Garcia must be bold vs. Ducey

David Garcia has guts to take on a popular and well-financed governor. Garcia must have pondered the steep uphill battle he’s facing against Gov. Doug Ducey, a favorite Republican in a Republican state. So, why bother? Because someone must. And before the pessimism over sweep us, let’s consider what Garcia, a Democrat, needs to do to mount a robust campaign and have a fighting chance.

Garcia, an Arizona State University associate professor, was widely expected to challenge Superintendent of Public Instruction Diane Douglas in a Round 2. He lost a close election to Douglas in 2014.

But he had a change of heart, following Ducey’s eagerness to back, then sign, a voucher bill that expands a program allowing parents to spend public money on private education. He formally declared his candidacy Wednesday.

Garcia apparently felt that as the state schools chief, he would be enabling the dismantling of traditional public education. As governor, though, he could change the trajectory of privatization that comes at taxpayers’ expense.

It was the straw the broke the camel’s back, those close to Garcia tell me.

I get that. Garcia certainly could capitalize on the public’s anger over Republicans’ penchant to insult teachers with meager salary raises and to throw crumbs at a crumpling K-12 system.

But that’s not enough. Garcia needs to be a multifaceted candidate to appeal to a wider spectrum of the electorate.

Garcia should focus on these three issues.

Ducey has had a heck of a time managing his appointees, who oversee state agencies.

The most recent to get into trouble, the fifth appointee of Ducey’s, was Jeff Fleetham, the head of the Registrar of Contractors. The Attorney General’s Office recently asked its counterpart at Maricopa County for a criminal investigation, although it didn’t disclose specifics about Fleetham or his department.

The other Ducey state directors to get in trouble are in parks, lottery, juvenile corrections and the Department of Economic Security.

The governor clearly has a problem picking his top aides. Garcia should articulate how he would bring stability and proficiency to state agencies.

We don’t know whether Garcia will run on the taxpayers’ dime, through the Clean Elections system that gives candidates cash but also prohibits private donations. Ducey’s well-financed re-election campaign, on the other hand, would be overflowing with “dark money” — contributions from donors who aren’t required to disclose their identity.

This will be tricky for Garcia to maneuver. As a “clean candidate,” he would have to launch an all-out attack on dark money without hurting his chances of himself getting a boost from national groups that may want to see Ducey out.

Any financial infusion to boost Garcia’s bid would have to be independent of his campaign to avoid violating clean elections rules, so he’ll walk a fine line. He must seriously consider a traditional finance campaign because he will need an outside push to avoid being outspent by Ducey.

Finally, Garcia will have to embrace immigration.

Ducey has tried to have it both ways when it comes to immigration. The governor does a good job promoting trade with Mexico, but his consistent support for President Donald Trump displays a disregard toward immigrants.

Ducey has somehow avoided being swept up by the national debate over illegal immigration and building a wall with Mexico. Garcia must force Ducey to take a stance.

Ducey’s support for a wall and increased border security would re-energize the hardcore Trump supporters. But that also would re-energize everyone else who is fed up with the federal government’s attacks on education, immigration, the environment and trade.

It may be easy to underestimate Garcia at this juncture. Let’s not kid ourselves. It would be a miracle for Garcia to snatch the governorship from Ducey. But who thought Trump would be president?

It takes a person crazy enough or audacious enough to face a giant like Ducey, but that’s how revolutionary movements are born. And if 2016 thought us anything, it’s that voters are bold and unpredictable enough to make unexpected decisions.

Elvia Díaz is an editorial columnist for The Republic and azcentral. Reach her at 602-444-8606 or elvia.diaz@arizona republic.com. On Twitter, @elviadiaz1.