Lawmaker's daughter seeks to oust stepmother from Senate
by Christopher Silavong, Arizona Capitol Times, Aug. 9, 2016
The Democratic primary for a southwest Phoenix district’s seat in the state Senate is a family affair. The challenger is a hungry newcomer looking to strip the title of senator from the defending incumbent: her stepmother.
Maritza Miranda Saenz, daughter of late Democratic Rep. Ben Miranda, said the inspiration to challenge her widowed stepmother, Sen. Catherine Miranda, started in 2014. At the time, Saenz received multiple complaints about Miranda endorsing then-Republican gubernatorial nominee Doug Ducey, and Republican Michele Reagan for Secretary of State.
Saenz said Democrats should support their own in the election, and Miranda turning her back on her fellow Democrat was a major motivating factor in Saenz’s decision to challenge her.
“I would never endorse a Republican governor,” Saenz said. “I’m willing to work with folks, Republican or Democrats. But first and foremost, I want to work with the Democratic caucus.”
In early 2014, Miranda had endorsed Democrat Fred DuVal for governor. But she rescinded that endorsement, and announced she was instead backing Ducey in an October column in the Capitol Times.
“Doug Ducey is the only candidate I trust to improve Arizona because he has an honest, straightforward approach,” she said in the column.
But Miranda changed her story when she spoke with the Capitol Times for this article.
“It’s really simple,” she said. “Fred DuVal endorsed my opponent after he took his endorsement away from me. So I had a chance and options after that. When you get slapped on one side of the face, you don’t turn your face and allow them to slap the other side.”
But DuVal, in an email exchange with the Capitol Times, said that was “100 percent false.”
“I endorsed Catherine (Miranda) and she endorsed me,” DuVal said. “She then changed her mind and endorsed Doug (Ducey). I stayed with Catherine because I gave my word… I think your word means something in this business.”
DuVal said he learned a lesson from that experience and this year, he’s backing Saenz.
“She is a real Democrat and she is true to her word,” he said.
And while it ruined many of her relationships within the Democratic caucus, Miranda’s decision to endorse Ducey was beneficial to her legislative duties, she said. Crossing the aisle was a way to gain trust with Republicans so she could talk about issues important to her district.
“It turned into a sweet situation,” Miranda said. “I’ve created some really good working relationships, and I think being a strong moderate Democrat helps my community at the end of the day.”
Saenz, a mother of four, said she deferred from running for a Senate seat in the last election cycle so she could raise her children. But with her youngest now in kindergarten, Saenz now has time to follow in her father’s steps.
“2016 ended up being a great year for me to finally get into politics. It’s in my blood,” Saenz told the Arizona Capitol Times.
Saenz’s childhood differed from other kids’. At seven years old, she began canvassing for her father in his campaign for state Senate. She also supported her father when he sought to be on the boards of the Roosevelt and Phoenix School districts, and the board of Maricopa Community Colleges.
“I didn’t know that other little girls didn’t go Saturday morning canvassing or sit around in union halls and wait for their dad to be done,” she said.
Saenz’s son and three daughters tag along with their mother, knocking on doors, just like she did with her father.
And although it’s Saenz’s first foray as a candidate, it’s not the first time she’s opposed Miranda: In 2014 she was a vocal supporter of Miranda’s Democratic opponent, Aaron Marquez.
Saenz is leading Miranda in fundraising. According to June campaign finance reports, Saenz’s campaign had raised more than $21,000 and still had more than $10,000 cash on hand. Miranda had raised more than $19,000 and has about $5,200 cash on hand.
But more money in the coffers does not guarantee a nomination, and Marquez is a prime example of that.
In 2014, his campaign outspent Miranda’s by over $150,000, but he lost the primary with 45 percent of the votes. But Miranda was also heavily backed by “dark money” independent expenditure groups – to the tune of more than $110,000.
A passion for education
Miranda, who served four years in the House before being elected to the Senate for the first time in 2014, told the Capitol Times that she was seeking re-election because education was her passion. She wants to build on Proposition 123, which passed by a razor thin margin in May.
“The job isn’t done. We’re in critical times right now, especially in education,” she said.
Most of Miranda’s days are spent on legislative obligations, meeting with other legislators and the Greater Phoenix Leadership to try and develop “steps 4, 5 and 6” to Prop. 123.
Educating students is a complex struggle with many factors that affect their ability and opportunity to learn. Two elements Miranda wants to focus on are English Language Development, and increased funding for schools in impoverished communities.
“The thing I think most elected officials are forgetting is to focus the funding. We have phenomenal teachers in the classroom that are struggling right now because they have no books. They have no resources to be that effective teacher… So funding is a huge part only if we put it in the right areas,” Miranda said.
Saenz is also passionate about improving education and agrees that increased funding is necessary, especially in LD27, but she also wants transparency in school governing boards so that parents can see where money is being spent.
Saenz said she was pessimistic about legislators’ will to improve education and that communities should “be creative and find ways outside of the state Legislature.”
“There’s a lot of talk from the Arizona Education Association about community schools,” Saenz said. “They want to make schools, not just open during 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., but they want to (have them) open after (hours).”
Although both candidates are Democrats, they differ on some key issues.
Miranda is pro-life and votes with Republicans on bills about abortion to the frustration of her fellow Democrats. Saenz is pro-choice and views the issue as a matter of women’s health.
One-time allies
The two weren’t always political enemies.
The last time the candidates made headlines together was in 2012, when they invoked the Fifth Amendment during a hearing involving Miranda’s campaign and forged signatures.
Two Phoenix residents filed complaints with the Citizens Clean Election Commission after they realized their signatures had been forged when they received “Thank You” notes from Miranda. The complainants said they did not give Miranda $5 qualifying contributions or sign the forms needed for her to receive Clean Elections funding.
Saenz had notarized Clean Elections forms for Miranda, which notaries are not supposed to do for relatives by marriage.
Miranda was denied Clean Elections funding when 19 percent of her qualifying signatures were invalidated, and the Attorney General’s Office closed its investigation without filing any charges.
Miranda went on to win the primary and general election.