a kidney transplant and the loss of his eyesight. Woods announced his candidacy while still in his hospital bed in February. A proud secular humanist, Woods is using his unique candidacy to promote progressive ideas. “There is an extraordinarily damaging disparity between the decision-makers in Washington and the rest of us, who have to live with the decisions they make,” Woods said. “Arizonans deserve representatives who know what it’s like to face hard times, and what’s needed to overcome them.”

Weisser for one is ready for AZ to get to hear some progressive ideas. “Usually the Right dominate the conversation with their latest hooey with their purity tests of what constitutes a ‘real American’, with their gun rights boondoggles and border threat hysteria and all the real issues facing the country go unspoken.” Among the issues among the candidates agenda are educational and immigration reform, income and social inequality, the rights of the disabled and other marginalized communities, cannabis legalization, the religious right’s attack on science, banking regulations and the so-called “Robin Hood” electric transaction tax, alternative energy and water policy, campaign finance and, of course, health care. “Some of these ideas are just not discussed in political forums in this state,” Weisser laughs, “but it’s time for AZ to move forward with the rest of America into the 21^st century.

The event begins at 5:30pm at the Red Mountain Multigenerational Center 7550 E. Adobe Mesa, AZ

For more on the Mikel Weisser for US Congress Campaign:

www.mikelweisser.org

For further information contact:

Mikel Weisser

4490 Sundown Drive

So-Hi, AZ 86413

928-234-5633

mikelweisser@gmail.com

Paid for by the Mikel Weisser for US Congress campaign