Democrats in Yuma say Arizona Republicans' support of tariffs is raising costs for residents, especially during the holiday season.
Local party leaders met Thursday in the Yuma Foothills to call out GOP gubernatorial candidates Andy Biggs, Karrin Taylor Robson and David Schweikert for supporting Trump tariffs.
Their tariff policies "are leading to an affordability crisis that puts our community at risk," said Charlene Fernandez, the Arizona Democratic Party chair and a Yuma resident. "Our number 1 concern in Arizona is that Washington keeps raising our prices."
KAWC reached out to the Republican candidates but have not heard back.
Yuma County Democratic Party chair Xanthe Bullard said they support a cost hiking agenda that is hurting Arizonans.
"Tariffs are not some abstract policy," Bullard said. "They are a wrecking ball to our local economy."
Karime Hayer is the owner of Nichim Cafe in the Yuma Foothills. She said she voted for Trump twice. Her business imports coffee from Mexico.
"We used to have a flat rate from our vendor but it has increased by 25 percent," Hayer said. "That's a huge impact... prices are going up and tariffs are affecting some of our costs."
Hayer said she has no choice but to increase prices on some menu items because of tariffs.
Fernandez said the Arizona Chamber of Commerce has said tariffs are a direct tax on consumers.
"Democrats will never stop fighting to lower costs for Arizonans," she said. "While Republicans turn a blind eye to Yuma, Democrats will always lend an ear to rural Arizona voices."
"If Andy Biggs, Karrin Taylot Robson and David Schweikert can't stand up to Trump to lower prices now, how can we ever trust them to stand up for Arizona as our governor?"
