Dargon said the government shouldn’t be afraid to educate Arizonans on the times they have forcibly removed Native Americans, African Americans and even Japanese Americans during World War II, and relocated them to deplorable conditions.

“We do not have a pristine, shiny, history,” said Dargon. “But what country does? Every country goes through turmoil, whatever that might be. Like everyone else, acknowledge your dirty laundry and clean it.”

Police funding

“Yavapai County is a big area, and you have a lot of unincorporated towns like Rimrock, that do not have their own police force,” said Dargon.

She questions if Yavapai County has enough law enforcement to protect all its residents. She said she doesn’t think we are giving law enforcement all the tools and resources they need to serve communities most effectively.

“We need to fund our police; they don’t just need the equipment but the fellow personnel to manage all of the phone calls and issues coming in,” said Dargon. “If they are racing all around this area, whether it’s from Camp Verde to Rimrock to wherever, there’s got to be a time where one is an emergency and one is, ‘eh.’ What happens in those instances?”

Healthcare

“I remember, after COVID, there was only one gynecologist in this community, Dr. Reed, and I was very glad that he was mine,” said Dargon.

Dargon is also diagnosed with long COVID-19, and her doctors are in the Phoenix and Flagstaff area; she is thankful to be in the position to have health insurance and transportation but recognizes that not everyone has that luxury.

She said this loops back to bringing more of a workforce into the area to make up for the industries it lacks. But people aren’t going to move if the school districts don’t have the money to provide quality education. And the school districts won’t get adequate funding without local property taxes, which without housing, they won’t receive.

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“Not just for healthcare, but across the board, we need to make this a wonderful, sustainable place that people want to live in,” said Dargon. “Then we will get the professionals we need.”

She said Yavapai County needs to have enough providers to sustain its population, and currently, it does not.

“To me, it’s like a puzzle,” said Dargon. “You can’t separate the puzzle and look at all the pieces and know what the big picture is. We, as a society, in general, dissect things. All these pieces are interconnected; we have to support all of these systems.”

https://www.verdenews.com/news/christine-dargon-of-rimrock-announces-bid-for-state-senate-seat/article_a5f0b7fc-c06a-4551-841d-5fd5d1667e29.html

Local state senate candidate on gun laws, border, water and education
By OLIVIA MAILLET The Verde Independent Jul 1, 2025

COTTONWOOD – Christine Dargon announced that she is running for state senator for Legislative District 1, which includes Yavapai County.

In February 2020, the Yavapai County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to make Yavapai County a Second Amendment sanctuary. However, Governor Katie Hobbs has vetoed four pro-gun Senate bills as of May.

Hobbs also vetoed House Bill 2843 in early April, which would have made it legal for ranchers to shoot migrants trespassing their land. This was in the wake of George Alan Kelly, a rancher in Nogales, Arizona, shooting and killing a Mexican man who was crossing his property – Kelly’s trial began in late March. Dargon addresses gun laws and securing the border.

Dargon also said education and water sustainability are at the top of her issues list and address those as well. She said that the Arizona government has been trying to push school vouchers for years now and it is hurting public school students. She stated that Yavapai County needs to reassess its housing growth about water demand.

“I’m not a gun owner; I don’t want to be a gun owner,” said Dargon. “But am I pro-Second Amendment? Absolutely. People should have a right to hunt and protect their family.”

She said the issue is Arizona should have laws that have progressed because technology has progressed. She is in support of a background check.

“I don’t see what’s wrong with a 48-hour waiting period,” said Dargon. “How many people go in and buy a gun because they’re angry, impulsive? Well, if they had to wait 48 hours, how would that play out?”

Border security

“I am pro securing our border, but I think that we can do it humanely,” said Dargon.

Dargon said the process for immigrants to become citizens in the United States is too slow and expensive. She also said Yavapai County needs immigrants for Arizona’s large agriculture industry.

“People who do come here illegally are paid peanuts, but they work hard because it’s still better than where they’re coming from,” said Dargon. “They’re coming from places, where, because of the political volatility, these people’s lives are at risk. Why do you think parents are sending their kids? These stories are heart-wrenching.”

She said technology and manpower can be utilized at the border, but the process itself should be reevaluated, so people are encouraged to immigrate legally.

“We always say ‘Look what’s going across the border to Mexico,’ said Dargon. “Stuff is going both ways, whether it’s guns, fentanyl, an insecure border isn’t helpful for anybody.”

Education “We are unfortunately 50th in the amount of money we spend per student in the state of Arizona,” said Dargon. “Yes, education is about 51% of our state budget, but our taxes are low because there’s not a lot of money to play with.” She said higher education funding attracts teachers to come to work in Arizona. In terms of education spending, it’s not just the money that goes into the education itself – it’s such a broader issue. For example, Empowerment Scholarship Accounts, commonly known as school vouchers. “Say you had kids, and your kids were supposed to go to school in Sedona,” said Dargon. “If you wanted them to go to a private school instead, they (the government) would give you a voucher equivalent to the amount of money your student gets for that school and give it to the charter school or the private school instead.” Dargon said the vouchers pull money away from public schools that already have tight funding and give it to private and charter schools that are already funded privately. Water sustainability “Water is a vital resource, and in Arizona, obviously that is a big concern,” said Dargon.

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