With upcoming elections in 2018, Asia Today is starting a new initiative to help our readers get to know their Political Candidates. This month, we had the pleasure of sitting with Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton who is running for Congress in the November 2018 elections. Mayor Stanton has a long-standing relationship with the South Asian community and can often be seen at various cultural events supporting the community.
His entry into politics can be traced back to his roots and upbringing. He grew up in West Phoenix in a working class family – his dad worked at JCPenney and his mom was a teacher at GCC. Even though they did not have a lot growing up, his parents were amazing at public service and giving back to the community. He grew up watching them raise necessities to migrant workers who had even less than them, workers that are today demonized by our political system and media. Being raised in a family that didn’t have a lot but appreciated what they did have and always looked for ways to give back, he was bound to go into public service and proudly states that all Stanton kids are involved in some sort of public service today.
Mayor Stanton sees politics as a way to give back and an opportunity to be a force of good that can help others. He did not have any background in politics and that is what he loves about Phoenix – if you work hard and have dreams, you can become a Mayor with no political connections or background just like he did; there is no Good Old Boy Network holding you back in Phoenix.
Mayor Stanton loves being the Mayor of Phoenix and if the position was not term limited, he would do it all over again. As Mayor, he has played a strong hand in reviving downtown. His biggest accomplishment to date is the $32 billion dollar transportation initiative which was an investment in the light rail and public transportation system in Arizona. He believes transportation and education go hand in hand. People in South Phoenix, where he grew up, will now have access to GCU, ASU, and our various universities. The transportation system also gives people access to medical care. He knows the struggles of the working community personally because he grew up in a family that couldn’t afford 2 or 3 cars. There was one car and his father took the bus to work and so did Mayor Stanton for summer jobs.
With his term limit coming up, Mayor Stanton is all set for his run for Congress to get to Washington to help advance the country. Having seen the dramatic difference infrastructure can make in Phoenix, his priorities in Congress are infrastructure investment which he thinks is critical for a thriving country and economy. In Phoenix, he was able to put a tax increase to invest into our transportation system the same year as the ballot and still win because people want what is best for the communities they live in. He believes our national infrastructure is falling behind the rest of the world. Mayor Stanton was also disappointed in our current government’s decision to pull out of the Paris Climate Agreement because he is a strong supporter of sustainability and giving back. His priorities also include immigration reform and continuing to build better working relationships with our neighbors Mexico and Canada – relationships that would directly impact the community in Arizona. He was extremely disappointed that the recent budget bill passed in Washington did not include a fix for DACA, which would have been a very popular bipartisan thing to do. Additional priorities include moving forward in healthcare and limited discrimination, equal pay for equal work, human rights support for refugee and immigrant community. Another issue he is passionate about is not asking people their immigration status on the census. Arizona could directly hurt from this question with less people coming out and answering which would underrepresent the numbers in Arizona and could cost us a congressional seat all together.
In addition to politics, Mayor Stanton is part of many social causes around the globe. He was recently honored with the Hope in the Face of Aids award presented by the International Alliance for the Prevention of Aids, a wonderful organization that is dedicated to limiting the impact of the disease in India – an area of the world most heavily afflicted. The organization encourages everyone to know their status, get on the treatment thy need, and stay on it – encouraging people to talk openly about it. While he was honored with receiving the award, he was extremely proud that so many people locally donated for a cause to help those in India and are thinking of helping at the global scale. This is not his only involvement in South Asia. He can date his involvement with this community back to the early 2000s. He learned about the vast South Asian community here in Arizona after the hate driven killing of a Sikh man in Mesa, AZ four days after 9/11, Balbir Singh Sodhi. Mayor Stanton was moved by the family stepping forward in this heated environment to teach people about love and the Sikh lessons that all human beings are created equal and share this world we live in. He is extremely grateful for the love and support he has received from the community and community leaders throughout the years.
Mayor Stanton’s final message to our readers is to understand that they are a powerful force in this town. While he appreciates all the personal support he has received throughout the years, he encourages everyone to run for office because this is your town. He can personally attest to the fact that you can still be successful in politics even if you don’t know anyone just as he was. You can run for seats in Washington, local positions, or get involved in boards and commissions. He is extremely proud to see Hiral Tipirneni of the South Asian community step forward from the community to run for the Congressional seat in District 8 and wishes her the best. For more information about Mayor Stanton and his position on various political issues, please visit www.stantonforarizona.com. Asia Today thanks Mayor Stanton for his time and wishes him the best in his run for Congress!
