Jo Holt

Democrat
Candidate for Arizona Senate in Legislative District 11
Phone: (520) 395-0204
Email: info@Holt4Senate.com
Website: www.Holt4Senate.com
13436 N Atalaya Way, Oro Valley, AZ 85755.
(Mail: PO Box 68554, Oro Valley, AZ 85737)
Age: 59. (10/03/52, Houston, TX).

Arizona since: 2007.

Occupation: Retired; research scientist in biochemistry and molecular biophysics for several decades; worked in several academic institutions, including the UofA and Washington Univ School of Medicine in St. Louis.

Marital: Widowed.

Children: 1.

Religious preference: No preference.

Education: Pd.D., biochemistry, Colorado State Univ., 1982; B.A., chemistry, Texas A&M Univ., 1975.

Political experience: This is my first time running for a political office.

Memberships: American Chemical Society, American Assn for the Advancement of Science, Sigma Xi, Biophysical Society, New York Academy of Sciences.

Interests: Reading and hiking.

Political influence: Although I do not know her personally, I have great admiration for Gabrielle Giffords. She has always conducted herself as a public servant and stateswoman, and she maintained an open and welcoming relationship with all of her constituency. She showed that it can be done, with class.

Job creation measures: Since a quality public education system is key to job creation in Arizona, the dramatic cuts to education in our state must end. Arizona’s top priority should be the re-investment in our public schools. It is the responsibility of our state leaders to maintain our roads and to encourage the development of renewable energy sources. Businesses are constantly adapting and changing, and Arizona must have a well-functioning, modernized infrastructure to support business innovation.

Top Issues: Funding for public education. Funding for transportation and investment in renewable energy.

Prop 100 sales tax extension: I support the Quality Education and Jobs initiative, which would extend the sales tax, but prevent the Legislature from making more cuts to public education. It is my hope that Arizona will eventually be able to decrease its dependence on sales tax revenue, and that regressive sales taxes will be lowered.

Illegal immigration: Arizona could, and should, be a strong, well-reasoned voice for comprehensive immigration reform, leading the effort to convince Congress and the American people to take long overdue action on what is a critical federal responsibility.

Background & experience: As a research scientist, I enjoyed working on difficult problems, including listening to those whose opinions differed from mine. Sometimes I was right, sometimes I was not. The focus should always be on solving the problem. It is disappointing and dysfunctional that so many in our Arizona Legislature listen to so few of their fellow Arizonans.

Pro-life / pro-choice: I believe that the termination of a pregnancy is the private, personal business of the pregnant woman and not the business of a government who has many, many other problems on its hands.

One last thing: I am not beholden to any political action committee or any special interest group or ideology. I believe that our elected officials must be held to the highest of standards in order to return the trust of the people they represent.

Campaign finance: public.