Marlene Woods joins growing crowd of Democrats trying to unseat Rep. David Schweikert

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) — Former journalist Marlene Galan Woods is announcing the launch of her campaign. She’s the latest addition to the crowded Democratic primary in Arizona’s First Congressional District — covering parts of Phoenix, Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, and Fountain Hills. It’s where Democrats are trying to unseat seven-term Republican Rep. David Schweikert.

The race is shaping up to be one of the most competitive in the country for next November, and it’ll be Woods’ first run for public office. It’s something she says she never planned to do, but it all changed two years ago following the death of her husband, Grant Woods.

If Marlene Woods is a new face to Arizona politics, Grant Woods was a staple. He was the state’s attorney general for most of the 1990s and a close friend of John McCain’s. He delivered a touching eulogy at the late senator’s funeral in 2018. Like her husband, Marlene Woods is a former Republican who switched parties.

She is now running on a standard democratic platform of 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 anyway--and I want to go and help fix it. I’m a former journalist. I can’t ignore the facts. I love facts. I’m a fact embracer,” Woods told Arizona’s Family.

Other Democrats seeking the party’s nomination in CD1 include former state party chair Andrei Cherny, state Rep. Amish Shah, Orthodontist Andrew Hornes, and former Red Cross executive Kurt Kromer. The winner is likely to face Schweikert in the General Election.

Copyright 2023 KTVK/KPHO. All rights reserved.