About this week’s episode: A true hustler makes change by choosing the right time to take action. Knowing when to listen versus speak, or when to step back versus act, can make all the difference. Daniel Hernandez Jr. shares his inspiring story of how his past and present came together during the 2011 Tucson shooting, in a way that would ultimately illuminate his future as an elected official and how he is inspiring other underrepresented candidates to run for office.
About our guest: Daniel Hernandez Jr., is a native Arizonan, lifelong Democrat, and Member of the Arizona State Legislature representing South Tucson, Sahuarita, Green Valley and Santa Cruz County. He currently serves on the Judiciary and Federalism Committees and is the Co-Founder of the LGBT Caucus.
In his first term, Hernandez has received praise for his work to find bipartisan solutions; from introducing a bipartisan resolution in recognition of Israel’s Independence Day, to his first bill to exempting diapers, baby formula, and feminine hygiene products from sales taxes, which was passed in committee with wide bipartisan support, he has worked hard to achieve meaningful impact. In the Judiciary and Public Safety committee, Hernandez has been a vocal supporter of reproductive rights and gun violence prevention. Additionally, he fought against legislation that would have made it more difficult for victims of sexual assault to pursue justice.
Dedicated to working on innovative solutions to address Arizona’s economy, Hernandez helped pass legislation to protect small business from frivolous lawsuits. He has also brought his years of experience in education to help advocate for issues around K-12 education.
In 2011, while working in the office of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, Hernandez took actions on January 8th with which he is credited with saving her life. That day and the aftermath drove him to advocate for Gun Violence Prevention at the state and national level, which he does to this day.
Prior to serving in the legislature, Hernandez was elected to the Sunnyside Unified School District Governing board in November 2011. While serving as president of the board, he was successful in creating a 5-year strategic plan, opening a K-8 fine arts magnet school, vetting and hiring a new superintendent, as well as passing a comprehensive sex education curriculum.
Hernandez is running for re-election in 2018 to the state house. He will continue to fight for education funding, protections for marginalized communities, access to quality and affordable healthcare and an economy that works for all Arizonans.
- Twitter: @djblp
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/daniel.hernandez.az
Resources mentioned in this episode:
- Self-care
- Reading for fun
- Nicki Minaj Boss Up/ Pickle Juice clip
Listen to Daniel’s episode here or on your favorite podcast app.
Hustle Over Entitlement™ 