Bustamante announces bid for re-election

I have recently announced that I will seek re-election to the Arizona House of Representatives in Legislative District 23, which covers most of Pinal County and parts of Gila and Maricopa counties.

A Democrat, I was first elected to the Arizona House of Representatives in 2002 to represent Legislative District 23. I served on the following committees: Environment, Natural Resources, Agriculture, Water and Native American Affairs, and Public Institutions and Counties, where I was the Democratic ranking member.

A lifelong resident of District 23, I attended Central Arizona College and am employed at ASARCO, where I am a proud member of the United Steelworker’s Union, Local 886—serving two terms as vice president. My wife, Martha, and I have three children.

Before serving in the legislature, I sat on the Mammoth Town Council and was commissioner of the planning and zoning board. I was also a Democratic Precinct Committeeperson for Pinal County.

Arizona needs a new direction and experienced leaders to move our state forward. As a legislator, I helped pass all-day kindergarten, expanded enterprise zones in Pinal County to create tax incentives for small businesses to create jobs and worked on a bipartisan basis to restore state funding for transportation. As a councilmember, I built roads and received grants to improve our parks. As a union leader, I fought for pensions and healthcare for workers. If re-elected, I will continue to fight every day for our families, our district and our future. This means working to create jobs of the future, investing in our children’s education and making healthcare affordable, especially for our children and seniors who need prescription medications,

I recently received endorsements of labor and law enforcement groups including: the Arizona AFL-CIO and the Arizona Correctional Peace Officers Association.

I am proud to receive the endorsement of organized labor and am committed to working with both government and the private sector to boost our economy and create jobs. I am also honored to receive the endorsement of law enforcement officers, as we work to improve public safety, reduce crime and secure the border.

I am running as a Clean Elections candidate.

Submitted photo