Now that I’ve had some time to settle in to Arizona, I’ve been thinking about what it means to me to be an Arizona Democrat.

Compared to most of you, though, I’m still new in town. If we haven’t met, I’d like to introduce myself. I’m the Coordinated Campaign Director here in Arizona. It’s a long title that boils down to making sure we elect Democrats up and down the ticket this November. I packed my car and moved here because I believe this state is the future of the Democratic Party. The path to Democratic success in 2018 runs through Arizona, from the statehouse to the U.S. Senate.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I came here — besides the heat. But there’s a lot I’ve learned about what it means to be an Arizona Democrat in the past few months. Here are just a few:

1. Most campaigns survive on coffee and pizza — we survive on coffee and tacos.
2. Knocking on doors and talking to voters is just as important in 110 degree heat.
3. Arizonans never shy away from a fight.

So I want to thank you for letting me be a part of your community of students, teachers, union workers, DREAMers, and Arizonans of all types. You know how special it is to be a member of this team.