ARIZONA — The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee announced primary endorsements in early May, including Marlene Galán-Woods for the House of Representatives in Arizona's First Congressional District. This endorsement is part of the committee's "2026 Red to Blue" program, which involves active participation in primary elections.
Ms. Galán-Woods was registered as a Republican until 2018. She previously supported the political campaigns of former Sen. John McCain and former Sen. Mitt Romney. In 2016, she donated $1,000 to a campaign associated with Mr. McCain.
Ms. Galán-Woods also supported Mr. Romney's 2012 presidential campaign. She later stated that she regrets supporting Mr. Romney. She contributed $140 to Jan Brewer's 2009 Arizona gubernatorial campaign, and her husband served as co-chair of Ms. Brewer's 2010 gubernatorial campaign. Ms. Brewer signed Arizona state immigration enforcement bill SB 1070 during her term, which included a provision allowing law enforcement to check the immigration status of individuals suspected of being in the country without documentation. Mr. Romney utilized SB 1070 as a model for his 2012 presidential immigration platform.
Reflecting on her political evolution, Ms. Galán-Woods said, "I have always been pro-choice, pro-democracy, pro-climate. My values have never changed. What changed was the Republican Party."
In Arizona's First Congressional District, Republican Rep. David Schweikert currently holds the seat. A February poll in the district indicated that Amish Shah led Ms. Galán-Woods. The primary election for the district is scheduled for July 21.
In 2018, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee endorsed 30 non-incumbent primary candidates, with 28 of them winning their primaries. Forty-three percent of the 88 candidates endorsed by the committee in 2018 won their general elections, and 18 of the 30 candidates who received the committee's primary endorsements that year won their general elections.