SLDC members at the Adrian Fontes Town Hall in Chandler (photo by AJ Korduglu)
Dwight Flatt
There may be no ifs, ands, or buts at the Sun Lakes Democratic Club’s (SLDC) Nov. 10 meeting, but there will be Butts, O’Brien, and Armstrong vying for the Democratic nominations for Arizona Superintendent of Schools, Senate LD13, and House LD13, respectively.
Dr. Michael Butts graduated from ASU and attended NAU where he received his master’s and doctorate in education. Before pursuing a career in education, he served as a Cincinnati police officer, relocating to Arizona in 2006. Butts, whose uncle was Civil Rights icon Ralph David Abernathy, has nine years of classroom instruction and was elected to the Roosevelt District School Board in 2024. He is seeking the Democratic nomination for the Arizona Superintendent of Schools office.
Seeking the Democratic nomination for AZ Senate, LD13, is Kristie O’Brien. A native of the East Valley, O’Brien grew up in Chandler, graduating from Dobson High. She attended Trinity Washington University, the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, Bond University Law School, and the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution at Pepperdine Law School. A lawyer specializing in mediation, she honed her skills on Capitol Hill and at the International Criminal Court at the Hague.
Rounding out the evening is Dr. Racquel “Rockee” Armstrong who is running for the Democratic nomination for AZ House LD13. Armstrong, an Ohio native whose early work included five years as a public school teacher and later a school administrator, holds a BA in urban studies-economics from Wellesley College, a MSEd from the University of Pennsylvania, an MBA from the Fisher College of Business, and a PhD from Ohio State University. She now serves as an assistant professor at ASU’s Mary Lou Fulton College for Teaching and Learning Innovation.
SLDC members attending the meeting will also receive an overview of the election results for the Chandler Unified School District’s Bond and Override, Prop 408 and 409, and Chandler issues. Attendees may have an opportunity to meet other candidates at the meeting as well.
SLDC is made up of like-minded individuals who are part of over 2,500 registered Democrats throughout the Sun Lakes area promoting an Arizona that works for everyone. We invite you to join us at 6:30 p.m. for a social hour, with the meeting starting at 7 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 10, in the Navajo Room at Sun Lakes Country Club at 25601 E. Sun Lakes Blvd. N, Sun Lakes. We also invite you to join us at 10 a.m. for our First Friday Coffee on the first Friday of every month at Denny’s, located at 4977 S. Arizona Avenue in Chandler.
We support Matthew’s Crossing Food Bank. Donations can be dropped off at the meeting or made online at matthewscrossing.org. You can receive a receipt for the dollar-for-dollar, tax-deductible donation.
If you have any questions, please call Roxy Banta at 480-899–5696 or email moreinfosldc@gmail.com.