Exactly one year ago, Jen Longdon became the first legislature in Arizona with a disability when she won a House seat in Arizona’s 24th district. Last month, she delivered a powerful speech on gun violence, sharing her own riveting story about being shot and paralyzed in front of members of the United States Congress like Rep. John Lewis. She proposed ten bills in her freshman year and gave a voice to the disabled community that has lacked representation and advocacy in both local and federal governments.
However, at her first event her re-election campaign on Wednesday, Longdon, a democrat, had a clear message for her supporters – this is only the beginning.
“I know my place, and it is absolutely in the Arizona House of Representatives,” Longdon said.
Since being elected, Longdon has been one of the stronger voices in the Arizona legislature on reforming gun laws, addressing civil rights issues and improving K-12 education in the state.
She introduced two bills last year that both failed to pass. One of the bills proposed hiring a full-time statewide coordinator that would engage directly with communities in Arizona and implement the requirements laid out by the American Disabilities Act, like matching small businesses with people with disabilities who can’t find work.
While passing legislation is hard in a majority republican house, Longdon said her presence in the legislature is enough for her colleagues to at least think differently about gun violence.
“Just being in the chamber is changing the conversation,” Longdon said. “Now they are more careful with what they say on the floor because they can look me in the eye when they do.”
However, Longdon and Greg Stanton, former mayor of Phoenix and current U.S. representative for Arizona who spoke at tonight’s event supporting Longdon, both said they are driven by the chance to give the majority to Democrats in the state legislature in the 2020 election.
If that happens, Stanton said Longdon’s leadership could be at the forefront in facing on gun violence issues.
“She’s number one in the country,” Stanton said.
Amish Shah, Longdon’s co-representative in District 24, which covers large parts of downtown Phoenix and Scottsdale, said the two have become very close and share almost identical views on the big issues.
“I have a policy of not endorsing anybody, and she will be the only person I endorse,” Shah said.
Longdon’s impact doesn’t just live within the walls of the state capitol – it also exists in the hearts and minds of a younger generation.
Carly Verbeke, a double major studying English and Disability Studies at Arizona State University, worked as an intern for Longdon last year.
Verbeke, who was born with cerebral palsy, said Longdon raised awareness for the disability community the moment she was elected, citing how Longdon couldn’t reach the speakers’ desk on the House floor because there was no ramp access.
Verbeke said beyond all of her work in the community, Longdon is simply a wonderful person – she helped her advance her own career and find her current job at a spinal cord injury law firm.
“She is not afraid of anything and is always standing up for people who are not being thought about,” Verbeke said.
Contact the reporter at jklein11@asu.edu.
