An old video shows Democratic congressional candidate Marlene Galán-Woods on stage at former Republican Gov. Jan Brewer’s victory party on Election Night in 2010, the latest piece of evidence her opponents in the Democratic primary are using to question her Democratic credentials.
At a CD1 Democratic primary debate in May, Galán-Woods, a former Republican, fended off attacks from fellow candidate Conor O’Callaghan, who accused her of supporting Brewer over a decade ago.
“She gave money to Jan Brewer,” O’Callaghan said. “Jan Brewer, in addition to passing SB 1070, in addition to being anti-union, passed, at the time, one of the most draconian abortion laws in this country.”
Galán-Woods’ accused O’Callaghan of playing politics and misrepresenting her past.
“The Jan Brewer check was a $140 check 15 years ago, I don't remember it,” Galán-Woods said at the debate.
She later told reporters, “I never backed her.”
But a video, posted on the Wall Street Journal’s website, taken after Brewer defeated Democrat Terry Goddard in 2010, shows Galán-Woods standing behind Brewer alongside her husband, the late former Arizona Attorney General Grant Woods.
In the video, Galán-Woods can be seen clapping as Brewer celebrated Republican electoral victories that year and wrongly predicted Republicans would defeat then-President Barack Obama in 2012.
“Tonight we foreclosed on a house, the one that used to be run by Nancy Pelosi,” Brewer said. “And, you know what, and if the message doesn’t get through, there’s one more house at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue that will face foreclosure in another two years," Brewer said.
In a statement, Galán-Woods said it is no secret she used to be a Republican and that she attended the Brewer event to support her husband, who co-chaired Brewer’s campaign.
“These attacks are the behavior of a losing campaign grasping for relevance,” she said. “If my opponent is unwilling to welcome former Republicans and Independents to the Democratic Party, I'm not sure how he thinks he can win, let alone govern,” she said.
Galán-Woods defended her Democratic bona fides, citing endorsements from Democratic groups and officials, including Emily’s List, Attorney General Kris Mayes and former Gov. Janet Napolitano.
