Asheville Citizen-Times - Arizona's Congressman Grijalva Endorses Bothwell, Keever

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By Jon Ostendorff

Congressman Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.), co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, endorsed Democratic candidates Cecil Bothwell, in the 11th District and Patsy Keever, in the 10th.

"The House of Representatives needs more people like Patsy Keever who are willing to fight for working families and Progressive values," he said in announcement from her campaign. "She is a champion of a strong public school system and will fight for the educational investments we need to make our workforce stronger."

"We cannot let the Tea Party continue to threaten Social Security and Medicare," he said of Bothwell in an announcement from his campaign. "The House of Representatives needs more people like Cecil Bothwell who are willing to fight for working families and Progressive values."

Grijalva has a 30-year of exceptional public service in Southern Arizona and in Congress, according to Keever's campaign. Grijalva started his public career as a community organizer and continues to be an advocate for underrepresented constituencies. After serving on the Tucson Unified School District Governing Board and the Pima County Commission, he was elected to Congress in 2002. He remains committed to bring fairness and accountability to our federal government in providing services and protecting the health and safety of the public.

Grijalva is Co-Chair of the National Landscape Conservation System Caucus, Vice-Chair of the House LGBT Equality Caucus and a member of the Sustainable Energy & Environment Coalition, according to Bothwell's campaign. He has been a vocal supporter of immigration reform and a staunch opponent of Arizona's misguided state-level immigration law.

"I am deeply gratified to be endorsed by one of my heroes in Congress. Rep. Grijalva stands up for the people of his district, his state and our country in the same way that I intend to represent the people of Western North Carolina," Bothwell said. "When he and I joined Van Jones in Washington last October to support rebuilding the American Dream, I felt I had linked arms with a man and a movement that represents the best we can hope to be. I will be proud to join the Progressive Caucus next January."

Keever said she and Grijalva and share many of the same passions.

"We are both fighting for an economy that works for everyone, full equality for all our citizens and clean and water for future generations," she said. "We also both believe that education is the foundation of both a strong economy and a vibrant democracy. Furthermore, he understands that you can win a campaign by educating the public rather than exploiting fears and insecurities. I look forward to working with Representative Grijalva in Congress to put people first."

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