This year, Mesa voters, in the newly redistricted Legislative District 25 (LD25), will have a choice for State Senate in the November general election.
My name is Greg Gadek, and I have entered the race as a Democrat to face the winner of the August Republican primary election between Russell Pearce and Bob Worsley.
Arizona consists of 30 legislative districts. Because some areas grow faster than others, the districts are redrawn every 10 years following a U.S. Census. The goal is to make all of the districts relatively equal in size, based on population. Our new district covers approximately half of Mesa, including the entire northern span, from Riverview to Usery Park. It also includes the central and southern portions of Mesa, from approximately Gilbert Road to Power Road. Our district is extremely diverse, including people from different faiths, cultures and socio-economic backgrounds. Please go to www.Gadek2012.com to
view a map.
I have been a proud Mesa resident for more than 25 years. My wife, Jennifer, and I have raised our family here. All three of our sons attended Ishikawa Elementary School, Stapley Junior High School, as well as Mountain View High School, in the Mesa Public School District, and we have been active parents at each of these schools. Our two oldest sons, Dylan and Geoff, are college graduates, and our youngest son, Connor, is a sophomore in college. I was raised in Michigan, by hardworking Midwestern parents. My dad is now retired from General Motors, and lives close by in Mesa.
I have been a registered Independent for most of my life, but my core beliefs have always been closely aligned with the Democratic Party. I believe in economic policies, which protect working families and promote a strong middle class, the backbone of our country. I believe in equal rights for everybody. And I believe we must invest in education and infrastructure to keep our country competitive in a global economy.
I intend to vigorously challenge my Republican opponent this fall, with a spirited, idea-oriented campaign, with the purpose of leading LD25 in a new political direction.
This new direction must include restoring Arizona’s reputation in the national business community. Our image has been tarnished by foolish legislation, which has made Arizona an undesirable business address. In past years, most corporate relocation decisions included Arizona as a top choice. Now, business leaders fear they will be boycotted or subjected to ridicule, and have opted to relocate elsewhere. We are losing jobs to neighboring states, and must replace career politicians with new leadership in our first step to restoring credibility.
Education will be my primary concern, if elected. The voters overwhelmingly approved a 1-cent sales tax increase in an effort to stabilize the education budget. Our schools suffered massive budget cuts during this recession. Now that our economy has shown early signs of recovery, the legislature is diverting the small amount of excess funds to other uses, including a rainy day fund. The voters didn’t approve a tax increase to create a rainy day fund. Any excess needs to be redirected to our schools, as mandated by the voters.
Some people say Mesa is so far-right conservative that a Democrat stands no chance of winning here. It is true Republicans outnumber Democrats by a large margin, but common-sense Independent, Democrat and Republican voters who support education and job creation far outnumber the extremists on either end of the spectrum. Regardless of your party affiliation, if you are frustrated and angry with politics as usual, our campaign gives you a real choice.