Hi, I'm Delina DiSanto
ABOUT DELINA
Delina DiSanto is a former Democratic candidate for Arizona's 1st Congressional district against David Schweikert and is considering another run against him in 2024.
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Born in Long Branch, New Jersey, Delina was raised on democratic values by her strong, independent mother, and Irish immigrant grandmother. Delina adopted values of meaningful relationships, honesty, earned trust, accountability and a strong work ethic from the strong women in her household.
In the early 1990’s, Delina and her family moved to Durango, Colorado. She started a construction business with her husband and became active in politics. Her political mentor for many years, Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell, taught her the value of working on both sides of the aisle, coming up with sensible compromises and looking at legislation through the eyes of a constituent. When working for Senator Campbell, she was tasked with reviewing legislation, offering advice, speaking at engagements on his behalf, and advocating for water rights in Colorado. Of course, they didn’t always see eye-to-eye, but Delina can work with both sides of the aisle to get work done for constituents.
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In addition, Delina worked as a Finance Director in several hospitals. As a Finance Director, she saw the financial burden that healthcare costs cause to families, saw it tear families apart and even witnessed people die due to cancer when they couldn’t afford treatments. She is a Registered Nurse, graduating from Arizona State University Cum Laude. Her passion is health care and believes that it is a right, not a privilege. When it comes to making decisions, she keeps this in mind – advocating for what people need and deserve.
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Delina resides in a small community north of Cave Creek with her husband, Dave, her dog, Archie, and her cat, Simba. She and Dave are "empty nesters" and have two children, David and Dakota, who also reside in Arizona.
MESSAGE FROM DELINA
When I was a kid, my mother was a single parent, who at first worked as a waitress seven days a week until she was able to find a company building computer chips for our government. That job paid a living-wage to raise seven children, pay the mortgage, pay utilities and put food on our table. It was hard on her and these were hard times on our family. I remember there were hand-me-downs and many times putting cardboard in the soles of our shoes when the soles wore out. Days with no heat or hot water. A car always breaking down. Watching my exhausted mom get up every morning to go to work for her family. And luckily, my Irish immigrant grandmother who was able to bring compassion and strength into our home as our caregiver. These incredibly strong women brought me up to be the woman I am today.
I’ve worked for hospitals as a finance director. I saw women with breast cancer give up their cancer treatments because they didn’t want to be a burden to their family or their community and they died. Today, as a Registered Nurse, I see this on the frontlines. I’ve talked with people whose income is over $1 or $2 to qualify for Medicaid, so they cannot get the healthcare necessary for them to care for their children and/or their parents. They push themselves to death. I will not stand back and continue to allow this to happen – we must find a better solution for Americans.
I worked as a Senate Aide for my mentor, former U.S. Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell. I held town halls across Colorado and listened and helped constituents with their federal issue concerns. I went to DC and learned about federal issues and how to work across the aisle to get bills passed to help constituents and our nation. Helping constituents with Medicare, Social Security, Veterans issues, infrastructure, environmental issues, water issues, mining issues, public lands and BLM lands, bringing concerns from American Indian tribes to Senator Campbell, National Security, grants and so much more.
I’ve talked with Arizonans and many Americans across our nation who continue to struggle. People who still have no health insurance, who are very concerned about our children and public school funding, and who are concerned about our water and our environment.
These issues make me sad, but it makes me want to work even harder to be a voice for those who feel voiceless. As the strong woman my mom and grandmother raised me to be, I am determined to do my part to make this country what I know it should be. I am running to defeat Rep. David Sweikert because he is not concerned about these issues. He’s a partisan hack whose oath means nothing to him to protect our constitution and stand with Arizonans who want nothing else to live their life, have a quality-of-life, and know there are leaders who have a strong voice and will stand for them.
That is who I am. I stand for Arizonans and our nation.