Top US House Democrat speaks on democracy in Tempe ahead of President Joe Biden's visit

Arizona voters gathered Sunday inside a 1980s-style home in south Tempe to meet and listen to Rep. Jamie Raskin speak on democracy ahead of President Joe Biden's visit to Arizona on Tuesday.

Biden is coming to Arizona as a part of his reelection campaign on the day of Arizona's presidential preference election.

Despite Tuesday's election focusing on the Democratic and Republican primaries, in which both Biden and former President Donald Trump have secured the required amount of delegates to become their parties respected presidential nominees, Arizona is expected to remain a critical state in the forthcoming general-election campaign.

What's a primary election? What Arizona voters need to know about the primary, presidential preference election

"The effort to defend free and fair elections really begins here in Arizona, because so much of the attack was on Arizona's elections," Raskin, D-Md., told The Arizona Republic, referencing the efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election in the state.

On St. Patrick's Day, more than 100 people gathered under tents in the sunny backyard of Martin and Denise Skalon, who host weekly democratic organizing events in the home, to listen to Raskin speak on issues ranging from Biden's legislative accomplishments, the state of the Republican party and Trump's actions relating to election denialism.

Raskin, a high-ranking member of the Democratic party in the U.S. House of Representatives and ranking Democrat on the influential House Oversight and Accountability Committee, has traveled to 18 states, counting his Sunday trip to Arizona, at the direction of the Biden campaign to drum up support for the president's reelection.

His speech in the Tempe backyard was met with lots of enthusiasm, applause, agreement and laughter from the audience as he also highlighted the "imminent threat Trump poses" to democracy.

Raskin described Biden in his speech as "an old-fashioned public servant who puts the people first."

"He's in it for the common good," he said.

Raskin also criticized Trump and the Republican party for their "anti-democratic" actions, calling some "hallmarks of a fascist or authoritarian party".

"Election denialism is about a small and shrinking minority of America denying that they are losing elections," Raskin told The Arizona Republic. "We have to stand strong behind free and fair elections."

Following the attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, Raskin served on the Jan. 6 committee in Congress that investigated the events proceeding and following of that day. Raskin served as the impeachment manager of Trump's second impeachment trial, which related to the former president's role in the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot.

Voters who came out to the event focused on topics such as democracy, education and reproductive rights. Those issues mobilized event host Denise Skalon, who started getting involved in 2020 with Tempe Democrats and Arizona's state legislative District 12 Democrats. Because of dissatisfaction with Trump's actions around COVID-19, she began attending online organizing events.

"I want our government to be our government again," Denise Skalon said, who hosted the event in her home. "I want Congress to function again."

Her activism and organizing efforts took off after the U.S. Supreme Court decided to overturn Roe v. Wade in June 2022. Since then, her and her husband, Martin, have been active organizers in their community, hosting canvassing events, campaigning for Gov. Katie Hobbs and Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., in 2022 and now for Biden's reelection campaign.

"Donald Trump was the catalyst but when Roe was overturned the fire got lit," said Denise Skalon, who has seven granddaughters. "The government should not be telling us what we can or cannot do."

Reach reporter Morgan Fischer at morgan.fischer@gannett.com or on X, formally known as Twitter, @morgfisch.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Jamie Raskin speaks on election denialism, democracy on Biden's behalf