Diaz: The Latino war on social media you can't miss

Martin Quezada and Lydia Hernández, two prominent Arizona leaders, are waging a war on social media. But is anyone paying attention?

The two are in a fierce fight for an Arizona senate seat in the Aug. 30 primary,  and are going after each other’s character, credentials, and political and religious views.

Hernández accuses Quezada of lying, violating open meeting law and stalking her daughter on social media – among other things. In turn, Quezada says she’s the liar.

The duel has so many twists and turns that I promise you won’t be bored if you follow both on social media.

But while the feud is entertaining, this race is important for residents in Legislative District 29 that includes parts of west Phoenix, Glendale and Litchfield Park. It’s predominantly Democrat and Latino.

There is no question both care deeply about K-12 education. Hernández is a board member of the Cartwright School District while Quezada sits on the board of Pendegaster School District.

But that’s where their roads cross and end. Their views and approach to policy couldn’t be sharper.

Waging a war on social media

Quezada, who in the 2014 Democratic primary outraced her – a then fellow House member – by only 90 votes, has been a vocal critic of state anti-immigrant laws and efforts to undermine voting rights.

Hernández endorsed Republican Doug Ducey in his bid for governor and wants people to report anyone who violates HB 2023, which punishes with potential jail and a fine of up to $150,000 people who deliver an early ballot on behalf of someone other than a relative or a person in their care.

In a tweet, Hernández reminded people that it is a felony for “someone 2 steal or collect your vote” and she urged to report anyone to state officials.

That stunned some Latinos, such as playwright James Garcia, who characterized the law as designed “to criminalize efforts to register people of color."

“Wow. That’s stunning and truly disturbing,” Garcia responded on Quezada’s Facebook feed to Hernández tweet. “And she’s endorsing that?The backlash against this stance ought to be swift and powerful."

Hernández accused Quezada, a lawyer, of giving “bad legal advice” regarding HB 2023. “I don’t want anyone to get into bad trouble for collecting ballots,” she wrote.

Somos Independents supporting Hernández also went after Quezada, urging people to “vote out fraud & corruption.”

The group points out that Quezada is under investigation for violating open meeting law, presumably by disclosing information discussed behind closed doors at a school board meeting.

Quezada dismisses the claim as ridiculous and has said that  “it’s a very ugly form of politics… She should challenge me on the issues.”

Voters in southwest Phoenix should pay close attention to what these Democrats are saying, but most importantly they must judge each candidate on their record as well as their political stances.

Hernández is a pro-life Catholic who supported Ducey. Quezada is a Bernie Sander' supporter who has  extensive experience dealing with the GOP-controlled state Legislature. Residents should go deeper than merely glancing at the candidates' frequent fights. Quezada clearly has the edge, with solid support by many respected Latino leaders and pro-immigrant activists.

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