Daria Lohman

Running for Arizona Senate to represent District 23

The 2018 midterms took place on November 6. Daria Lohman did not win a state senate seat. 

Daria Lohman background

Daria Lohman grew up on a number of military bases around the country before serving 6 years in the Army. After her honorable discharge, she earned degrees in Math and Physics as a double major and became a cybersecurity engineer. In 2000, Lohman moved to Scottsdale, Arizona with her two daughters.

In addition to her past service, Lohman is very involved in the community. She’s participated in a range of local initiatives, including Scottsdale’s City Government 101 Academy, Citizens Police and Fire Academy, and the FBI Citizens Academy. Before running for the Arizona State Senate, Lohman was a member of the Scottsdale City Human Relations Commission.

On the decision to run for office, Lohman says it was a clear choice: “I served in Vietnam, I served six years in the army, I’ve lived all over this country and I’ve lived in other countries. I believe I have the background and understanding necessary to move this country forward. I can’t not run.”

Daria Lohman 2018 endorsements (ongoing list)

Arizona AFL-CIO X

Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona X

VoteVets X

Arizona Alliance for Retired Americans X

Teamsters Local 104 X

Sierra Club X

Humane Voters of Arizona X

Daria Lohman platform on state & local issues in Arizona

Education & #RedforED

Daria Lohman is a strong advocate of the #RedforED movement in Arizona. She supports the 20% pay raise for teachers signed into law by Gov. Doug Ducey earlier this year, but says it isn’t enough. She points to the fact that education spending in Arizona is still lower than pre-recession levels and many teachers are forced to take second jobs just to pay their bills. At the bare minimum, Lohman recommends that “pay for all employees in the education system should at least compare favorably with areas of the country with similar costs of living.”

Furthermore, Lohman believes that the state of Arizona should fund public education by raising “taxes on those who have benefited most from tax cuts and makes them pay their fair share.” She says that cutting taxes for corporations and the wealthy for the last three decades has not boosted the state’s economy. Instead, she says funding for Arizona schools and other critical services are severely inadequate across the state.

On the topic of Arizona Prop 305, or the Empowerment Scholarship Account, Lohman is firmly against expanding the program. While she believes the “program fills a need,” she is opposed to expanding it further as it diverts state funds from public schools and into private schools. 

Reproductive rights

On the topic of abortion, Daria Lohman says “Arizona is going in the wrong direction on the issue.” She supports a woman’s right to choose and urges the state to never return to the times of “clothes hanger abortions.” She believes there are effective ways of lowering abortion rates  “by reducing the factors that put women in the position of considering an abortion.” For instance, Lohman advocates a variety of prevention measures, from comprehensive sex education in high schools to more affordable birth control options made available in Arizona.

Immigration & DACA

Editor’s Note: I initially had trouble finding Lohman’s thoughts on U.S. immigration and DACA. So, I reached out to Daria Lohman via her Facebook campaign page to inquire about her political position. Some days later, she responded.

Lohman points to the situation unfolding in south Texas where many Latinos’ citizenship status has been called into question, despite their U.S. birth certificates. She says one of the problems with the immigration system as it stands is “that against U.S. law, the burden of proof has been shifted to the person.” In addition, Lohman says she “tends to agree with DACA,” but did not elaborate further.

Beyond issues at the border, she also mentioned Vietnamese refugees who are suddenly faced with possible deportations after legally living in the U.S. for decades. As a result of the confusion and fear these policies cause, Lohman calls for having “a serious discussion about sanely reforming our immigration policy.”  

Economy & jobs

Daria Lohman says she believes Arizona has the resources and potential to attract businesses from all over the country. She urges the state to invest in infrastructure and public education so that “businesses start looking at Arizona and they say ‘Yes! That’s where I want to go.’”

Furthermore, Lohman contends Arizona can tap into its unused potential in the energy sector. In particular, she points to solar power: “Arizona should be the research and development capital for solar energy in the world.”

Gun control

Daria Lohman is supportive of a wide range of gun control measures, including universal background checks on gun sales between private sellers and a ban on bump stocks. Moreover, she says she would vote in favor of legislation that raises the gun-buying age to 21 in Arizona.

In addition to gun laws, Lohman has ideas for working to prevent mass shootings in schools. For instance, she proposes measures that would verify enforcement of gun laws, because “too often, something that should have been done was not done.”  Lohman also recommends that Arizona schools staff more counselors to meet the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) ratio recommendation. Finally, she says every school should have a resource officer who works with the administration and responds to active shooter situations if they arise.  

LGBTQ rights

Daria Lohman is a champion for LGBTQ rights in Arizona. For example, she strongly opposes any law that would allow business owners to deny service to a person based on religious beliefs. Regarding the First Amendment of the Constitution, she says it “was never intended to allow individuals to enforce their religious views on others.” Lohman also supports a statewide ban on discrimination against LGBTQ people in public spaces and businesses.

Marijuana

Lohman says medical marijuana has proven to treat a range of medical conditions and should be made available to Arizonans. She believes “marijuana is no more a danger than alcohol,” and prohibition does not curb use, just as it failed to curb alcohol consumption in the 20th century. In addition, she argues opioid abuse in Arizona is far more dangerous than marijuana and the state’s resources should focus on this “serious mental and physical health issue.” 

Arizona voter information

2016 election results

In the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump won the state of Arizona by 4 points. Hillary Clinton won four counties (Pima, Coconino, Apache and Santa Cruz). In 2012, Mitt Romney carried Arizona by 9 points.

Where do I vote in Arizona

If it’s Election Day and you don’t know where to vote today use this tool to find your voting district based on home address. If this tool isn’t working, find your polling location for Arizona’s 23th District here.

What do I need to vote?

In order to vote in Arizona in 2018, here is a list of IDs and documents you must bring with you to prove citizenship status.

Para votar en Arizona, aquí está una lista de tarjetas de identificación y documentos que debe presentar para probar su ciudadanía.

More ways to support Daria Lohman

Visit Lohman’s official campaign site

Add your name to September phone bank sign-ups

Like her Facebook page @Daria4AZ

Follow Lohman’s campaign on Twitter @daria4azsenate

Examples of hashtags to use when talking about Daria Lohman

#LD23

#azpol

#BlueWave2018

#PinkWave

Shari Rose is a freelance writer based in Los Angeles. Follow her on Twitter @blurredbylines or like Blurred Bylines on Facebook. Women Running For Office Project posts ≠endorsements.

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