Healthcare Rising Arizona (also known as Arizonans Fed Up with Failing Healthcare) is a left-of-center political committee and membership organization focused on supporting Arizona state ballot propositions related to abortion, health care, and labor issues. ¹

Background

Healthcare Rising Arizona (also known as Arizonans Fed Up with Failing Healthcare) was launched on August 26, 2019 and incorporated that year as a tax-exempt 501(c)(4) nonprofit political advocacy organization with an address in Tempe, Arizona by government relations lawyer James Barton. In that capacity, the organization filed annual statements with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) until 2023. As of 2025, however, the organization is no longer listed among the IRS’s list of tax-exempt organizations. Additionally, during that period, newspaper coverage characterized the organization or an affiliated entity of the same name as a political committee. As of March 2025, Healthcare Rising Arizona describes its status as a “nonpartisan membership organization.” ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Policies

Healthcare Rising Arizona supports left-of-center State of Arizona ballot propositions. In the past, the organization has supported Proposition 139, the Arizona Abortion Access Act, which affirmed a right to an abortion per Arizona’s constitution; Proposition 209, the Predatory Debt Collection Protection Act, which capped medical debt interest rates in Arizona at three percent; and Proposition 206, the Minimum Wage and Paid Time Off Act, which raised the Arizona minimum wage from $8.05 to $12.00 and mandated paid sick time for Arizona employees. ⁶

Financials

As of December 31, 2024, Healthcare Rising Arizona had received $5,761,365.10 in contributions from the SEIU United Healthcare Workers West Political Issues Committee as well as $42,181.92 from left-of-center public relations firm GMMB Consulting. ⁷ Additionally as of December 2024 date, the organization has also made over $5,845,671 in expenditures, a sum largely constituted by payments amounting to $5,000,000 to Arizona for Abortion Access, $806,365.10 to SEIU United Healthcare Workers West Political Issues Committee, and $25,908.63 to Barton Mendez Soto PLLC, the firm at which Healthcare Rising Arizona’s incorporator is a partner. ^{8 3 9}

As of March 2025, Healthcare Rising Arizona claims to have over 2,000 dues-paying members who have either made a one-time payment or make regular payments on a monthly or annual basis. ¹

Leadership

James “Jim” Barton is the incorporator of Healthcare Rising Arizona and a partner of Barton Mendez Soto. Previously, Barton represented the Citizens Clean Elections Commission, was an assistant attorney general in the Arizona Secretary of State’s Solicitor General’s Office, a member of the Open Meeting Law Enforcement Team in the State of Arizona, a clerk for former Arizona Chief Justice Ruth McGregor, and a submarine warfare officer in the United States Navy. ^{3 10}

Jennifer “Jenny” David is the chairperson and a director of Healthcare Rising Arizona as well as a family nurse practitioner for Valle del Sol Community Health in Arizona. Previously, David served as an officer in the U.S. Army Nurse Corps. ^{11 9 4}

1. “Frequently Asked Questions.” Healthcare Rising Arizona. Accessed March 3, 2025. https://www.healthcarerisingaz.org/faq/.
2. “Arizonans Fed Up With Failing Healthcare Healthcare Rising Az.” ProPublica. Accessed March 3, 2025. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/843124612.
3. “Jim Barton.” Barton Mendez Soto. Accessed March 3, 2025.   https://www.bartonmendezsoto.com/about-us/jim-barton/.
4. Nintzel, Jim. “A checkup on the Healthcare Rising Arizona initiative with campaign chair Jenny David.” Inside Tucson Business. December 20, 2019. Accessed March 3, 2025. https://www.insidetucsonbusiness.com/news/a-checkup-on-the-healthcare-rising-arizona-initiative-with-campaign-chair-jenny-david/article_bbc92ec6-21d7-11ea-be80-0bcd08053e4f.html.
5. “New Grassroots Advocacy Group Files 2020 Ballot Initiative to Improve Health and Hospital Care.” Healthcare Rising Arizona. August 26, 2019. Accessed March 3, 2025. https://www.healthcarerisingaz.org/news/new-grassroots-advocacy-group-files-2020-ballot-initiative-to-improve-health-and-hospital-care/.
6. “Our Impact.” Healthcare Rising Arizona. Accessed March 3, 2025. https://www.healthcarerisingaz.org/our-wins/.
7. “Arizonans Fed up with Failing Healthcare (Healthcare Rising AZ) Arizona Committee: Contributions.” Transparency USA. Accessed March 3, 2025. https://www.transparencyusa.org/az/committee/arizonans-fed-up-with-failing-healthcare-healthcare-rising-az-100082-pac/contributors.
8. “Arizonans Fed up with Failing Healthcare (Healthcare Rising AZ) Arizona Committee: Expenditures.” Transparency USA. Accessed March 3, 2025. https://www.transparencyusa.org/az/committee/arizonans-fed-up-with-failing-healthcare-healthcare-rising-az-100082-pac/payees.
9. Arizonans Fed Up With Failing Healthcare Healthcare Rising Az. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax. (Form 990), 2023. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/843124612/202423209349328377/full.
10. Arizonans Fed Up With Failing Healthcare Healthcare Rising Az. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax. (Form 990), 2019. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/843124612/202423209349328377/full.
11. “Meet Jennifer Davis, FNP, our … ” Instagram: Valle de Solaz. March 18, 2024. Accessed March 3, 2025. https://www.instagram.com/valledelsolaz/p/C4qX9i5Mjd1/?hl=tl.