Meet the Candidates: Johnnie Robinson - Congressional District 4

Name: Johnnie Robinson

Age: 32

Office running for: House of Representatives – AZ Congressional District 4

Family: Married (Regina) and son

Party: Democrat

Education: Associates degree (business & political science)

Employment: Previously youth care worker at residential treatment facility in Phoenix

What in your past experiences helps qualify you for this seat? Previous intern with Congressman in Casa Grande, intern with Leadership Institute and consultant with Arizona-Mexico Border Initiative are all positions which have given me a chance to work with elected officials to advocate change and represent a body of people. In addition to the education received in political science, I have a desire to promote improvement and change, this combination of experience, education and desire work together to create a determined candidate.

If elected, what is the one issue on which you would focus to improve Yuma's quality of life? How? That would depend on the immediate needs of the people of Yuma. As of now, the feedback I have received revolves around the safety of the people of Yuma and the draining economy. After discussing the needs with the people, I would then move to action advocating changes on the issues addressed by the constituents.

What do you think is the biggest challenge right now facing Yumans, and how would you change it? The feedback I have received as to the challenges facing Yumans relate to the desire to have a secure place to live. I can only hope to work with fellow Arizona and Yuma government officials to develop a plan that can secure our borders and ensure the safety of our people.

What would you do to make government more accessible? I believe in a true open-door policy. One of the reasons I ran for office was directly related to conversations with fellow constituents on feeling “left in the dark” by the political process. Many people are charged with committing to legislation and amendments they know nothing about other than rumors and hearsay. The idea is to keep direct information flowing to the people without the witty political banter convoluting the message. Develop simple, easy-to-understand outreach that lets the people know what changes are being made that affect their daily lives.

Who is your personal hero, and why? My father. He has been a strong influence and political advocate for me. I have seen him work and struggle to raise a family, and I have also seen him fight for quality health care for himself and my mother. His determination to provide over the years has inspired me to not only be a great influence and provider for my son, but also to work to providing a better quality of life for those around me.