A few dozen people sat in the American Legion hall in Camp Verde on Friday, May 11. The walls were covered in memorabilia from American wars, such as uniforms from World War I, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and a wall-sized display for World War II.
Wendy Rogers strode into this room full of history. Rogers, a former Air Force pilot and lieutenant colonel, is a Republican candidate running for Congress for Congressional District 1.
In a site full of military memorabilia, Rogers highlighted her own military service — from 1976 when she was first commissioned as a social worker in the Air Force’s mental health clinic, to her retirement in 1996 after having become one of the first female pilots.
During the presentation, Rogers showed off a model of a C-141B “Starlifter” aircraft, which was one of the planes she’d flown. She lamented that only 18 percent of those serving in the U.S. House of Representatives are veterans, which she said contributes to problems with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and what she sees as inadequate military funding.
“When I get to Congress, I feel like I’ll be putting my uniform back on,” Rogers said.
Rogers still has a long way to go before she potentially gets to Congress. She hopes to challenge a sitting Democratic incumbent, Rep. Tom O’Halleran, in a district that has been consistently held by Democrats since it was last redistricted in 2012.
In a year of Democrats polling well ahead of Republicans, and overperforming in special elections, Rogers aims to do the opposite and flip a blue seat red.
Before she can get to that point, she has to get through a primary against two other Republicans — Arizona Sen. Steve Smith [District 11] and Tiffany Shedd.
Shedd is an attorney who has held numerous positions in Pinal County.
Despite the competition, Rogers was upbeat about her chances and spoke with confidence in regard to beating her two Republican opponents and in the hope that the GOP will be able to take the seat from O’Halleran.
After the visit to Camp Verde, Rogers spent the day knocking on doors throughout the district. She said the people she met were more supportive of Republicans than she expected.
“Ninty-eight percent of the people I talked to today when I asked them, ‘Do you support the president?’ they said, ‘Absolutely,’” Rogers said. “I was even surprised.”
Rogers hewed close to President Donald Trump’s agenda in her visit to the American Legion, casting herself as the conservative in the race. She outlined a list of five priorities if she were to make it to Congress:“Build the wall, end sanctuary cities, cut spending, defund Planned Parenthood, protect the Second Amendment,” she said.
Rogers also said she planned to join the ultraconservative House Freedom Caucus, if elected, and she touted a friendship with Rep. Mark Meadows [R-N.C.], the group’s leader.
During her talk, Rogers found a receptive audience member in the American Legion hall.
“I’m fed up with how Republicans are going, kowtowing to Democrats,” said one audience member. “What are you going to do to keep from getting dragged into the swamp?”
Rogers responded, “I’m an unflinching conservative. I don’t owe anyone anything.”
Rogers proved her conservative bona fides in a Q&A during the event. She held herself close to President Donald Trump’s agenda.
Rogers expressed support for Trump’s ban on immigration from several Muslim-majority countries, still being fought over in the courts, and opposition for a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children. She said that if she were in Congress, she would have voted against the $1.3 trillion Omnibus Bill passed in March, which kept federal spending levels close to where they were in the late years of former President Barack Obama’s administration.
Rogers had emphatic words to say about abortion, describing herself as extremely pro-life. When discussing abortion, Rogers quickly transitioned into discussing her experience of visiting concentration camps in Europe.
“When a country treats life as expendable, the experiments that [Nazi physician and SS officer Josef Mengele] did at Auschwitz where life is treated so cavalierly, it is chilling to see a country devolve to that. I see a parallel in the devolution of our country by allowing abortion,” Rogers said. “… I think it’s morally reprehensible, period, to kill a child in the womb.”
Rogers’ staunch conservatism brought her some praise from audience members, like Dugald Tryon, a Camp Verde resident who said abortion is one of the most important issues to him.
“She’s very energetic,” Tryon said. “I think she’s taking the right steps.”
Cottonwood resident Richard Sperry expressed a similar sentiment.
“In all the years my wife and I have been doing this, she’s among the very best,” Sperry said. “America’s at a tipping point. If we don’t bring it back to its roots real quick, we’re going to be lost.”
Jon Hecht can be reached at 634-8551, or email jhecht@larsonnewspapers.com
