A letter from Analise Ortiz, Alberto Flores, and Lisbeth Arescurenaga

For the past four years I have served as your State Legislator alongside Lydia Hernandez. I am writing today with Alberto Flores and Lisbeth Arescurenaga because the three of us are running together to replace Lydia and her allies with leaders who will actually fight for the families who live here. You have one vote for State Senate and two votes for State Representative. I am asking you to use all three to vote for us. Vote for me, Analise Ortiz, for State Senate. Vote for Alberto Flores and Lisbeth Arescurenaga for State Representative. Make a plan to vote on or before July 21.

There is a second name on your ballot we have to warn you about. Rosa Cantu is running as the second House candidate next to Lydia. She is not an independent voice for the families of Maryvale and Glendale. She is Lydia's recruited running mate, and the two of them are running together because they already sit on the school board together. They’ve made bad decisions there and they will do the same at the State Capitol. In four years at the Capitol, Lydia Hernandez has voted with Republicans against working families 171 times. The Democratic Party of Maryvale and Glendale voted this month to formally declare that she does not represent Democratic values, as reported in The Arizona Republic. For example, when Democrats introduced an amendment this year to stop ICE agents from hiding their identities while raiding our homes, our schools, and our churches, Lydia voted with Republicans to protect the masked agents tearing our families apart. She has taken thousands of dollars in maximum contributions from a national right-wing operation pushing to rewrite the U.S. Constitution, endangering your right to vote and reproductive freedom. She votes for the people who pay her, not the people who elected her. She is banned from every Phoenix Union High School campus after a stunt she pulled at Maryvale High that retraumatized families who had just lost a child to violence. And in the Cartwright Elementary School District, she has spent over a year making decisions that hurt students, educators, and taxpayers.

What’s happening in Cartwright is proof of what Lydia and her allies do when they have too much power. In early 2025, Lydia, her own daughter Cassandra Hernandez, and Rosa Cantu took control of the Cartwright board. Within weeks they put Ema Jáuregui, a 23-year veteran of the district, on paid leave without explanation. Then, they hired Steve Watson, a Republican and the former Maricopa County Schools Superintendent. He had personally appointed Rosa to the board to run the district. At one point, Cartwright taxpayers were paying three superintendent contracts at the same time while the district was underfunded. Watson pushed the unpopular return to a five-day school week against community objection. Then he resigned leaving the district with no plan. The 20 schools our kids attend currently have no permanent leader because of decisions made by Lydia and Rosa. This is corruption. Lydia and her allies broke Cartwright on purpose to reward their friends and protect their own power. If Lydia and Rosa are elected to the Capitol, every working family in Arizona will pay the price the same way Cartwright is paying now. Rosa Cantu is not a separate candidate from Lydia Hernandez. She signed the same pledge to rewrite the Constitution that Lydia signed. She has no support from any Democrats or community organizations. She is running because Lydia wants to control her. A vote for Rosa is a vote to expand the Cartwright chaos to the Arizona Capitol. I am running with two people I trust to replace Lydia and Rosa and actually represent us.

I am Alberto Flores. I grew up in Maryvale and West Phoenix. My family came from Sonora, and like most immigrant families we worked hard to build a life in the United States. I have spent the past ten years organizing against ICE in our communities, defending reproductive freedom, and fighting for working families in this community. I am asking you to vote for me, Alberto Flores, for State Representative on or before July 21.

I am Lisbeth Arescurenaga. I came to this country alone at fifteen from Peru. I am a licensed mental health therapist and social worker who has spent my career supporting families struggling with domestic violence, cancer, and immigration enforcement. I have lived what most politicians only talk about, and I will deliver solutions. I am asking you to vote for me, Lisbeth Arescurenaga, for State Representative on or before July 21.

When your ballot arrives, you will see one race for State Senate and one race for State Representative where you can vote for two people. Vote for Analise Ortiz for State Senate. Vote for Alberto Flores and Lisbeth Arescurenaga for State Representative. Do not vote for Lydia Hernandez. Do not vote for Rosa Cantu. That is how you’ll send three real fighters from Maryvale and Glendale to the Capitol. We have a plan to increase wages, lower costs, and invest in public schools. Make your plan to vote on or before July 21.

In service, Analise Ortiz, Arizona State Senate | Alberto Flores | Lisbeth Arescurenaga Una carta de Analise Ortiz, Alberto Flores, y Lisbeth Arescurenaga