Around the Districts Podcast

Local Action and Real Relationships for Chandler Families

Welcome back to Around the Districts! In this episode, we sit down for Part 2 of our conversation with Chandler City Council candidate Cicely Rocha-Miller to pull back the curtain on what it actually takes to run a grassroots local campaign.
Cicely shares her perspective on why the arts are a fundamental connector—not a luxury—for the Chandler community, detailing the unique partnership between the Chandler Center for the Arts and local public schools. She also gets real about the physical and financial grind of local politics, from overcoming the "guilt" of campaign fundraising to canvassing in 105-degree Arizona heat.
If you want to know what municipal leadership looks like when it is built on real relationships rather than corporate PAC money, this episode is for you.
Check us out on Substack: https://aroundthedistricts.substack.com/p/cicely-rocha-miller-part2
== Learn more about Cicely Rocha-Miller ==Website: https://www.cicelyforchandler.comTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cicelyforchandlerInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/cicelyforchandlerFacebook: http://facebook.com/cicelyforchandler
The opinions shared on this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not represent any organizations or affiliations.

Constitutional Shield for All Arizona Voters, the Free, Fair, and Secure Elections Act

In the second part of our conversation, Maritza Saenz returns to expose the deep conflict over ballot access in Arizona. The state legislature maintains a steady assault on early ballots and mail-in access. We dissect the Free, Fair, and Secure Elections Act (I-08-2026), a citizen measure that establishes voter rights in the Arizona Constitution. This measure places established ballot access out of reach for partisan politicians.
Check us out on Substack: https://aroundthedistricts.substack.com/p/maritza-saenz-protect-vote-part-2
== Learn more about Protect the Vote Arizona ==Website: https://protectthevoteaz.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61578510954989Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/protectthevoteaz/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@protect_the_vote_az
The opinions shared on this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not represent any organizations or affiliations.

The Cost of Survival in Legislative District Eight

The 2026 election cycle is here. Wealth alone does not buy movements. In this episode, we continue our conversation with Claudia Kline. She seeks a seat in the Arizona House of Representatives for Legislative District 8. We look at the harsh landscape for rural Arizona.
We show how state policy fails our neighbors. We dissect how corporations use right-to-work laws to exploit workers and suppress wages. We discuss the medical deserts of rural towns and the drought of secure jobs.
Learn how working-class families are organizing to reclaim their power and defend their homes through raw, collective labor.
Check us out on Substack: https://aroundthedistricts.substack.com/p/claudia-kline-ld8-part-2
== Learn more about Claudia Kline ==Website: https://www.claudiaforaz.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/claudia4az/
The opinions shared on this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not represent any organizations or affiliations.

Solving Real Chandler Problems Regardless of Party

Municipal campaigns are hard work. In 2024, Cicely Rocha-Miller missed the Chandler runoff election by only 242 votes. This razor-thin margin proves a fundamental truth: your vote matters. While national campaigns dominate our screens with partisan battles, municipal decisions determine our daily lives.
In Part 1 of our conversation with Chandler City Council candidate Cicely Rocha-Miller, we discuss the reality of local public service. We explore the rapid growth of East Valley neighborhoods, the administrative red tape that can choke small businesses, and the crisis of public educators who must work weekend side jobs to survive.
Local representation is our shield. When we ignore our backyards, corporate interests and partisan polarization fill the void.
Check us out on Substack: https://aroundthedistricts.substack.com/p/cicely-rocha-miller-part1
== Learn more about Cicely Rocha-Miller ==Website: https://www.cicelyforchandler.comTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cicelyforchandlerInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/cicelyforchandlerFacebook: http://facebook.com/cicelyforchandler
The opinions shared on this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not represent any organizations or affiliations.

Building a Grassroots Shield in the East Valley

National campaigns waste millions on late-stage television ads. They ignore the physical labor of the precinct. In part one of our series with Legislative District 12 Chair Melissa Galarza, we examine how local organization wins elections.
Melissa built a powerful team of precinct committeepersons in the East Valley. Volunteers distributed over one hundred thousand physical voter guides. They knocked on doors. They did the hard work. They won every single seat on the ballot.
We discuss the need for a succession plan for young voters. We expose why voter registration is not enough. Communities must organize to survive systemic neglect.
Listen to learn how LD12 built the strongest grassroots shield in Arizona.
Check us out on Substack: https://aroundthedistricts.substack.com/p/grassroots-melissa-galarza-part-1
== Get Involved with Your LD: ==
Voter Status: Confirm your registration status at https://BeBallotReady.vote and find out what Legislative District you’re in.
Newsletter: Visit their website. Sign up for the local newsletter to track upcoming meetings.
Volunteer: Join a local canvass or help draft the next voter guide.
Learn More about LD12: https://azld12dems.org/
The opinions shared on this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not represent any organizations or affiliations.

The Constitutional Guardrail: Maritza Saenz on the Fight for Arizona’s Ballot

The state legislature counts on your exhaustion. They believe that if they make the act of the vote difficult, you will stay home. In this episode, we sit down with Maritza Saenz of Protect the Vote. Arizona has a thirty-year history of secure mail-in ballots. Now, that history is under siege. This is not just an attack on a few—it is a systemic attempt to control every single voter, regardless of party, background, or geography. If they can suppress the vote of one, they can control the outcome for all. We discuss why a constitutional amendment is the last barrier against systemic suppression. Learn how to join the front lines to protect the ballot.
Check us out on Substack: https://aroundthedistricts.substack.com/p/maritza-saenz-protect-vote-part-1
== Learn more about Protect the Vote Arizona ==
Website: https://protectthevoteaz.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61578510954989Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/protectthevoteaz/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@protect_the_vote_az
The opinions shared on this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not represent any organizations or affiliations.

Representation Requires Reality: Claudia Kline on LD8 and Systemic Neglect

The 2026 election cycle demands leaders who live the reality of their districts. Legislative District 8 faces a choice between community service as a hobby and representation as a necessity. Claudia Kline joins the show to expose the systemic neglect that poisons our air and drains our public funds.
We discuss the environmental toll on the Yavapai-Apache and Pascua Yaqui communities. We examine the failure of the state budget to reach the people. We ask why a utility bill in an apartment hits five hundred dollars while many corporations avoid paying fair share.
Lived experience is the only path to accountability.
Check us out on Substack: https://aroundthedistricts.substack.com/p/claudia-kline-ld8-part-1
== Learn more about Claudia Kline ==
- Website: https://www.claudiaforaz.com/- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/claudia4az/
The opinions shared on this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not represent any organizations or affiliations.

No Kings 3: The 3.5% Rule and the Promising Turnout in Gilbert

The math of dissent is precise. AJ Kurdoglu knows this math. In part two of our conversation, we expose the tactical storm of this administration. We reveal the human cost of state-sanctioned kidnapping. Gilbert was once a fortress for silence. Now, it is a site of resistance. We discuss the 3.5% rule. This is the threshold where a disciplined minority breaks a failing system.
We also confront the reality of ICE deportations. The parents of a mother of two and military veteran. A US citizen with a US passport. Seized and removed to a country she never knew. This is on purpose. It is a part of their plan.
Listen to hear how No Kings is converting protest momentum into midterm votes. Resistance has a style. It moves strategically.
Check us out on Substack: https://aroundthedistricts.substack.com/p/no-kings-3-aj-kurdoglu-part-2
== Learn more about Chandler Gilbert Indivisible ==Website: https://chandlergilbertindivisible.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/chandlergilbertindivisibleInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/chandlergilbertindivisibleYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ChanGilIndivisible

Don’t Give up on Hope: Reclaiming Our Power and Future in Arizona

The powerful use hopelessness as a tool for control. They want silence. We refuse. In this episode, we prove the tide can turn. We look at promising data. From the Salt River Project election to national flips in red districts across the nation, the working class is waking up.
Voters in Arizona stood in line for four hours to protect their power. The costs of survival continue to rise while the market shrivels in the face of global instability. These are facts that cannot be ignored. Democracy requires action. It requires you.
Check us out on Substack: https://aroundthedistricts.substack.com/p/hope-dont-give-up

No Kings 3 in Gilbert: AJ Kurdoglu on the March 28 Mobilization

On March 28, 2026, the United States saw the largest single-day protest in its history. "No Kings 3" drew an estimated 8 million participants nationwide, including over 101,000 in Arizona alone. In this episode, we sit down with AJ Kurdoglu, co-leader of Chandler Gilbert Indivisible, to talk about the tactical shift of moving the protest into the conservative stronghold of Gilbert.
We discuss the reality of the 2026 Iran war, the open corruption of the current administration, and why 2,500 people showed up on a Saturday morning in Gilbert to demand change. Resistance is a neighbor-to-neighbor movement for survival.
Check us out on Substack: https://aroundthedistricts.substack.com/p/no-kings-3-aj-kurdoglu
== Learn more about Chandler Gilbert Indivisible ==
Website: https://chandlergilbertindivisible.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/chandlergilbertindivisibleInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/chandlergilbertindivisibleYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ChanGilIndivisible