Former Arizona GOP Candidate Changes Name to Cesar Chavez for Congressional Race

Jun 2, 2014
3:22 PM

This has to be a joke.

We just got this tweet from a follower:

So we clicked on the story. Apparently… it’s true. Just look at the ballot.

CesarChavez

Here is what the Capitol Times story said about Scott Fistler, a former Republican who has officially changed his name to Cesar Chavez and is now running as a Democrat in the race for Arizona’s 7th Congressional district:

After petitioning a state superior court last November and paying $319, Fistler now legally shares the name of the celebrated labor movement icon, Cesar Chavez. Earlier this year, Chavez (formerly Fistler) became a Democrat, and – before Ed Pastor announced his retirement from Congress – filed to run in the heavily Hispanic 7th Congressional District.
In his petition for a name change, Fistler wrote that he had “experienced many hardships because of my name.”
Chavez did not respond to requests for a comment, other than to email the Arizona Capitol Times to say that because of how “flooded with calls and emails” his campaign has been, he is taking a break from media queries.
“There is just simply not enough Cesar Chavez to go around,” he wrote. “We may resume questions starting May 10 [sic].”

Fistler, uhh, Chavez, even has a campaign page on Blogspot. His site also shows image of former Venezuelan leader Hugo Chávez.

This can’t be real. It has to be a joke. Look like it isn’t. Watch this:

The Raw Story reported what one of Fistler’s, uhh, Chavez’s opponents said:

Mary Rose Wilcox, another Democrat candidate looking to represent Arizona’s 7th District, told the Capitol Times that she “thinks that’s really poor taste.”

“My husband and I grew up under the leadership of Cesar Chavez (the labor leader) and he means so much to our community,” she said. “Voters aren’t going to be fooled. If he thinks he can fool them, it’s a real affront to the community. He should be ashamed.”

Fistler, uhh, Chavez, ran twice as a Republican in the district, but he lost. Twice.

By the way, Fistler, uhh, Chavez, will take media requests but will not address the name change.

What a dick.