David Garcia, the unsuccessful Democratic nominee for Superintendent of Public Instruction, announced his decision to run for Governor of Arizona at a press conference on Wednesday evening.


The announcement took place at the Arizona State Capitol building with more than a hundred supporters in attendance, as well as several state legislators. Garcia was introduced by Beth Simek of the Arizona Parent Teacher Association.


Garcia lost the 2014 election for Superintendent of Public Instruction by a narrow margin to Republican nominee Diane Douglas, and had originally intended to stage a rematch by running for Superintendent again in 2018.


However, Garcia stated at his announcement that he was compelled to challenge incumbent Governor Doug Ducey due to his stated stances and signed pieces of legislation that he believes are hurting public education and schools in the state of Arizona.


Steve Farley, a Democratic State Senator from Tucson, will likely join the race in the coming weeks creating what is likely to be a competitive primary in order to take on Ducey.

You can find photos from the event here: https://flic.kr/s/aHskXEjNL1