Eric Stafford

Eric Stafford was born in Phoenix, Arizona. He graduated from the Western Maricopa Education Center in 2016 and from the Pima Medical Institute in 2018. His career experience includes working as a machinist, vet tech, and political organizer.[1]

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am Eric Stafford and I grew up in Goodyear, Arizona.

My mother is an Occupational Therapist by trade, and suffers from permanent heavy metal poisoning and brain damage from Wilson's disease due to being unable to afford her medicine in the US because of inflated costs and corporate greed.

I spent all my years in public school, and saw firsthand how amazing and useful it was for me, but also how obvious it was that our local schools needed more resources to really help kids like me flourish and not fall through the cracks.

In my last years of high school I enrolled in technical school for Aviation Maintenance and later the Manual & CNC machining where I achieved my Airframe & Powerplant License, and where I fell in love with making, and fixing things.

As I matured, I decided to shift my priorities and try a career that aligned more with my ethics and values.

I studied to become a Vet Tech and immersed myself in the medical field before eventually delving into politics.

During 2022 I worked over 55 hours a week for 9 months as a field organizer in LD14 & 15 and realized through my years of blue collar work that the results matter much more than the team you are a part of, and now I am dedicating my energy to being on the team of progress and prosperity for all Arizonans.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Education: 92% of our children go to public schools and thanks to the over exploitation of key programs, our system is now Billions in debt, and our teachers and support staff barely make the money, nor have the support they need to stay in the field. Teachers are retiring en masse, kids reading comprehension is dropping, and teachers are being treated as babysitters and not as the highly qualified educators that they are.Labor: Labor is the back bone of this country and I see that essential workers who help make the world go round are being underserved and under appreciated. For many, the current minimum wage is not adequate for them to feed, clothe and house themselves, let alone their families. Most people working a full time job cannot afford a home, and benefits such as pensions and 401Ks are largely no longer around. From a values perspective, I believe that all essential workers from teachers to pipe fitters, and servers to grocers can all earn enough money to not just live but thrive. I will push for this every step of the way to ensure Arizonans get the benefits and pay they deserve and that these values may preserve our economy prosperity.Climate: I stand with further developing policies that help to preserve our groundwater, and invest in maintaining our aquifers and naturally occurring water not just for us, but for our ecosystem that we share our water with. I also would like to see a state with less childhood illnesses such as asthma by working to improve air quality statewide, and advocating for sustainable water-smart agriculture practices.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Expanding voting rights & Election Integrity In Arizona. The people of Arizona deserve useful and functional policies such as open primaries, RCV, and , automatic voter registration. It is already a challenge for many people to vote, including 34% of Arizonans who are registered independents in this state. We should have rules on the books today that make it easy and convenient for voters in this state to have a voice and make their choices.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

Four people come to mind for me.

1. George Carlin for his creative wit, writing style, and political commentary that helped to get me passionate about politics.

2.Adam Savage for his willingness to share his wisdom and help others and creates beautiful art, as well as gives back to the world.

3. Bernie Sanders for being a man of unshakeable character who has embodied his morals and ethics for his entire career, and is no nonsense when he speaks about his passions.

4. Adrian Fontes for being a fearless leader, and man of great character and confidence who is knowledgeable and patient at times, and direct and blunt when needed. He faces opposition head on and is not afraid to talk to his constituents, and live a life of service and honor.

I want to embody the spirit of courage, levity, honor, and service that these people embody and become a great man myself with their inspiration.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

I enjoyed "How to win friends and influence people" -Dale Carnegie

and

"Will War Ever End" -Paul K. Chappell

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

1. The ability to set aside your ego or ideologies to be able to change your mind if you are wrong.

2. Working in good-faith with your coworkers to compromise and get results.

3. To put your constituents first, and to have integrity in your decision-making

4. Never exploiting your status or position for personal, financial gain.

5. Legislating with love, and prioritizing holistic and human based decision-making for the benefit of Arizona as whole.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I am kind, and love to listen to other peoples stories and use them as fuel to keep my fire burning bright.

I believe our job as humans is to care for one another and our neighbors (plants, and animals included) and will do whatever it takes to preserve our prtecious planet and ecosystems.

I am able to change my mind, and comfortable with admitting when I am at fault or when I am wrong.

I know how to compromise and make concessions for the sake of prosperity and progress.

Overall, I am and will continue to try my best, and even when I fail you can count on the fact that I will rise even stronger because we need change now.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

1. You should try your best to be well informed of every issue you take to vote.

2. Acting as an agent of good, and working to serve those who need help most.

3. Pushing for sound social and economic policy that benefits industry, while also serving people's quality of life.

4. Leaving Arizona a Better Place than How We Found It.

5. Being a team player, and trying to be respectful to your coworkers and constituents.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I want to leave a legacy of results, and help to mend the cracks in our already divided community. I want people to feel like politics is worth investing in, and politicians are good people who dedicate their life towards helping and serving. I want to see my friends and family be able to afford medical care, hosing, healthy food, and a good education. I dream of humanity learning to worship peace and kindness over war and profit, and I could care less if I am remembered, as long as I can help inspire people to keep living and not give up on caring and trying.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

I was 5 when I remember hearing of the war and some things about George bush being our president on the radio driving home from phoenix and questioning my mom about this stuff for the first time.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

I worked as a safety flagger for a go kart track during my last 2 summers of high school, and helped in some pretty brutal wrecks, and my first real big job was maintenance on Cirrus, fully composite aircraft, they have parachutes and are super awesome looking.

What is your favorite book? Why?

I'm not much for favorites, but enjoyed "Genghis khan", "The lord of flies", and the "Taming of the Shrew".

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

I always thought I was too cool for this as a kid, but I have learnt to love Superman and what his character embodies.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

"Dirty" by Grandson.

Really gets me fired up before door knocking and events when I feel nervous.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

I am a byproduct of childhood trauma, and of having undiagnosed ADHD that made school very difficult for me. These were pretty big setbacks in my life, but made me strong.

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and state legislature?

I prefer to side with working alongside the governor to help pool resources to make effective policy with adequate risk assessments and oversight. I do not think we have to align ideologically, but we have a mutual interest in serving Arizona.

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

Water availability, homelessness, and education funding

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

It is always beneficial to have experience, but I prefer to have people with heart, and good reasons for why they serve. All the greatest started at square one.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

Yes. One should not polarize themselves against their own coworkers, and operating in good faith is important to me.

Is there a particular legislator, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

I admire aspects of many legislators, but am not close enough with them to say whether I would like to mirror myself after them. Not yet.

Are you interested in running for a different political office (for example, the U.S. Congress or governor) in the future?

I am happy where I am, but will think about it when I have the time and energy to do so. Right now LD29 is my one and only.

Both sitting legislators and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

Hearing the adversity that one of our LDs candidates faced from being a DACA recipient to a citizen pursuing her doctorate, Tanairi Ochoa Martinez's story is inspiring and compels me to be strong and brave.

Tell us your favorite joke.

"Fighting for peace is like screwing for virginity" -George carlin

I don't really have a favorite, but love Bill Burr

Should the legislature oversee or grant the use of emergency powers?

Without context it is hard to say, but I would say yes, as in moments of immense crises we are better off being able to act swiftly and decicively.

What is the first bill you would introduce if elected?

A bill that would expand upon water treatment to clean our reclaimed water and recirculate it back into useful circulation.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

1.AFSCME

2. Run for Something

3. American Promise

4. AFL-CIO

5. NOW PAC AZ

What committees interest you?

I will list top 5 in no specific order:

1. Natural Resources, Energy and Water

2.Transportation & Infrastructure

3.Education

4.Land, Agriculture & Rural Affairs

5.Elections

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

I do not believe elected representatives should be allowed to participate in things such as insider trading, or taking contributions from special interest groups or corporations. I do not stand for anything that puts up barriers between the interests of constituents, and the interests of their elected candidates. I am running clean and believe everyone should.

Do you support or oppose changes to the current state ballot initiative process? If so, what kind of changes would you consider?

I believe citizen initiatives are not accessible to normal people and believe in reforming so you do not need millions of dollars to put a bill up for a vote.