PHOENIX — A former Phoenix television journalist announced her candidacy Wednesday for the congressional seat currently held by seven-term Republican Rep. David Schweikert.
Marlene Galán-Woods joins at least four other candidates in the Democratic primary race in Arizona’s 1st Congressional District, which covers parts of Phoenix, Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Fountain Hills and Cave Creek.
It’s the first run for public office for Woods, 59, who was married to former Arizona Attorney General Grant Woods until his death in 2021.
Woods said she’s seeking the congressional seat because of what she describes as an assault on various freedoms by the Republican Party.
Like her late husband, Woods is a former Republican who switched parties after former President Donald Trump took office in 2017.
She’s running on a platform favoring stricter gun regulations, providing access to abortion and standing up to election deniers.
“I’m concerned that our country is in a real tough spot right now, where this fork in the road can go any way, and I want to go and help fix it,” Woods said.
Other Democrats seeking the party’s nomination in the district include former state party chair Andrei Cherny, state Rep. Amish Shah, Phoenix orthodontist Andrew Horne, and business executive Kurt Kromer.
Woods released a full statement regarding her campaign Wednesday:
“I am launching our campaign for Congress because I cannot sit by as Republican extremists attack our freedoms and liberties. As a 35-year resident of Arizona, mother of five children, daughter of Cuban refugees who fled Communism, and broadcast journalist who held the powerful accountable, I know our community needs a leader who will put Arizona first. But right now, the radical Republican majority, supported and enabled by Congressman David Schweikert, is hellbent on attacking our rights, our futures, and our livelihoods. When I’m elected, I will fight to ensure voting rights, restore our reproductive rights, and protect Social Security and Medicare.”
