Meet the New Arizona Democratic Party Chair -- Charlene Fernandez

As the new Chair, she has plans to make Arizona Democratic candidates strong and viable choices for voters in the 2026 midterm elections

When Charlene Fernandez was the House Democratic Leader in the Arizona Legislature from 2019 to 2021, the Democratic caucus grew to 29. It was the closest Democrats had come to reaching parity with the GOP majority in decades.

Now she has her sights set on getting there and beyond as newly elected chair of the Arizona Democratic Party.

"So when I got to the legislature, there was only 22 Democrats walking around. Twenty-two of us," she said. "When I left, there was 29. And I attribute it to the fact that our caucus, every single one of them were out there in different areas, not just their areas, but areas that were very foreign to them. You know, to come from Maricopa County and to go out to Mojave County or to La Paz County or Cochise County, it made a difference."

She plans to ask Democratic state lawmakers to get back to that practice. "I'm asking them to go out get out your comfort zone."

In addition to getting more Democrats seated in the Arizona Legislature, her goals include holding and capturing statewide offices, flipping some congressional seats, and getting Democrats elected up and down the ballot.

The strategy to get there includes making sure rural Arizona gets a voice and seat at the table, along with the traditional face-to-face contact involved in registering voters.

Her previous experiences gives her insight on providing strong constituent services. In addition to being a state lawmaker, she was a staff member for the late Congressman Ed Pastor and for former Arizona governor Janet Napolitano.

To hear more about her plans for the Dems, listen to this podcast interview.