Even though Tiffany Shedd has never held political office, she doesn’t see that as a disadvantage, nor has it stopped her from running for Congress.
“Unlike career politicians, I do not just campaign as a conservative — I live it,” she said.
Shedd, a Republican from Eloy, is running for Congressional District 1, a seat currently held by Sedona Democrat Tom O’Halleran. She said the decision to run wasn’t an easy one but a necessary one.
“I have been very disappointed with the quality of representation that we’ve received in this district,” said Shedd, an attorney and farmer. “Quite simply, Washington, D.C. has stopped listening, and I didn’t see anyone stepping up to defend the West.
“I was determined to find the right candidate to support for Congress, until my husband told me that if I wasn’t such a coward, I’d do it myself. Well, that was all the motivation that I needed. I’m no coward; I’ve been fighting for the people of rural Arizona my whole life, and I sincerely believe that I am the best candidate to serve the Arizona’s 1st District in Congress.”
After the conversation with her husband, she spent a few weeks studying the race and deciding whether or not she believed she could win. The couple, along with their kids, discussed how a campaign could affect their family and ultimately decided that District 1 is “worth fighting for.”
“For too long, politicians from the East have come to Arizona and run for office for the mere purpose of progressing their own careers rather than the lives of the people that live here,” she said. “This trend needs to stop. I’m running for Congress because I want to bring real representation to rural Arizona.”
While she has never run for federal office before, Shedd said this is not her first encounter with the federal government. As a family farmer, she said she know firsthand the effects of government overreach and overregulation.
“Not only have I fought to protect rural Arizona’s water rights from environmental extremists and special interests, I have also helped protect many farms and businesses in Arizona by fighting a damaging property rights law,” she said.
As a 4-H certified youth pistol instructor and a National Rifle Associationcertified youth shotgun instructor, she’s also an avid proponent of the Second Amendment. She said she and her husband have devoted time and resources into teaching the next generation how to responsibly exercise their right by opening a youth shooting range on their family’s 1,200-acre farm.
“These are not issues that you can learn overnight. They take years of experience and knowledge, and I have put in the time to master them,” she said. “As a member of Congress, I will continue to work hard protecting the interests of rural Arizona as I have my entire life.”
Shedd said preserving the Constitution, including protecting Second Amendment rights, standing up for the hardworking people of rural Arizona and having the backs of those who “serve our great country” are the top three issues facing residents in Arizona’s Congressional District 1.
Shedd admitted she did not quite know what to expect when deciding to run a campaign, but said the experience has been truly life-changing.
“While I have always been blessed with the opportunity to travel across this amazing district and to get to know the people living in it, running for Congress has given me a different perspective,” she said. “There is no hiding that Arizona’s 1st Congressional District is rich in natural resources; however, I truly believe our best product is our people.
“The people of our district are truly unique and I look forward to representing them in Congress. They are crying out for a representative who understands our way of life and will defend the values that we hold dear.”
Ron Eland can be reached at 282-7795 ext. 122, or email reland@larsonnewspapers.com
