Arizona is one of the 36 states holding an election for governor this November and there is a very high interest in this midterm elections. Governor Doug Ducey, a Republican, will be facing Democrat David Garcia.
Republican Doug Ducey was elected as Arizona's governor in 2014. Part of his original campaign was about how he could improve the economy with his background as a businessman.
Democrat David Garcia is a professor at Arizona State University who ran for superintendent in 2014 and was defeated by Diane Douglas. If elected, Garcia could be the first Latino to serve as governor in the last four decades.
How is each candidate going to help the state's economy?
Ducey wants to keep bringing businesses to the state to create more jobs. Part of his proposed platform is to balance the budget, add more jobs, keep the unemployment rate down and keep a simple tax reform so Arizonans can bring home more of their earnings.
Garcia says he’ll invest and promote local businesses to create more opportunities and reduce poverty. He wants equality in the workplaces and to grow Arizona's agriculture industry.
What’s does each candidate think about education?
Ducey has a school safety plan which includes more officers on school campuses, more counselors and tools to help with mental health issues. He increased education funding by $2.7 billion with plans to give teachers a 20 percent pay increase by 2020 and restore school funding by over $371 million in the next five years.
Garcia’s expertise is education. His commitment is to continue fighting for public schools and invest in education. He supports full day, high-quality pre-K programs which, he says, help those children to have higher income and make them less likely to depend on the welfare system as adults.
What’s each candidate's position on immigration?
Ducey has a partnership with local authorities to enforce security at the Arizona-Mexico border, which he plans to keep. He wants to bring more technology and resources to the border.
Garcia believes in protecting immigrant families and DACA students. He opposes Trump’s wall but is in favor of “vigorously punish drug and human smuggling.”
Need more information on the midterm election happening Nov. 6? Check out the 12 News voter guide.