Booker coming to Tucson for ‘People’s Town Hall’; Rockafellow plans launch party

A roundup of upcoming political events: Sen. Cory Booker coming to Tucson, Sentinel reporters on the air, deadline approaching for special congressional election; Rockafellow plans launch party in Ward 6 Council race

Send your events for Tucson Sentinel’s political calendar to [email protected].

U.S. Sen. Cory Booker will visit Tucson on Sunday, April 13, for a “People’s Town Hall” in Congressional District 6.

The New Jersey Democrat, who recently made headlines for delivering the longest speech in Senate history at 25 hours, will be joined by Tucson Mayor Regina Romero, Pima County Attorney Laura Conover, U.S. Rep. Greg Stanton of Phoenix, Arizona Democratic Party Chairman Robert Branscomb and other members of the party.

The event at Catalina High School is designed to rally Democrats and highlight U.S. Rep. Juan Ciscomani’s failure to hold live town halls in the district.

The event invitation notes: “Since Rep. Juan Ciscomani refuses to show up for his constituents, we will.”

Republican leaders have advised GOP members of Congress to avoid holding town halls, while Democrats are planning on having events like the People’s Town Hall in GOP districts.

Ciscomani, a Republican in his second term representing Southern Arizona’s CD 6, has recently been under pressure from the state’s business community to block major cuts to the state’s Medicaid (aka AHCCCS) program. Sen. Mark Kelly warned that the GOP budget proposal would likely result in 750,000 Arizonans losing their health insurance and Southern Arizona Leadership Council President Ted Maxwell has called the proposed cuts “potentially catastrophic.”

Kelly warned that Republican lawmakers and President Donald Trump were pushing to cut Medicaid by $880 billion over the next decade so they could extend the Trump tax cuts, which the senator called “a big handout to the wealthiest Americans in our country. Millionaires and billionaires got a big tax cut, but they are due to expire.”

“What they’re trying to do is take a benefit that lower-income and disabled people rely on and they’re trying to take that money that goes to pay for that thing, and they’re trying to put it into the pockets of billionaires,” said Kelly, a Democrat first elected to the Senate in 2020. “That’s the reality of what is going on here.”

While he voted to advance the GOP budget plan Thursday, Ciscomani has dismissed concerns from Democratic lawmakers and the business community that Republican lawmakers are moving forward with massive cuts to Medicaid as “outrageous lies.”

The legislation, which calls for the House Energy and Commerce Committee overseeing Medicaid to find $880 billion in cuts over the next decade, passed the House of Representatives on a 216-214 vote, with two Republican members of Congress joining with all Democrats in opposition.

The Democrats’ People’s Town Hall event will be at 6 p.m., with doors opening at 5 p.m. at the auditorium of Catalina High School, 3645 E. Pima St. The hall holds about 800 people.

Those interested in attending can RSVP here.

Other upcoming political events include:

Friday, April 11: Tucson Sentinel reporter Jim Nintzel joins a panel of journalists on AZPM’s Press Room to discuss the major news stories of the week. Steve Goldstein moderates. Program airs at 8:30 p.m. on PBS 6 and NPR affiliate KUAZ-FM, 89.1 FM and streams on the AZPM YouTube channel.

Monday, April 14: Deadline for candidates to submit nominating petitions in the special Congressional District 7 election made necessary by the death of U.S. Rep. Raul Grijalva.

Wednesday, April 16: Democrats of Greater Tucson host a happy hour from 4 to 6 p.m. at Brother John’s Beer, Bourbon and BBQ, 1801 N. Stone Ave.

Friday, April 18: Democrat Leighton Rockafellow Jr. throws a launch party for his campaign for the Ward 6 seat on the Tucson City Council. 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Himmel Park.

Monday, April 21: Tucson City Councilman Kevin Dahl, who is seeking a second term in Ward 3, will speak to Democrats of Greater Tucson. Noon via Zoom. Register here.

Friday, May 9: Tucson Sentinel Co-Publisher and Editor Dylan Smith guest-hosts the
Buckmaster show. Noon on KVOI, 1030 AM. Episodes stream at buckmastershow.com.

Wednesday, May 14: Tucson Sentinel reporter Jim Nintzel guest hosts the
Buckmaster show. Noon on KVOI, 1030 AM. Episodes stream at buckmastershow.com.

Monday, June 16: Deadline to register to vote in CD7 special election

Wednesday, June 18: Early voting begins and ballots are mailed for CD7 special primary election

Tuesday, July 8: Deadline to register to vote in city of Tucson primary election

Wednesday, July 9: Early voting starts and ballots are mailed for city of Tucson primary election

Tuesday, July 15: Primary Election Day for CD7 special election

Tuesday, Aug. 5: Primary Election Day for Tucson City Council races

Wednesday, Aug. 27: Early voting begins for CD7 special general election

Tuesday, Sept. 23: General Election Day for CD7 special election

Tuesday, Nov. 4: General Election Day for Tucson City Council races