Vicini, Cara

Running For:

State Senate

District:

12

Political Affiliation:

Republican

Phone:

(602) 300-5294

Age:

58

Occupation:

SAP Functional Consultant

Education:

Bergen Community College - Microsoft, Networking, Information Technology | Rio Salado College - Microsoft Expert Master Certification, Information Technology

Family:

Mother, Sandra Vicini / Father, Ovidio Vicini / Sister, Liza Musarra

Biographical Info:

I have lived in Ahwatukee for 20 years. I was born in New York and grew up in the great sunshine state of Florida. I am proud and grateful to call Arizona my home.

I began my professional career working as a licensed insurance representative in Kendall, Florida. I also managed and forecasted annual budgets for buildings and corporate centers in Miami and Aventura, Florida. When technology changed the way we do our jobs, I pursued computer technical courses and other specialized training. Today, I have a niche skillset as an SAP Functional Consultant. My forte is solving complex problems, building lasting relationships and delivering solid results with a proven track record of unwavering accountability.

In 2011 alongside my amazing dog Astro, whom we found as a 5-month-old lost puppy, I started a personal charity that was a gift of love to our beautiful communities of Ahwatukee, Chandler, Tempe and Mesa.

Astro performed high flying skateboard stunts and tricks, while providing family fun entertainment for the children at the Ronald McDonald House and Phoenix Children’s Hospital, as well as residents and caregivers at retirement homes and other venues in the valley. We continued this spirit for 13 years and were humbled to see how children and parents were impacted by our loving dog Astro.

When the pandemic started in 2020, I began to look for a way to help. Through careful research and analysis, I came up with a strategy and plan to improve our health and well-being. I turned an idea into reality which eventually became an online business making artisan soaps and all natural beauty products, avoiding the use of pesticides and chemicals that are harmful to the body.

Statement:

After the November 2020 general election, I made the effort to keep my finger on the pulse of geopolitical events that took center stage in the world. The political landscape was forever changing the course of American history, and not in a positive way. I was emboldened to make a difference in our community and our state. I sensed our country was headed in the wrong direction and I wanted to serve our community by helping navigate a solid path back on the right track.

In June of 2023, while considering the future of our country and especially Arizona, I noticed there was no Republican candidate running for the office of State Senator in my community of Ahwatukee, which is legislative district 12. So, I stepped into the ring and decided to run.

At the state level I could clearly see how the legislature was deciding priorities and laws that adversely affected our local communities, especially our children. Many of these legislations were disconnected with my neighbor’s values and common-sense approach towards governance. Something was very wrong.
My platform consists of putting our state and local communities first; Protect our most vulnerable from the dangers of violence and abuse; Keep our borders safe and secure; Eliminate poisons and harmful chemicals from the ground, air, food and water supply.

One of our priorities should be developing strategies to properly educate our children and support families that need assistance.
U.S. News & World Report from 2023 states Arizona is ranked 45th out of 50 states for overall education and 48th for Pre-K-12. The graduation rate was 77.3%, which is below the national average of 86.5%.

Arizona ranks 49th in the state’s annual “Making the Grade” report, which analyzes public education funding. The per-pupil spending of $10,670 is $5,461 below the national average, and the state ranks last in funding effort, based on a 2023 report from Education Law Center.

The Heritage Foundation reports Arizona ranks 32nd in the state’s combined fourth through eighth-grade math and reading average NAEP scores. The state of Arizona spends the 49th most per-pupil among states, at a $10,835 in cost-of-living- adjusted terms annually.

Arizona also has an overall ranking of 44 for the state’s “quality of education”. Clearly, these results are unacceptable and there is a lot of work to be done. Our children are the most important priority we have as a state and a nation. We must protect our future generations with vigilance.

Arizona should be using education as a tool for higher learning, not for indoctrination. My focus is to spotlight education pitfalls, advocate for fiscal oversight and support school choice, charter schools and the Empowerment Scholarship Program.

Endorsements:

Arizona List, AZ Women of Action, Arizona Education Association (AEA), Save our Schools Arizona, Arizona Police Association, AZ AFL-CIO