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Felicia French
Felicia French (Democratic Party) (also known as Cia) ran for election to the Arizona State Senate to represent District 6. She lost in the general election on November 3, 2020.
French completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Felicia French served in the U.S. Army from 1977 to 2010 and reached the rank of Senior Medical Advisor. She earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Arizona State University in 1983 and 2015, respectively. French also earned a master’s degree from the University of Southern California in 1990.
French’s career experience includes working as a registered nurse. She has served on Army humanitarian missions in Honduras as a nurse and in the Dominican Republic as a medical commander. As a volunteer, French has contributed to relief efforts on the Navajo Nation during the coronavirus pandemic and after Hurricane Dorian.[1]
Elections
2020
See also: Arizona State Senate elections, 2020
General election
General election for Arizona State Senate District 6
Wendy Rogers defeated Felicia French in the general election for Arizona State Senate District 6 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Wendy Rogers (R)  | 54.7 | 67,379 |
 | Felicia French (D) | 45.3 | 55,833 | |
| Total votes: 123,212 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Arizona State Senate District 6
Felicia French advanced from the Democratic primary for Arizona State Senate District 6 on August 4, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Felicia French | 100.0 | 24,441 |
| Total votes: 24,441 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Arizona State Senate District 6
Wendy Rogers defeated incumbent Sylvia Allen in the Republican primary for Arizona State Senate District 6 on August 4, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Wendy Rogers | 59.2 | 19,363 |
 | Sylvia Allen | 40.8 | 13,349 | |
| Total votes: 32,712 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Bob Thorpe (R)
Campaign finance
2018
General election
General election for Arizona House of Representatives District 6 (2 seats)
Walter Blackman and incumbent Bob Thorpe defeated Felicia French and Bobby Tyler in the general election for Arizona House of Representatives District 6 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Walter Blackman (R) | 26.5 | 45,210 |
| ✔ |  | Bob Thorpe (R) | 25.9 | 44,314 |
| Felicia French (D) | 25.6 | 43,737 | |
| Bobby Tyler (D) | 22.0 | 37,656 | ||
| Total votes: 170,917 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Arizona House of Representatives District 6 (2 seats)
Felicia French and Bobby Tyler advanced from the Democratic primary for Arizona House of Representatives District 6 on August 28, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Felicia French | 59.1 | 16,431 |
| ✔ | Bobby Tyler | 40.9 | 11,348 | |
| Total votes: 27,779 (100.00% precincts reporting) | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Arizona House of Representatives District 6 (2 seats)
Incumbent Bob Thorpe and Walter Blackman defeated Stuart McDaniel in the Republican primary for Arizona House of Representatives District 6 on August 28, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Bob Thorpe | 41.1 | 16,512 |
| ✔ | | Walter Blackman | 37.4 | 15,059 |
 | Stuart McDaniel | 21.5 | 8,640 | |
| Total votes: 40,211 (100.00% precincts reporting) | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Campaign themes
2020
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Felicia French completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by French's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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As a nurse, educator, 32-year Army and Arizona National Guard veteran, co-founder of a small sustainable solutions consulting business, and a proud mom, I am running for state Senate to make sure every child can go to a good school, no matter where they live, to expand access to quality, affordable healthcare for our rural communities, and to hold our state government more accountable to northern Arizona.
I have also continued my career of public service as a volunteer with my Pine Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), the Tonto Basin Search and Rescue, a hospice nurse and home health provider in Payson, Pine and Strawberry, and most recently as a nurse in Tuba City on the Navajo Nation, supporting their COVID-19 efforts.
Finally, I'm also an avid outdoor enthusiast, and in 2019 I thru-hiked the 800-mile Arizona Trail from the border of Mexico to our state line with Utah.- Education that puts Arizona's children first
- Healthcare that's accessible and affordable
- A state government that's accountable to Arizona taxpayers
Finally, as a career servicewoman, I will always fight to protect our veterans and their families who have sacrificed so much for our communities and way of life.
I believe the leadership and negotiation skills that I developed while working my way up the ranks from Private to Colonel, will translate well to the duties of a state Senator.
Another book, which has been equally impactful for me, is Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin. This Abraham Lincoln biography explores how one of our most celebrated presidents tapped into the knowledge and strengths of his former opponents to successfully govern. It demonstrates how a great leader can put aside their personal differences (and grievances) to work towards the common good of the people.
As a 19-year resident of Pine, I've experienced countless outages, not only with our outdated and insufficient broadband and cellular service, but also our power grid in northern Arizona. Our rural communities lack the reliable infrastructure needed to address the critical education, healthcare, economic, and public safety needs of our 36 towns and cities. It's long past the time that we have robust and reliable broadband and cellular service networks in northern Arizona.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
2018
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Felicia French completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by French's responses.
What would be your top three priorities, if elected?
Sustainable funding for public education, accessible and affordable healthcare for all Arizonans, and sustainable economic growth.
What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?
I am extremely passionate about ameliorating Climate Change through policy. We need to make sure that all of our economic policies and infrastructure meet the needs of today, while protecting our children's resources for the future. We are already seeing the effects of climate change globally, and in Arizona, a state with chronic drought and water shortages, we need to transition from less water intense forms of energy, so that we can ensure that we have enough drinking and agriculture water for the future. Therefore, I would like to create government incentives to bring steady, quality jobs in the rapidly growing renewable energy sector to Arizona. Arizona is one of the sunniest states in the nation, ranking 2nd in solar energy potential. So we should be leading the way in solar energy production and jobs. It's a win-win solution for quality job creation, and a cost-effective and sustainable way to combat water and air pollution, and water shortages. We could start with requiring all government buildings and government parking lots to have solar panels to help reduce electric bills and bring the cost of solar down through economy of scale.
What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?
I am a compassionate and dedicated leader who has proven throughout my 32 years in the military that I can collaborate to build consensus and get positive results. I always look for win-win solutions, and I am an analytical thinker who is devoted to looking out for the greater good.
What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?
Elected officials should always look out for the best interest of all their constituents, and not just those who voted for them, or dark money and special interest groups that funded their campaigns.
What legacy would you like to leave?
When it's all said and done, I want to make the world a better place for everyone.
What is something that has been a struggle in your life?
Balancing my military career while raising my daughter as a single mother, and taking care of my mother.
Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?
I don't believe it's necessary for elected officials to have previous experience as politicians, however, I do think that leadership experience is an important prerequisite. I worked my way up from Private to Colonel in the Army, wile working as a nurse, a MedEvac helicopter pilot, and senior medical advisor. During that time I learned to be a follower, an intermediate leader, and a commander for over 7 years.
Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.
Yes, and that is something I already started working on so that I can hit the ground running from day one when I get into office.
If you are not a current legislator, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?
I have qualifications in and would like to be on the following committees: Education, healthcare, environment, and veteran's issues.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
See also
2020 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on August 17, 2020
