San Luis, Arizona.- The sports promoter, activist for the participation of Latinos in the community and staunch promoter of integrity in the elections Gary García Snyder seeks to be the next Senator for the 23rd District for the Republican Party, and proposes initiatives based on the needs of all people, not those who like him, he assured in an interview.
Originally from a migrant family, since his mother is from Sinaloa, Mexico and his father of German origin, from Washington, García Snyder presents himself as a true Latino, he does not exploit that word to attract the vote, but because having lived in Mexico and in the United States has allowed him to learn about various cultural, economic and social aspects in order to get to know this growing culture in this country.
Below is the interview.
Who is Gary Garcia Snyder?
I am an individual with roots from the United States and Mexico, my mother is from Los Mochis, Sinaloa; my dad is a first generation American from Germany born in America. I grew up with sports values, of working together as a team, they always guided me to help people and to work.
And as my father instilled in me: that if I want something in life I have to work for it, and not wait for someone to give me a gift or because you have a last name or because of an economic position.
I grew up and embarked on working and playing sports, thank God I was able to venture into professional baseball, I developed marketing businesses with magazines and several at the same time, without giving up, because due to inflation and the economy one cannot be with one Alone, you have to have several because if one doesn’t work, the other gets you ahead.
I have also promoted 125 professional players and brought them to Yuma, to Los Mochis, to San Luis, Somerton, which makes me proud because I show love to the Yuma County community.
Why are you currently running for Senate?
I am a candidate for Senate for District 23, before it was 4, but with the new numbers we are 23, and what motivates me to run this candidacy is that I know this whole area and its needs.
Tucson, because I lived there when I was little when my dad was in the veterans hospital, for his recovery.
I also know Phoenix, Goodyear, Buckeye, Gila Bend, Estrella Mountain, and in Yuma County I have lived in Yuma, Gadsden and San Luis, just missing Wellton, but in this process I have grown as a person.
I am a state vice president for the SMILE non-profit organization, which helps people with disabilities improve their self-esteem and reintegrate into society and the workforce and become independent.
Thank God I also belong to Fuerza Migrante, active in Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, not only in Arizona, and I am the only Republican in this group, because they know that I do a very good job of promoting Latinos in the United States, born in the country or migrants.
That helps me get to know the people of our towns because I have lived in Los Mochis, Sinaloa, some other candidates say they are Latino, but they have never lived in Mexico, nor what is the «polaca», everything that is the system I know it for the beautiful sport of baseball and for the family I have in Los Mochis (Sinaloa), Hermosillo (Sonora), Cancun (Quintana Roo) and that has given me a lot to know what our Latino community is like in the world.
I know the flaws that have not been fixed in these six to eight years, that is why we have to propose new people who know English and Spanish, some speak English, but do not understand Spanish, or vice versa, that is why they do not find out what people need.
Thank God I speak both languages perfectly, from time to time my writing is not 100 per cent because I’m a «pocho», but I’m happy for that, and you can’t expect other candidates who don’t understand people, who put different words in people’s minds.
You gained notoriety since at least two years ago you began making videos criticizing some Yuma County and San Luis, Arizona government officials, you were a candidate for various positions such as the Gadsden Elementary School District Board, after the Council of San Luis, now you are running for the Senate, ¿ why voters can take you seriously?
I wasn’t in politics, I didn’t know what to do, but as a resident who was interested in changing, I went ahead, but because I cared about my family and that’s what’s missing, in this world, in this city, people need to cheer up, don’t think that they will be intimidated if they run.
When I applied I knew that I was not going to win as a “write-in”, it is difficult, but I wanted to know how they treat new people and candidates who are already in those positions, I did it because there was a lack of change.
The second time I lost to the school board, but in three months I got a thousand votes, pretty good, and now to the Senate.
For the last few years I have made it my goal, sacrificing my family’s time and my money, going to Phoenix, to parts of Arizona so that people understand what is needed in our people in District 23, because many people don’t know anything, more that the bad
We are a people with a great desire to work and get ahead, but if they always stay the same, it will not be known.
In fact, with David Lara, a San Luis, Arizona resident, you both gathered material in the 2020 primary elections that served as evidence for the Arizona’s Attorney General to accuse two San Luis women, including former Mayor Guillermina Fuentes of electoral fraud, known as “ballot harvesting,” how do you think that can help you get voters to vote for you?
Look, what I am saying is that if you seek to have the same people and after the fraud that there has been, it is even more so if you see that there is information about these women that is true, well how sad that those who committed fraud are part of the school board That people realize that if they want to improve education, that if they want there to be no inflation, that food and gasoline costs go down, it all boils down to who they elect, I hope that this time people vote with conscience and not because it suits someone.
You were seen to be very active in campaigns to clean up the immigrant crossing, you even do school supplies drives, and how have these experiences helped you to know what needs this District has?
Yes, art and education are very important, but the resources were not in the GESD and in the city, which lately have taken forward needs, but because people had been demanding for years.
With my own resources I have undertaken, without asking anyone, to distribute school supplies, only Dole helped me because they know that it is important that students have support.
About the cleanup during my campaign I have spoken with producers about the crops, the lack of water, of labor, resources of the Colorado River and I realized that the migrants contaminated the fields, that they do not do it out of malice, but that affected the quality of food that will fall on our tables.
Now we are living in these times when there is a food shortage and that is food that can support the people who occupy and cannot because the border is open to illegal crossings.
A group that calls itself the Arizona Coalition has just started giving away food pizzas, but they don’t stay to clean, I have to come clean; If you are going to help them with food, make them aware not to throw garbage in the country that is going to help them.
What other needs do you think there are in this District?
Right now you know that the source of employment in Yuma is agriculture, and there is no more work when the bullfights end; higher level work is needed here, I mean technical jobs, we need to bring in big franchises, like Microsoft, because the truth is we have a lot of smart people, but nobody wants to come to Somerton, or to San Luis because the elected officials don’t know how to work with that business type.
Lately they brought a few, but after 4 years, but the question is, what did they offer them to invest here?
They lowered taxes, they gave them something; a business comes because it sees the need of 38,000 residents and their purchasing power, they don’t need to be given anything as long as they settle, that means they don’t know how to attract business.
That’s why thank God, I have experience of bringing large and international businesses, I’ve gone to India for baseball, I know too many people, I know the politics of Mexico and the United States.
Are you supporting other candidates from the other races, such as City of San Luis Council, Arizona Governor, etcetera?
Yes, for the Arizona Senator Jim Lamon, because he has rural origins, a veteran, he started his own business, he is a person who has earned money, but he is not a politician because he wants money, in fact he is supporting his campaign with his money, to owe no one any favors.
For Governor of Arizona I support Kari Lake, she was a Democrat, but she changed her point of view more oriented to Republican values, because the Democrats have lost themselves to the extreme left, as in health they are promoting not thanking the arrival of a baby, they support abortion; a baby is a blessing from God and for that reason she changed to republican.
For the House of Representatives I support Michelle Peña, a fourth generation from Yuma of immigrant families from Mexico and it is the first time she has run.
Locally in San Luis I support Nieves Riedel, for Mayor, because the truth is I am disappointed in the 10 years that the Mayor Gerardo Sanchez has been there, there is a lot lacking in infrastructure, cleanliness, and everything they are doing now is campaigning.
I was offended that the mayor of San Luis, Arizona announces projects like a new park, because he says they are City projects, but he never recognizes the residents there who pay their taxes, which, by the way, are the highest in the country.
For councilmen, I think Javier Vargas and Genaro Soto are good options, and the third is open.
Something you want to add.
That people be careful with those who register to vote, it happened to me and my wife, we registered so as not to have an early ballot, because we want to vote in person and it’s been 25 days since we haven’t received the registration, and I’m receiving many calls from other people, from other non-profit organizations and I ask them how they got my number and they tell me that group gave it to them.
I repeat, if you want a change, vote consciously, with your mind and heart, not because you like someone; Vote for someone who deep down is going to work on what others can’t do. I am that person, I am not perfect, but I have many people around me who are intelligent and those people are you, so on November 8, vote for me. Thank you for the opportunity!
To learn more about Garcia Snyder, please visit https://www.snyder4arizona.com/.
Photos credit: Gary Garcia Snyder 4 Arizona.