Democratic Challenger To Gov. Ducey Files For Candidacy

PHOENIX, AZ — Democrat David Garcia officially filed the signatures he needs to run for Arizona's next governor in a bid to replace Republican Gov. Ducey, according to reports. Garcia turned in nearly 10,000 signatures on Tuesday to the Arizona Secretary of State's Office, CBS5 reported.

Garcia, 47, says his team has “built the largest grassroots infrastructure in Arizona," CBS reported, by not using paid canvassers to collect the needed signatures. His campaign has over 5,000 volunteers.

Garcia's background is in education, as a former assistant superintendent in the Department of Education and an Arizona State University professor. He lost a race to Republican Diane Douglas for the Superintendent of Public Instruction. Douglas recently was shut down by Gov. Ducey in an attempt to remove some terms relating to evolution in the state's science standards.

“My top priority will be making sure every child has the best shot at opportunity and the American Dream,” Garcia said in a statement. “This means making sure our schools are excellent and safe learning environments for all our kids.”

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The election will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 6. Gov. Ducey is nearing the end of his first four-year term as governor, and there is a two-term limit.

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