Arizona Americans Elect Party Scores in 2014 Primary; J.L Mealer to be Party's Nominee for Governor; Rebecca DeWitt and Stephen Dolgos for Congress; Kelly Gneitling for State Senate; Suzie Easter for State House of Representatives

PHOENIX, Sept. 8 -- According to the official August 26 primary results released today, the dynamic and growing Arizona Americans Elect Party had 1,474 voters in the primary; the Libertarians had 6,134 voters. There are 26,915 registered Libertarians and only 399 registered Americans Elect voters so that was a spectacular showing for our party.

J.L. Mealer will be the Americans Elect nominee for Governor, winning the primary over write-in candidate Janelle Wood 722-38. Barry Hess will again be the Libertarian gubernatorial nominee.

There will, as in 2012, be two Americans Elect candidates for Congress, both winning with write-in votes: Rebecca DeWitt, who was previously a Green Party nominee, won the Americans Elect nomination in the 7th C.D. with 4 write-in votes; and Stephen Dolgos, the party’s 2012 nominee in the 8th C.D., won the nomination again with 2 write-in votes. (A “plurality” of the votes is needed to achieve nomination.)

Joe Cobb will be the 7th C.D. Libertarian nominee for at least the third time; he and DeWitt will be competing for second place against Democratic nominee Ruben Gallego since there is no Republican candidate in the district.

In the 8th C.D., Americans Elect candidate Dolgos is assured of running second to Republican Rep. Trent Franks since they are the only two candidates.Many Democrats may end up voting for Dolgos, who could achieve a substantial percentage of the vote, much more than he did in a multicandidate race in 2012.

Two Americans Elect candidates will be on the ballot for the Arizona State Legislature: Kelly Gneitling for State Senator in District 7 (won the primary with 7 write-in votes), where there’s no Republican candidate; and Suzie Easter for State Representative in District 22 (won with 4 write-in votes), where she’ll face 2 Democrats and 2 Republicans, one of whom each is an incumbent.

(Arizona legislative districts have one State Senator and two State Representatives, so the two running with the highest number of votes in each district are elected.)

There are several Libertarian candidates for the legislature, but apart from the Governor’s race, none of the other seven state offices have any minor party candidates. The Green Party is no longer an official party in Arizona.

Leadership of Arizona Americans Elect Party Resigns En Masse, Disbands Party, and Leaves for Real World

PARADISE VALLEY, Ariz., Aug. 28 - The leadership of the Arizona Americans Elect Party today voted to disband the party, resign en masse, and leave the state to take up residence in the real world. 

"We have decided to bow to reality and get the hell out of this shithole," said former party leader Trey Young. "But as we all leave for the real world, we are leaving the party in the capable hands of Americans Elect of Arizona, and the party's 2014 candidate for governor, J.L. Mealer." 

"All of us wish Americans Elect of Arizona the best of luck," said Buffy Lehman Auchincloss, ex-first vice-chair of the defunct organization, as she boarded her private jet for her estate in Palm Beach, Florida, giving other former members of the party leadership lifts to their new homes in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Austin, Boston, Miami, Paris and Dubai. 

"Don't cry for us, Arizona!" said Dr. Irina Tereshkova, former treasurer of the party as she left carrying a bag filled with the party's financial records and assets. "Because we won't miss you at all!"

 

Michael Bloomberg Named Honorary National Interim Chairman of Arizona Americans Elect Party at National Convention of State Americans Elect Parties in New York

NEW YORK, June 2 --

Following his thoughtful and passionate keynote address to the first-ever national Convention of State Americans Elect Parties, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg agreed to accept the position of Honorary National Interim Chairman of the Arizona Americans Elect Party, state party leaders today announced.

"We're absolutely delighted that Mayor Bloomberg has decided to support the Arizona Americans Elect Party in this fashion," said the party's first vice-chairwoman, Buffy Lehman Auchincloss.  "Michael has a big following among Arizona voters, and indeed, among people of good will throughout the United States, and we are privileged to have prevailed upon him to join our efforts to provide an electoral alternative in Arizona."

Speaking to the gathering of representatives from the dozen states, including Arizona, in which the Americans Elect Party will be on the ballot again in 2014, Mr. Bloomberg said, "The last time I checked, the Constitution said nothing about there being only two political parties; in fact, it doesn't have any mention of political parties in it whatsoever."

"It stands to reason," Mr. Bloomberg told the convention delegates, "that in a three-way or four-way election, the public has more choice than if it's a two-way race, just as it has more choice in a two-way race than a one-way race."

"Michael Bloomberg's positions on gun control, immigration, marriage equality, reproductive rights, climate change and other issues are in perfect sync with the positions held by most of us in Arizona's fastest-growing political party," said Arizona Americans Elect Party leader Trey Young.  "Plus it never hurts, in politics as in life, to have friends with money."

"Mayor Bloomberg has courageously criticized our backward state laws on gun violence and immigration," said the state party treasurer, Dr. Irina Tereshkova.  "We are hoping that our new Honorary National Interim Chairman will help us select and support Arizona Americans Elect Party candidates in next year's state and federal elections so we can make Arizona more like New York City."

Arizona Americans Elect Party Leaders Travel to New York for Convention of State Americans Elect Parties

NEW YORK, May 31 --

The leaders of the Arizona Americans Elect Party, the state's fastest-growing ballot-qualified party, today traveled to New York City for the first Convention of State Americans Elect Parties, meeting their counterparts in the eleven other states where the Americans Elect Party will be on the ballot in 2014: California, Colorado, Florida, Kansas, Maryland, Mississippi, New Mexico, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, and Wisconsin.

Speakers at the gathering will include Peter Ackerman, chairman of the Americans Elect Corporation, a nonprofit corporate entity, and chairman of Rockport Capital Inc.; outgoing New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, an independent; the best-selling authors and activists Sister Souljah and Tao Lin; and officials and directors of the D.C.-based Americans Elect Corporation, including Kahlil Byrd, Chief Executive Officer; Elliot L. Ackerman, Chief Operating Officer; Joshua S. Levine, Chief Technology Officer; and Sarah Malm, Chief Communications Officer.

Issues to be discussed are the relationships between the state Americans Elect political parties, such as the one in Arizona, which ran two candidates for Congress in 2012 and which is running candidates for other federal and state political offices in 2014, and the national Americans Elect Corporation; state and national leadership of any coalition of state Americans Elect political parties; and federal and state campaign rules and funding.

The Arizona Americans Elect Party delegation consists of party leader Trey Young; treasurer Irina Tereshkova; first vice-chairwoman Buffy Lehman Auchincloss; artistic director Richard Grayson; Maricopa County co-chair Jaden Parascandola; and Pima County co-chair Elana de Carvajal.

"We're quite excited to meet people from the national Americans Elect movement and those in other states like California and New Mexico where individuals and groups also hope to be running Americans Elect candidates for public office next year," said Dr. Tereshkova.

The Convention of State Americans Elect Parties takes place today, May 31, and this weekend, June 1 and 2, at the Hotel Gansevoort in Manhattan's Meatpacking District.

Hip-Hop Producer & Venture Capitalist Flash Amarasiriwardena and Conceptual Art History Scholar & Gallery Owner Remedios Gomez Named New Cochise County Co-Chairs of Arizona Americans Elect Party; Vow to Support Radical Transformation of State's Educational Priorities

BISBEE, Ariz., May 20 -

Trey Young, leader of Arizona's fastest-growing political party, the Americans Elect Party, today came to the steps of the elegant Cochise County Courthouse for a press conference at which he introduced the party's new county co-chairs, Remedios Gomez, a scholar of conceptual art and owner of a Bisbee art gallery, and Flash Amarasiriwardena of Bisbee and Austin, Texas, a hip-hop producer and principal of the venture capital firm Sandhill 128 Associates.  

The new county leaders pledged to make their focus the Arizona Americans Elect Party's goals of reforming what Ms. Gomez called "some of the nation's shittiest and most underfunded schools" and increasing what Mr. Amarasiriwardena termed "Arizona's abysmally low educational attainment rate."

Ms. Gomez is the owner of Arthropologie, an art gallery on Main Street featuring the work of local artists and nationally-known established artists such as Helen Berggruen, Joe Zucker, Johannes Atli Hinriksson, Yuko Shimizu, and Sadie Benning.  She has a Ph.D. in Art History from Princeton University and was chair of the Art Department at Wellesley College.  Ms. Gomez is the author of well-received critical biographies of the conceptual artists Chris Burden, Vito Acconci, and Yoko Ono, and she has served as a panelist on the interdisciplinary arts panel of the Arizona Commission on the Arts.

Mr. Amarasiriwardena was in the early 2000s best known as Lil Flash, a driving force as a hip-hop producer in the party-oriented Atlanta style known as "crunk."  A native of Mumbai with degrees in music and business administration from Emory University, Mr. Amarasiriwardena signed such classic acts as Xscape, Dem Bonez Boyz, FYM, Shawty Boi, and Lucidly Ghetto.  In recent years, as a venture capitalist in Austin, he has funded such successful tech startups as Marketic, Bizmondo, K Cube, and  TrueMooc; he and his wife, the actress Heidi Palover, own a ranch outside their second home in Bisbee.

Arizona Americans Elect Party Leader Trey Young hailed the accomplishments of the new Cochise County party officials and stressed that they would be the point persons for the party's drive to improve Arizona's failing education system.  "To support our children's learning is the most patriotic thing we can do," he said, stripping off his shirt in the 100-degree heat as the crowd of party members at the courthouse steps applauded.  "Our party pledges its support for education."

"Unfortunately," Mr. Young continued, "the influence of the assholes at the family-hating, unpatriotic Goldwater Institute and other crackpot right-wing agenda groups has made Arizona perhaps the stupidest, most ignorant state in the U.S."

"All that will change under the Arizona Americans Elect Party," said Ms. Gomez.  "We're going to kick conservative ass and institute a truly equitably funded system that will educate all Arizonans, regardless of income, location, race or ethnicity."

"The Arizona Americans Elect Party calls for a radical restructuring of learning in this state," added Mr. Amarasiriwardena, "which until now has not been able to train people for the high-paying jobs today's skilled knowledge workers get in other places, like my other home Austin or in Silicon Valley or Research Triangle or lower Manhattan or the suburbs of Boston and D.C."

"As our party motto states, let's make Arizona less of a shithole," Mr. Young concluded.  "That starts with mandatory, government-funded pre-K education and goes all the way to making Arizona's higher education system an innovative fount of lifelong learning.  We'll work with visionary leaders like past and present ASU presidents Lattie Coor and Michael Crow to implement their ideas for transforming one of the worst-performing states into one of the best."

Arizona Americans Elect Party Leader Trey Young Introduces Yavapai County Co-Chairs Nina O'Neill von Stauffenberg & Dr. Alexander von Stauffenberg, Food Movement Activists, Who Will Fight to Reform Agriculture & the Food Industry

PRESCOTT, Ariz., May 15 -

Last evening Arizona Americans Elect Party leader Trey Young announced at a Prescott fundraiser and dinner party that food movement activists Nina O’Neill von Stauffenberg and Dr. Alexander von Stauffenberg would be the party’s new co-chairs in Yavapai County and would lead the party's vision for reforming agriculture and the food industry and providing Arizonans with safe, healthy and humanely-produced meals, locally sourced whenever possible.

The von Stauffenbergs live in Prescott, where they own Mekong Delta, a fusion Asian restaurant; Cookies and Scream, a vegan bakery; Artisan du Chocolat, an artisanal chocolate shop; and Top of the Hops, a tasting bar and culture center for craft and imported beers. 

Ms. O'Neill von Stauffenberg is also on the board of Arizona Meals on Wheels.  A native of Chicago, she graduated from Loyola University Chicago and received an associate degree in culinary arts from the Culinary Institute of America. 
 
Dr. von Stauffenberg is a former staff associate at the International Food Policy Research Institute, an organization in Washington that focuses on environmentally sound policies to alleviate hunger and poverty.  He received a doctorate in cultural studies at the graduate school of North American studies at the Free University of Berlin.  

Both Dr. and Ms. von Stauffenberg were major contributors last year in the effort to pass California's Prop 37, a measure that would have required most foods made with genetically engineered ingredients to be labeled.

"People by the millions have begun, as the slogan goes, to vote with their forks in favor of more sustainably and humanely produced food, and against agribusiness," said Mr. Young, leader of Arizona's fastest-growing political party, which has appeared on the ballot since 2012 with a slate of progressive candidates for state and local offices.  

"Dynamic young Arizona Americans Elect Party leaders like the von Stauffenbergs have revitalized local farming and urban communities," Mr. Young said, in introducing the couple.  "At the same time they have raised the bar on the food industry, which now must pay attention to things like sustainable farming and the humane treatment of animals."

Arizona Americans Elect Party's New Mohave County Co-Chairs Brooke Epstein and Razvan Codrescu Promise to Work for Party Goal of Protecting Women's Reproductive Rights, Supporting Planned Parenthood

KINGMAN, Ariz., May 10 -

Trey Young, leader of the Arizona Americans Elect Party, traveled to Kingman today to introduce the party's new Mohave County Co-Chairs, Brooke Epstein and Razvan Codrescu, who said they would build party membership and concentrate efforts on achieving the party's goal of working for women's reproductive rights and supporting the work of Planned Parenthood in the county and state. 

Ms. Epstein, 28, is a coordinator with the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations in Kingman, where she administers health insurance benefits for the organization’s staff members and for those of its affiliated congregations.  She graduated magna cum laude from Brandeis University and received a Master of Public Health degree in global health from Harvard University.  Ms. Epstein's mother, Claire Katz-Ngandé, a  retired obstetrician and gynecologist who specialized in obstetric fistula repair, ran a clinic in Sierra Leone where Ms. Epstein served as a volunteer.

Mr. Codrescu, 27,  is the chief executive of Andover Brand Econometrics, a consultancy in Lake Havasu City that advises pharmaceutical companies on market decisions. He was a White House Fellow in 2009 and 2010 in the office of the Secretary of Commerce.  After studying with the Rumanian School of Ballet and working as a performer with the Zurich Ballet, he graduated summa cum laude with a degree in economics from Vassar College.

The Mohave County Co-Chairs agreed that, given their backgrounds in public health and in order to build party membership in the county, they would concentrate on the Arizona Americans Elect Party's support of women's reproductive rights.

"Unfortunately, recent legislation signed into law in Arizona has reduced access to abortion care, a development that particularly hit low-income and rural women of the state the hardest," said Ms. Epstein.  "The Arizona Americans Elect Party's 2014 candidates will work toward repealing these draconian laws and return quality and safety-oriented reproductive care to all women in Mohave County and elsewhere."

"We must restore and increase state funding of Planned Parenthood," Mr. Codrescu said, "which is committed to providing every woman with the full range of quality, affordable reproductive health care with a strong focus on preventive care."

"Women have a friend in these dynamic new Americans Elect Party leaders," said the state party leader, Mr. Young.  "The feminists of the  Arizona Americans Elect Party, female and male, will end the war against women in this state and throw the troglodytes out of the state legislature and Congress." 

J.L. Mealer of Mesa is the First Arizona Americans Elect Party Candidate to File for Governor, Party Leader Trey Young Announces

PARADISE VALLEY, Ariz., May 3 -

Arizona Americans Elect Party leader Trey Young today called a press conference to announce that the party's first gubernatorial candidate has filed.  

J.L. Mealer, a Mesa business leader and sportsman, is one of three candidates to have filed formal declarations of candidacy for Governor in 2014 with the Arizona Secretary of State's office, along with former Arizona Board of Regents Chairman Fred DuVal, a Democrat, and ex-Tempe Mayor Hugh Hallman, a Republican.

"We in the Americans Elect Party are proud to have one of the first candidates for Governor of any party to be in our 2014 primary," said Mr. Young, flanked by other party leaders, including First Vice-Chairwoman Buffy Lehman Auchincloss, his aunt, and party Treasurer Dr. Irina Tereshkova, his girlfriend.  "We are expecting Mr. Mealer to run a dynamic, progressive race and we're looking forward to hearing the ways he will protect the rights and fortunes of Arizona's silent majority who've been ignored by our current right-wing Republican governor and legislature."

"We're confident he'll help the Americans Elect Party fight the Tea Party scum who've turned Arizona into a shithole," Dr. Tereshkova added.  "Mr. Mealer will appeal to those Arizonans who own catheters, colostomy bags, authentic replicas of Obama’s original Kenyan birth certificate, adult diapers, bomb shelters, survivalist manuals, Ayn Rand coloring books and souvenir Krugerrands -- and in this state, that's a majority of the voters."

Dr. Frank Fukuda and Dr. Spring Waterston, Noted Sex Therapists, Named City of Sedona Americans Elect Party Co-Chairs by Arizona Party Leader Trey Young

SEDONA, Ariz., May 2 -

Arizona Americans Elect Party leader Trey Young traveled to Sedona today to name the noted sex therapists Frank Fukuda and Spring Waterston as the City of Sedona Co-Chairs of the Arizona Americans Elect Party.

"I'm excited that wonderful Sedona is the first city to have an active group of Americans Elect Party members," said Mr. Young at a press conference at the Tantric Foundation in West Sedona.  "And our party is privileged indeed to have such distinguished residents as Dr. Fukuda and Dr. Waterston as our representative in the community."

"We hope to bring a more spiritual side to the political party," said Dr. Waterston, who is in private practice in Sedona, where she volunteers as a children's story reader at the Sedona Public Library.  She received her Ph.D. from Maimonides University and is an ABS certified sex therapist who specializes in sexual dysfunctions, gender identity, and geriatric issues.

"Spring and I will work hard but have fun in our attempt to gain new Americans Elect Party members in Sedona," Dr. Fukuda said.  He received his Ed.D. from Florida State University and is an ABS certified sex counselor as well as a longtime volunteer at the Nicodemus Wilderness Project.

The Arizona Americans Elect Party is the state's fastest-growing political party; its first candidates for Congress first appeared on the 2012 ballot and the party is already qualified for the ballot in 2014, when it hopes to run candidates for most federal and state offices.

Rabbi Elana de Carvajal and Dr. Noor Rizvi Named Pima County Americans Elect Party Co-Chairs; Vow to Fight Anti-Immigrant 'Haters', Join May 1 March & Rally for Immigrant & Worker Rights

 

TUCSON, May 1 -

Continuing the revitalization of the Arizona Americans Elect Party, party leader Trey Young came to Tucson today to install Elana de Carvajal and Noor Rizvi as the party's new Pima County co-chairs.

Rabbi de Carvajal, 27, is a native of Mexico City who received her bachelor's degree from Barnard College and did her graduate work at Jewish Theological Seminary, where she was ordained as a Conservative rabbi.  Married to a University of Arizona sociology professor, Mark Rubin, she is the mother of twins and spiritual leader of Congregation Shaare Zion in Tucson, where she lives. 

Dr. Rizvi, 33, is a native of Lahore, Pakistan, and received undergraduate and medical degrees from the University of California at Los Angeles and its David Geffen School of Medicine.  He lives in Oro Valley with his wife, Dr. Tina Singh, and is in a private practice in plastic surgery in Tucson and  Oro Valley.

"We're proud of our new Pima County Americans Elect Party leaders, who are accomplished and talented individuals in the community," said Mr. Young, who became party leader last week.  "We're sure they'll attract new members in Tucson and elsewhere."

Both Rabbi de Carvajal and Dr. Rizvi, both immigrants, have been active in support of the Arizona Dreamers and the Coalición de Derechos Humanos.

Following their press conference, Mr. Young and the new Pima County party leaders joined the May 1 Coalition march and rally in support of International Workers Day for Justice and Dignity.

"It's time to fight the haters in Arizona," said Rabbi de Carvajal.  "The Americans Elect Party will stand up for our immigrant community. Both Noor and I have pledged to continue our efforts as party leaders on their behalf."

Dr. Rizvi agreed: "We call for immigration reform for 11 million, ending the militarization of our borders and communities, ending the criminalization of migrants, and resisting and repealing the hateful SB 1070."

"The Americans Elect Party respects the rights of all workers," added Mr. Young, "and we will be looking for candidates in 2014 who will represent that view.  Fuck all the haters in Arizona."

Newly-Elected Arizona Americans Elect Party Yuma County Co-Chairs Rain Halligan and Elijah Sanchez Pledge to Make Arizona Less of a Shithole

YUMA, Ariz., Apr. 30 -

Rain Halligan and Elijah Sanchez, both of Yuma, were today elected co-chairs of the Yuma County chapter of the Arizona Americans Elect Party, and pledged themselves to "make Arizona less of a shithole."

Ms. Halligan, 28, a Yuma visual artist and LGBT activist, and Mr. Sanchez, bassist in a Yuma band, were elected at a meeting of party members led by state party leader Trey Young, and including party treasurer Dr. Irina Tereshkova, artistic director Richard Grayson, and first vice-chairwoman Buffy Lehman Auchincloss.

"Arizona as we know it is, like, totally fucked up," said Ms. Halligan.

Mr. Sanchez agreed, noting that the recent signing of a bill to forbid the destruction of weapons received in municipal gun buybacks is just the latest example of how "Arizona is seen as a laughingstock filled with right-wing assholes."

"Most Republican male legislators like guns because they're concerned about their small penis size," said Ms. Halligan.  "Jan Brewer must have a similar problem or something."

"The Arizona Americans Elect Party will change all that in the 2014 elections," said party leader Trey Young.  "We're looking for cool people to join us and for cool people to run as candidates.  Hopefully, we'll get some more of Yuma's 'natural aristocrats' like Rain and Elijah to become a part of Arizona's fastest-growing political party."

Jaden Parascandola and Myrtle Willoughby Named Co-Chairs of Maricopa County Americans Elect Party

PARADISE VALLEY, Ariz., Apr. 29 -

Jaden Parascandola and Myrtle Willoughby have been named as co-chairs of the Maricopa County Americans Elect Party by Trey Young, Supreme Leader of the Arizona Americans Elect Party, the state's fastest-growing 2014-ballot-qualified political party.

"The party is now big enough so that we can have county affiliates," Mr. Young, 26, a Scottsdale entrepreneur, said at a press conference today in Paradise Valley at the party's new headquarters, which coincidentally is also the home of Mr. Parascandola, stepbrother to Mr. Young, and his girlfriend Ms. Willoughby.

Mr. Parascandola is a lacrosse player, blogger and art collector who holds a B.A. from Swarthmore College.  Ms. Willoughby is an attorney who serves as staff counsel to the Très Jeune corporation, the holding company for Mr. Young's media, restaurant, and related business interests.

"We are excited to have Jaden and Myrtle heading our Maricopa County local party," said Mr. Young.  "They'll do a great job and are already planning a gala party for our party, putting it well on its way to becoming the cool political party for the Valley of the Sun's elite voters." 

Both Mr. Parascandola and Ms. Willoughby are active members of the Arizona Campaign to End Gun Violence. They hope to use their positions to support the Arizona Americans Elect Party's goal of achieving legislation to regulate dangerous firearms so as to prevent future mass shootings such as those at Sandy Hook, Tucson, Aurora, and elsewhere.

Buffy Lehman Auchincloss Elected First Vice-Chairwoman of the Arizona Americans Elect Party

PARADISE VALLEY, Ariz., Apr. 28 -

Buffy Lehman Auchincloss, 93, the philanthropist and longtime social activist, today was elected First Vice-Chairwoman of the Arizona Americans Elect Party, the state's fastest-growing political party which will be on the ballot in 2014.

Ms. Auchincloss, a former fashion designer and airplane pilot who created scholarships for graduate students interested in studying feminist and environmental issues, lives in Paradise Valley, and also maintains homes in Palm Springs, Manhattan and Bermuda.  She has agreed to help raise substantial funds for the Arizona Americans Elect Party, according to Trey Young, the party's leader and her great-grandnephew, who announced her election.

"Aunt Buffy taught me so much about progressive politics, fashion and haute cuisine when I was growing up," Mr. Young said in a statement.  "I'm going to keep learning from her.  It is fabulous to have her at my side as we lead the Arizona Americans Elect Party into the next election."

Dr. Irina Tereshkova Selected as New State Treasurer of the Arizona Americans Elect Party

PARADISE VALLEY, Ariz., Apr. 27, 2013 - 

Dr. Irina Tereshkova was today named Treasurer of the Arizona Americans Elect Party, one of Arizona's ballot-qualified political parties, and since its electoral debut last year, the fastest-growing party in the state. 

Dr. Tereshkova, 27, of Phoenix, was selected by the party's new Supreme Leader, Trey Young, who took office last night after winning a a leadership fight. She is also the Chief Financial Officer of Très Jeune, the holding company for various restaurant, media and financial enterprises of Mr. Young, who is also her fiancé. She graduated magna cum laude from Sarah Lawrence College and received her Ph.D. in art history from Stanford University. 

Mr. Young, 26, of Scottsdale, said he intends to make changes in the structure of the Arizona Americans Elect Party and part of that was bringing in someone versed in finance to be the group's first Treasurer.   Dr. Tereshkova also serves on the Board of Directors of The Buzzgawk Fund, the hedge fund where Mr. Young is managing partner.

"I'm sure Irina will do a magnificent job in terms of fundraising for Arizona Americans Elect," said Mr. Young. "Previously, the party was getting off the ground and we didn't pay much attention to money. But Dr. Tershkova can start the ball rolling in getting more high-powered donors to contribute to the party's coffers for the coming 2014 state and congressional elections." 

Richard Grayson, the party's Artistic Director, also praised Dr. Tereshkova from his hospital room at Banner Desert Medical Center in Mesa, where he is being treated for a concussion. "Irina is filled with new ideas about how to raise money for the party," Grayson said. "I'm looking forward to seeing what she has mind to make the Arizona Americans Elect Party more effective."

In another change for Arizona Americans Elect, the party headquarters was moved during the night from Mesa to Paradise Valley and is temporarily being housed at the home of Jaden Parascandola, Mr. Young's stepbrother. 

Trey Young, 26, of Scottsdale, Named New Supreme Leader of Arizona Americans Elect Party After Defeating Incumbent in Leadership Fight

CHANDLER, Ariz., Apr. 26, 2013 – 

Trey Young of Scottsdale was installed as the new Supreme Leader of the Arizona Americans Elect Party tonight.  His installation followed a mixed martial arts bout with the party’s former Supreme Leader, Richard Grayson, that took place as an exhibition match of a card put on by local promotion World Fighting Federation MMA at Wild Horse Pass Casino in Chandler.

The Arizona Americans Elect Party is Arizona’s fifth ballot-qualified political party, currently with 266 registered voters.  Its first candidates appeared on the 2012 ballot: Grayson, of Apache Junction, as the candidate in the Fourth Congressional District, and Stephen Dolgos of New River was the candidate in the Eighth Congressional District. 

The Americans Elect Party candidates for Congress from Arizona garnered the fourth highest number of votes in 2012, finishing ahead of the long-established Arizona Green Party. 

By party tradition and its by-rules, the new Supreme Leader has to be selected from among party members who declare their candidacy and who then defeat the old Supreme Leader in the combat of his choice.

Young, 26, of Scottsdale, won the party leadership decisively when he stopped the 61-year-old Grayson one minute into the second round after five minutes of a slugfest to open the fight. 

Grayson, 5’6” and 152 pounds, came forward 20 seconds in with a step-in right elbow. But Young, 6’1” and 165 pounds, had no qualms firing back and landed a good left hook. Young chased Grayson down and landed punches and a head kick. Then he gestured for the party’s founding leader to come forward – and he did, landing a good shot of his own, then a solid left jab.

Young kept coming forward with a relentless pace, and the two traded big bombs in tight before Young clinched Grayson up and looked to land elbows. Moments later, Grayson had Young backing up with a left hand, then several shots to the body that put the challenger on the canvas.

Grayson got on top and went to work with the ground and pound with Young going into survival mode from his guard. Young expertly locked in a triangle choke that was deep and appeared to have Grayson in trouble. But Grayson escaped and with the fight back on the feet for the last 20 seconds of the round, Young had Grayson backing up eating punches.

The two traded punches early in the second, and Young quickly got in and landed some giant knees that cut opened up a cut below Grayson’s eye. Young kept the pressure on and landed big punches on the ground, and with Grayson's knee on the canvas, he landed big elbows to the body as Grayson covered up. From there, the referee had seen enough and ended the match.

"I think Richard did a good job as the Arizona American Elect party’s founder, but I think I proved it’s time for a younger, more dynamic leader to take over," Young said. "He hurt me really bad with that body shot. I was really close to being incapacitated and unable to defend myself, but I know that in political fights, you need to come back with everything you’ve got. I look forward to being the Supreme Leader of Arizona’s fastest-growing political party."

Grayson congratulated the new Americans Elect Party Supreme Leader on his win and pledged his loyalty.  “Trey has proven he has what it takes to run an impressive and aggressive campaign for the Arizona Americans Elect party,” Grayson said.  “He’ll be a strong leader.  He was obviously stronger than I was tonight.” 

Young asked Grayson to stay on as the party’s Artistic Director, and Grayson agreed, saying he would help the new Supreme Leader recruit candidates for Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney General, Treasurer, Education Commissioner, Corporation Commissioner, and for all the seats in the Arizona State Legislature and U.S. House Congressional delegation that are up in 2014.  But according to party by-laws, the outgoing Supreme Leader must go into exile from the state and at the end of the month, Grayson will leave Arizona and return to his native Brooklyn. 

Anyone interested in running for office should contact the party’s new Supreme Leader.  According to the party’s by-laws, Trey Young can be challenged for the party leadership only after the 2014 election.  Grayson has ruled out a rematch.

"It's a new day for the Arizona Americans Elect Party, and we party members look forward to a more collective form of leadership going into the 2014 election," said Irina Tereshkova, a registered Americans Elect party voter and a spectator at the Wild Horse Pass Casino who embraced the victor following the bout as the crowd cheered wildly.

Trey Young of Scottsdale Announces Bid to Become Supreme Leader of Arizona Americans Elect Party

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Apr. 24 —

Trey Young, 26, of Scottsdale, a member of the Arizona Americans Elect Party since February 2013, has announced a bid to become the new Supreme Leader of the party.   Mr. Young, a hedge fund manager, fashion model, and restaurant owner, said he hopes to bring "fresh leadership" to Arizona's fastest-growing political party, which is ballot-qualified in state and federal elections for 2014.

"It's time to turn the Arizona Americans Elect Party in a new direction, with more dynamic leadership," Mr. Young said in a statement.  "It's disgraceful that we had only two candidates running in the 2012 election when we could have made the differences in numerous races for the U.S. Senate, Congress, and the state legislature."

The leadership of the party became vacant when Richard Grayson, 61,now the party's Artistic Director, announced that he was stepping down as Supreme Leader.  However, by party by-rules, the new Supreme Leader has to be selected from among party members -- currently numbering 266 -- who defeat the old Supreme Leader in the combat of his choice.

A mixed-martial arts bout between Grayson and Young will held on a date to be announced as an exhibition match of a card put on by local promotion World Fighting Federation MMA at Wild Horse Pass Casino in Chandler.  

Both Arizona Americans Elect Party members said they looked forward to their contest.  

"If the Democrats and Republicans in Arizona held their leadership battles in this fresh and exciting way, they might actually be relevant to voters," said Young.

Grayson agreed.  "The Arizona Americans Elect Party takes our politics seriously, but also with style and flair.  Just like the despicable old Joe Arpaio, I'm not going to give up running things without a fight."

Secretary of State Ken Bennett Announces that the Arizona Americans Elect Party is STILL the Fastest-Growing Political Party in Arizona, with Over 12% Growth Since the November 2012 Election

PHOENIX, Apr. 22 - For the fifth time in the past year, the office of Arizona Secretary of State Ken Bennett has announced the latest Arizona voter count showing that the Arizona Americans Elect Party has remained the fastest-growing political party in the state, increasing its membership by more than 3% in just the three months since January 2013. 

While the new figures show the number of registered Republicans and Democrats declined and the Greens and Libertarians had grown by less than 1% and 2% respectively, the Arizona Americans Elect Party's membership has grown over 79% since March 2012, when it had 148 members.

"From 177 registered Americans Elect Party members in last September's primary, we have increased our number to 266 voters," said Richard Grayson, Artistic Director of the Arizona Americans Elect Party and Americans Elect Party 2012 candidate for Congress in the Fourth Congressional District. Stephen Dolgos of New River was the 2012 Americans Elect Party candidate in the Eighth Congressional District.  

The Americans Elect Party candidates for Congress from Arizona garnered the fourth highest number of votes in 2012, finishing ahead of the long-established Arizona Green Party.

"We are planning to run a candidate for Governor and all state and federal offices in 2014, when we are assured of being on the ballot again," said Grayson, who is also the party's Acting Supreme Leader. "You too can join the cool new party in town where everyone is welcome." 

The motto of the party is "Let's make Arizona less of a shithole."

Richard Grayson to Step Down as Supreme Leader of Arizona Americans Elect Party, Will Assume Title of "Artistic Director"

Mesa, Ariz., Apr. 1 -- 

At the secret headquarters of the ballot-qualified Arizona Americans Elect Party today in Mesa, Richard Grayson announced his retirement as Supreme Leader of the Party.  Grayson, 61, of Apache Junction, and the party's candidate in 2012 for the U.S. House of Representatives from Arizona's Fourth Congressional District, will assume the new title of Artistic Director of the Americans Elect Party.

"Since our party's inception a year ago, the Arizona Americans Elect Party has been the fastest-growing of the state's five ballot-qualified parties, and we nudged the longstanding Green Party out of fourth place in 2012 in the votes received for candidates for Congress," Grayson said in a statement.  "I am proud that those accomplishments took place while I was the party's Supreme Leader, but it is time to step down."

The Arizona Americans Elect Party announced that Grayson would assume the new title of Artistic Director while remaining as Acting Supreme Leader until a new Supreme Leader is selected.

"By party tradition," Grayson said, "the new Supreme Leader has to defeat the old Supreme Leader in combat of his or her choice.  I am looking forward to a mixed martial arts contest with anyone who wishes to wrest total control of the party away from me."

Grayson said that as Acting Supreme Leader and Artistic Director, he would spend the next few months working out and recruiting candidates to run on the Arizona Americans Elect Party banner for Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney General, Treasurer, Education Commissioner, Corporation Commissioner, and for all the seats in the Arizona State Legislature and U.S. House Congressional delegation that are up in 2014.

"The Arizona Americans Elect Party will be stronger than ever in the next state election," Grayson told voters, "and I expect to be stronger, too."  

He urged anyone any Arizona party members who want to be a 2014 Americans Elect candidate to prepare to run for office and any of them who want to be the party's new permanent Supreme Leader to prepare to be rendered unconscious in a fair but brutal fight.

Secretary of State Ken Bennett Announces that the Arizona Americans Elect Party is STILL the Fastest-Growing Political Party in Arizona, with Over 8% Growth Since the November 2012 Election

PHOENIX, Feb. 5 - For the fourth time in ninth months, the office of Arizona Secretary of State Ken Bennett has announced the latest Arizona voter count showing that the Arizona Americans Elect Party has remained the fastest-growing political party in the state, increasing its membership by more than 8% in just the three months since the November 2012 election. While the new figures show the number of registered Republicans and Democrats declined, the Arizona Americans Elect Party's membership has grown over 74% since March, when it had 148 members.

"From 177 registered Americans Elect Party members in August, we have increased our number to 258 voters," said Richard Grayson, Supreme Leader of the Arizona Americans Elect Party and Americans Elect Party 2012 candidate for Congress in the Fourth Congressional District. Stephen Dolgos of New River was the 2012 Americans Elect Party candidate in the Eighth Congressional District.  The Americans Elect Party candidates for Congress from Arizona garnered the fourth highest number of votes in 2012, finishing ahead of the long-established Arizona Green Party.

"We are planning to run a candidate for Governor and all state and federal offices in 2014, when we are assured of being on the ballot again," said Grayson, who also holds the titles of Capo di Tutti Capi and King Moshiach of Arizona Americans Elect. "You too can join the cool new party in town where everyone is welcome." 

The motto of the party is "Let's make Arizona less of a shithole."

Arizona Americans Elect Party Candidates for Congress Win Enough Votes to Displace Arizona Green Party as State's Fourth Political Party

MESA, Ariz., Nov. 19 - Candidates for Congress from the Arizona Americans Elect Party received the fourth highest total number of votes of any political party in the state's November election, displacing the long-established Arizona Green Party. 

"We are very proud of the Arizona Americans Elect Party voters and our candidates," said Richard Grayson, Supreme Leader of the Arizona Americans Elect Party and Americans Elect Party candidate for Congress in the Fourth Congressional District. 

Stephen Dolgos of New River was the 2012 Americans Elect Party candidate in the Eighth Congressional District. 

Arizona Americans Elect Party congressional candidates received a total of 6,423 votes, way ahead of the Arizona Green Party congressional vote of only 5,152. 

The Americans Elect Party is also the fastest-growing party in Arizona, increasing its membership by 60% in the past eight months. 

"We are planning to run a candidate for Governor and all state and federal offices in 2014, when we are assured of being on the ballot again," said Grayson. "You too can join the cool new party in town where everyone is welcome." 

The motto of the party is "Let's make Arizona less of a shithole."