Scott Fistler, a Democratic candidate for Arizona’s 7th Congressional District seat, has changed his name to Cesar Chavez in a desperate bid to win over voters in his largely Hispanic community.
Mr. Fistler, who ran unsuccessfully twice as a Republican, will run under the name of the famed labor leader this time, and if he makes it onto the ballot, he’ll be in a six-way race for Rep. Ed Pastor’s seat, Fox News reported.
“It’s almost as simple as saying Elvis Presley is running for president,” Mr. Chavez, the candidate, told The Arizona Republic. “You wouldn’t forget it, would you?”
“People want a name that they can feel comfortable with,” he said. “If you went out there running for office and your name was Bernie Madoff, you’d probably be screwed.”
Cesar Chavez, the Mexican-American civil rights leader, co-founded the National Farm Workers Association and was strongly supported and promoted by the American labor movement.
Mr. Chavez told the newspaper that his stunt was in hope of better name recognition among voters.
“It’s really sad. I’m still kind of invisible to the media right now,” he said.
The candidate filed a name-change petition last November with Maricopa County Superior Court, but he would not confirm to The Republic that he officially changed his name.
He would also not confirm whether he is Hispanic: “I like to look at people as Americans and citizens of the world.”
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.