Rebecca Wininger

Running for Encanto Justice of the Peace

Arizona primaries take place on August 28, 2018. Early voting in Arizona begins August 1st and ends August 24. Unsure how or where to vote in your district? Scroll to the bottom of this page for voter information about Rebecca Wininger and where to vote in Encanto, Phoenix.

Rebecca Wininger background

  Rebecca Wininger was born in Phoenix, Arizona. She graduated from Arizona Lutheran Academy and received her Bachelor’s in the social sciences of Economics, Psychology and Sociology from the University of Denver in Colorado. Rebecca Wininger earned her Master’s degree in Computer Information Systems. Afterward, she worked for companies like Amazon and Safeway as an IT infrastructure specialist before switching to consulting. In addition to her community work, she helps businesses and nonprofits incorporate information technology into their organizations. She lives in the North Encanto neighborhood with her wife and three dogs. 

Wininger currently serves on the Encanto Village Planning Committee and is president of the North Encanto Neighborhood Association. In the past, Wininger served as Equality Arizona’s president. Wininger points to her record of supporting Phoenicians, “Whether it’s additional school funding, improving our neighborhoods, or spearheading the legal challenge that brought marriage equality to Arizona.”

Campaign for Encanto Justice of the Peace

Wininger is running a grassroots campaign, canvassing in Phoenix neighborhoods to get the word out about her candidacy. She says direct action, such as “getting involved in a local effort and being part of those discussions” is the best way to effect change. For example, Wininger makes the case that individuals in communities can fix things faster than “waiting for somebody to pass something in Congress.”

On the topic of fair representation, Wininger makes a point to ensure everyone has their day in court. She says, “As your justice, I will safeguard our community’s dignity and humanity by ensuring that every individual who appears in the courtroom is heard and treated with respect and compassion.”

Below is a Facebook video of Rebecca Wininger explaining why she decided to run for Encanto Justice of the Peace:

Rebecca Wininger 2018 endorsements (ongoing list)

U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Arizona

Abraham James, president of Green Gables Neighborhood Association

Former President Arizona Board of Regents Chris Herstam

Former Osborn School District Superintendent Patty Tate

Rebecca Wininger judicial platform

Domestic Violence

Wininger points to the domestic violence loopholes in Arizona that allow alleged abusers to hold onto their guns. She says that when a judge grants an order of protection to a victim of domestic violence,  they can’t automatically confiscate the accused’s firearms. They can only do so if the alleged attacker elects to give up their guns. Wininger puts it this way: “In other words, we order the alleged abuse to voluntarily turn the weapons in to the local police station. As we can see by recent events and past stories, this does not work.”

Moreover, she says she will work to change the law because “victims of domestic violence deserve greater protections once they make that courageous decision to separate from their abuser.”

RELATED: ASU Professor Heather Ross running for Congress to represent Arizona District 6

LGBTQ rights

Wininger has a long history of supporting LGBTQ rights in Arizona. In the aftermath of the Orlando nightclub shooting where a shooter killed 49 people and injured 53, she said “Today is a day of anger and outrage. We’re used to our community being subjected to violence and even murder but nothing on this type of a mass event, and we wonder when it’s going to stop.”

The majority of victims in the Pulse shooting were gay Latinos in their 20s. The shooter’s father, Mir Seddique Mateen, said his son became “angry when he saw two men kissing” some months prior to the shooting. Wininger also talked about the psychological effect of knowing that “society doesn’t want you to be who you are” on young people who may be struggling with their identities. She said, “We struggle so much of the time with our children and teenagers committing suicide because they just don’t see a way forward.”

However, Wininger also celebrates the successes that the LGBTQ community has reached in some parts of Arizona. When Tempe City Council unanimously passed an anti-discrimination ordinance for LGBTQ people, Rebecca Wininger was president of Equality Arizona. She applauded city council members in 2014 for making sure “Tempe embraces diversity and embraces protection for all of their citizens. They’re really stepping it forward to make it a progressive city people want to relocate to.”

Arizona voter information

Arizona early voting

Early voting opens on August 1st and ends on August 24. In order to vote, you’ll need to bring a valid Arizona driver’s license. If you don’t have one, you can bring a mix of IDs and documents to prove who you are. Here’s a list from the Secretary of State of what to bring when voting in Arizona.

Unsure where to vote in Central Phoenix? If you don’t know which Arizona district you belong to, use this tool from the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission to find your voting district.

Wondering how to register to vote in Arizona? You can update your voter information here. Also, find out if you’re already a registered voter here.

Cómo registrarse para votar o actualice su información electoral actual en español.

Examples of hashtags to use when talking about Rebecca Wininger

#RebeccasRecord

#Encanto

#Phoenix

#azpol

Featured image taken from Wininger’s Facebook page here.

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.