Fountain Hills resident and former Republican Linda Somo was recently awarded the Outstanding Democrat Award by the Fountain Hills Democratic Club (FHDC) during the club’s Nov. 14 meeting.

Somo spent much of her adult life as a Republican and ran for State House as a Republican in 2000, according to FHDC Spokesperson Kathy Schanus-Gohl.

She lost to her then next-door neighbor and friend, incumbent Marilyn Jarrett from Mesa, Schanus-Gohl said.

Somo previously worked as a Republican Precinct Committeeperson (PC) and was friends with Jeff Flake, Rusty Bowers and Bob Worsley.

Senator Flake used to refer to her as “his favorite union thug,” according to Schanus-Gohl. Somo promoted public education from within the Republican party, “which was the only way to have a voice in her previous Mesa Legislative District,” Schanus-Gohl said.

“However, when the Tea Party took over her Mesa Republican Party District in 2010, Linda registered as an Independent. After the 2016 election and the rise of the MAGA movement, she knew she could no longer return to her party,” Schanus-Gohl said.

Somo moved to Fountain Hills in 2017 and after just a few months of attending FHDC meetings, she registered as a Democrat, began volunteering and soon became a PC.

Somo has appeared in four political ads for Democratic causes and has been a public servant all her life. She taught secondary English for nine years and became a school counselor, spending 29 years working in public schools.

Her favorite part of teaching? “Seeing the light bulb turn on when I have successfully explained a concept.”

As a counselor, she loved helping kids and “boosting them up.”

Somo and her husband recently celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary.

Beyond volunteering for every event and club meeting and working as a PC, Somo has advocated for public education for decades as an Arizona Education Association officer and board member through her retirement, joining the Retired Teachers Union and becoming state president in 2006.

Somo provides seminars on teacher retirement and advocates to protect pensions and medical benefits for all Arizona State Retirement System members, said Schanus-Gohl.

She is a member of the AZ Retirement Security Coalition, which monitors the Legislature for bills affecting retirement and pension funds.

Somo is president of the Arizona Alliance for Retired Americans where she advocates for Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and senior pension, lobbying for laws and rights for seniors.

Somo recently returned from Washington, D.C., where she worked with lobbyists and other state presidents to call for continued funding for Social Security and Medicare.

Somo says she feels at home in the Fountain Hills Democratic Party.