Alphie Smith
The Democratic Club of Quail Creek (DCQC) held their monthly meeting in the Kino Center on Aug. 16 at 3 p.m. The featured speaker was Dr. Teresa (Terry) Leyba Ruiz. She is a candidate for Arizona’s Superintendent of Public Instruction. Ruiz will be on the ballot in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. She is running against three other candidates, including incumbent Thomas Horne.
Ruiz grew up attending schools in South Phoenix, and she received her doctorate degree in education from Arizona State University. Her career spans 35 years: math teacher in the classroom for 23 years, eighth president of Glendale Community College (2018-2022), and senior vice president for Education Forward Arizona, leading education advocacy efforts for the nonprofit group.
Ruiz retired from her career in education to run for Superintendent of Public Instruction, believing that public education deserves to be protected to uplift all children and young adults. For Ruiz, education matters and our students matter. She is an advocate for full funding of education across the state. If public dollars are spent on private schools, charter schools, and home schooling, then there must be public accountability and oversight in all these sectors, not just the public schools.
Ruiz is energetic and a passionate advocate for public education. She is committed to protecting it for future generations.
Also presenting at the DCQC meeting was Quail Creek resident and science educator John Murphy. His Green Valley Opinion “What Loss of Science Means for Us” appeared in the Arizona Daily Star on Aug. 15, 2025.
Both Ruiz and Murphy generated discussion and questions from a large audience, some of whom were former teachers.
In September DCQC will hold two meetings. On Sept. 13 the club welcomes three University of Arizona Young Democrats, committed to building a more equitable and engaged democracy. On Sept. 20 Dr. Michael Brescia will return to talk about water rights in the American West.
The Women in Blue held a breakfast at Arizona Family Restaurant on Aug. 28. The guest speaker was Charlene Fernandez from Yuma County. She is a candidate for the Arizona Democratic Party chair.
For more information about the Democratic Club of Quail Creek, go to our website at www.dcqc.page.