In La Paz County, Arizona, a predominantly conservative region, the primary concern among voters is not inflation or illegal immigration, but rather the extraction of groundwater.
Giant farms in Arizona’s remote deserts, located approximately 100 miles west of Phoenix, have transformed the once barren landscape into lush green fields reminiscent of golf courses. However, this transformation comes at a cost, as these farms rely heavily on extracting vast amounts of groundwater to cultivate alfalfa for dairy cows. Unfortunately, the excessive pumping of water is causing detrimental effects on the surrounding communities. Water experts have observed that the continuous extraction of groundwater has resulted in the sinking of impoverished rural towns. Over the course of three decades, certain areas in La Paz County have experienced a significant drop in ground levels, exceeding five feet. As a consequence, the infrastructure of these towns is deteriorating, with pipes and home foundations succumbing to the immense pressure. Moreover, the overexploitation of groundwater resources has led to the depletion of wells, leaving them dry and unusable.
Luis Zavala, 48, who immigrated from Mexico twenty years ago to work in the cantaloupe fields, expressed his concerns about the potential consequences of water depletion. He pointed out that the cultivation of cantaloupes, which require a significant amount of water, has largely been replaced by hay for cattle. Currently employed at a water and ice business in Salome, a small town with a population of 700, Zavala sells 5-gallon jugs to the local community.
Amid the ongoing political strife surrounding abortion in Arizona’s Capitol, Democrats have identified water as a crucial election issue with the potential to connect them with rural voters who have previously turned away from the party.
Kris Mayes, a first-term Democrat, attributed her success as attorney general to her strong stance on water-related matters. She campaigned on the promise of taking action against farms in western Arizona. According to Mayes, addressing this issue presents an opportunity to regain support from rural areas.
Summers characterized by record-breaking heat and prolonged drought have sparked concerns among Arizonans regarding the availability of water to support the state’s burgeoning cities and agricultural sector.
Rural residents are expressing their vulnerability, emphasizing their limited access to water sources and financial resources compared to larger cities like Phoenix. Unlike urban areas, they lack the jurisdiction to regulate unrestricted water pumping and are unable to invest in larger reservoirs or modern wastewater treatment facilities.
According to a recent survey conducted by Noble Predictive Insights, a renowned pollster based in Phoenix, a significant majority of voters, 60% to be precise, expressed concerns about the depleting water resources in the state.
In the rural corners of Arizona, a group of Democrats known as “pinto Democrats” have managed to thrive despite facing numerous challenges. Similar to resilient cactuses in a harsh desert environment, these Democrats have embraced a set of values that include support for gun rights, defense, and infrastructure projects that bring federal funding to their communities. According to Tom Zoellner, author of “Rim to River,” a comprehensive account of Arizona’s history and politics, the pinto Democrats played a significant role in the 1996 election. Despite Maricopa, the state’s largest urban county, leaning towards the Republican candidate, La Paz, a rural county, narrowly supported Bill Clinton’s reelection.
In La Paz, a town of 17,000 residents, we witness a reflection of the profound shift that has taken place in rural America, solidifying its status as staunch MAGAland. This transformation gained momentum during Donald Trump’s presidency, as he appealed to disillusioned white voters. At the Cactus Bar, for instance, snowbirds engaged in a game of billiards proudly sport “Let’s Go Brandon” T-shirts, a mocking nod towards President Joe Biden. Furthermore, Trump flags proudly wave from off-road desert buggies as they rumble through the picturesque mountains.
According to the Pew Research Center, Trump made significant gains among Democrats in rural areas in 2020, receiving 65% of the rural votes compared to 59% in 2016. La Paz County, in particular, has become even more staunchly conservative. Despite Trump’s denial of the drought in California and his proposed cuts to the federal agency responsible for Western water projects, he managed to win La Paz by a margin of 40 points in 2020. Many of his supporters in the county dismissed the notion that the Democrats’ focus on water issues would sway their political allegiance.
According to Jim Downing, an engineer who collaborates with local farms, the notion of a water crisis is completely unfounded. He strongly believes that Democrats and the media have fabricated this issue for purely political purposes. Downing argues that large farms have been unfairly vilified for utilizing a resource that is legally accessible to them.
Despite the expectations of local officials, a surprisingly large crowd of approximately 150 people gathered at the local library in Wenden, a farming town in La Paz, one April afternoon. Their purpose? To hear Mayes speak about water.
Mayes has been actively visiting the locations affected by Arizona’s water crises. She has conducted well-attended gatherings in rural communities, where the excessive groundwater pumping by a large dairy farm has caused the ground to crack open, and where individuals are facing the issue of their 400-foot-deep wells running dry.
She and other Democrats are highlighting the potential funding sources for drought relief projects and infrastructure upgrades, including the Inflation Reduction Act and the bipartisan infrastructure legislation proposed by President Biden. Addressing the crowd, she empathized with their long-standing neglect, assuring them of her presence and support.
In their early days in office, she and Gov. Katie Hobbs, a first-term Democrat, targeted a Saudi-owned farm in La Paz County. The farm, Fondomonte, had been accused of excessive water usage on the land it leased from the state at low costs. The water was primarily used to cultivate alfalfa for export to the Middle East.
Hobbs has terminated Fondomonte’s leases on state land, although the company is currently appealing the decision. Fondomonte, in a statement, has mentioned that they are still actively farming on other properties and implementing innovative methods to minimize water usage. The company claims to be the third-largest private employer in the county and contributes $145 million to the state’s economy on an annual basis.
During her speech in Wenden, Mayes informed the audience that she is currently exploring legal avenues to potentially file a lawsuit against the large farms in order to halt their operations. She emphasized that the detrimental effects caused by these farms, such as erosion, road damage, and declining water tables, may potentially be in violation of Arizona’s nuisance laws.
Holly Irwin, a county supervisor who identifies as a “staunch Republican,” expressed her dissatisfaction with the lack of assistance that La Paz received during the previous administration in Arizona, which was also led by a Republican.
“It’s such a relief,” she exclaimed. “We finally have a governor who is truly listening and giving water issues the attention they deserve.”
Many attendees at the town hall expressed their distaste for the mega-farms, but their strongest anger was directed towards Phoenix and other rapidly expanding cities. These urban areas are actively seeking alternative water sources due to the growing concerns of drought and the impact of climate change on the Colorado River’s water supply.
Phoenix previously held land in La Paz, but according to officials, it has since sold all of its holdings in the area and no longer possesses any water rights there. On the other hand, Buckeye and Queen Creek, two suburbs of Phoenix, have made substantial investments, totaling millions of dollars, to acquire water from private landowners in rural Arizona in order to sustain their expanding populations.
Mayes explained that her office supported La Paz and other western Arizona counties in their lawsuit against the water transfer from a farm along the Colorado to Queen Creek.
Rob McDermott, the owner of a mobile home park catering to snowbirds, experienced firsthand the water crisis in Arizona when his 600-foot well dried up two years ago. To address the issue, he had to spend $120,000 to dig a deeper well. McDermott is in favor of the actions taken by Democratic officials to regulate large farms and supports Mayes’ proposal to temporarily halt new deep-well drilling.
He advised to take things at a slower pace.
However, he also expressed concerns about the issue of illegal immigration and the smuggling of fentanyl into Arizona. In fact, he mentioned that he would likely cast his vote for Trump in the upcoming November elections.
Guillermo Palma, a retired teacher and school maintenance worker, has been a resident of La Paz for four decades. He and his family moved there from Mexico City, and he has fond memories of growing up in the area, where he used to help out by chopping weeds in the cotton fields. Over the years, he has built a home and raised a family in La Paz. However, the water crisis is now posing a threat to everything he holds dear.
According to him, if they exhaust the water supply, this town will suffer greatly and lose everything.
He expressed complete agreement with Mayes regarding groundwater and emphasized the importance of maintaining the county’s infrastructure as a top priority. However, he made it clear that he would be voting for Trump this year, stating, “I’m not a Biden supporter.”
The Arizona Democratic Party is making efforts to reconnect with rural voters this year through the organization of town halls focused on discussing crucial topics such as water, rural jobs, and other relevant issues. However, some left-leaning voters in La Paz County expressed their reluctance to openly identify as Democratic supporters following Trump’s victory in 2016.
Gloria Ramirez, a 75-year-old resident of Wenden, expresses her concerns for the future of the town due to the declining groundwater levels. Her parents migrated from Chihuahua, Mexico, in the 1960s to work in the fields, making her deeply rooted in the community.
She pointed out, “My house sits lower, and the ground beneath it is beginning to split.”
As a Democrat, she joined the meeting alongside Mayes and her conservative neighbors, and she intends to cast her vote in November. However, like numerous voters, she expressed her frustration with the increasingly toxic political climate, causing her to disengage from election news. She even avoids discussing topics such as water politics, Trump, and Biden in her local community.
On the contrary, she enjoys creating peace-sign art by skillfully stringing glass and beads together. Additionally, she finds solace in spending her weekends immersed in nature, camping amidst the scenic mountains, where the vibrant green alfalfa fields transition into the untamed beauty of the desert.
