Grant Winston, Administrative Law Judge

Grant Winston, an administrative law judge, is Gabrielle Giffords’ Supporter of the Week. A native of Kentucky, Grant has lived in Southern Arizona for ten years. “I can’t think of anyone who will do a better job for us in Washington” than Gabrielle Giffords, he said. “She’s stood up for labor rights, families, the environment, and for those in society who cannot help themselves.”

Grant grew up Owensboro, KY, a small town on the banks of the Ohio River that has many whiskey distilleries and tobacco farms. After graduating from Murray State Univ. in Kentucky with a degree in philosophy, he studied law at Northern Kentucky University.

He first practiced poverty law for five years, representing poor people in legal matters. “I enjoyed doing that,” Grant said. “Trying to help poor folks, when they’re in poverty and the deck is stacked against them, was very gratifying. It’s part of the pledge of allegiance — justice for all.”Subsequently, he worked as a staff attorney for the Kentucky Court of Appeals, and as a law clerk with the Kentucky Supreme Court. He later became Assistant Attorney General for the Commonwealth of Kentucky in the Civil Division.

Grant fell in love with Arizona on vacation, and decided to move here. So he studied for and passed the Arizona Bar exam, and moved to Yuma in 1996, where he became Asst. Attorney General in the Child Support Enforcement Division. Grant helped obtain child support payments against deadbeat parents, and enforced these orders. “I thought it was important work and it was consistent with my family values, as well as our Democratic values. Parents should live up to their obligations to support their families and children.”

He currently serves as an Administrative Law Judge in Tucson. He’s also a Democratic activist who serves as a Precinct Committeeman in his neighborhood in Marana.

His involvement in state government caused him to notice Gabrielle’s service in the Legislature. “I had heard about Gabrielle’s work, as well as her record,” Grant said. “She had a very good progressive record on what she’s standing for. The endorsements she’s received in this campaign are the fruits of that. She’s stood up for labor rights, families, the environment, and helping those in our society who cannot help themselves. Those are Democratic values, and those are the values I have.”

Grant has volunteered on other campaigns, including the Gore and Kerry campaigns. But he puts Gabrielle’s campaign on a different level. “I’ve not worked harder on a campaign,” he said. “I’ve not ever put more heart and soul into one.”

“I’ve seen what’s happened since 2000. We’re in danger of losing our democracy, and that’s not hyperbole,” he said. “I’m tired of a government that’s run in secret, for the benefit of corporations and multimillionaires. The legislative branch is supposed to be a watchdog of the executive branch. But there’s been no Congressional oversight.”

Grant sees Gabrielle Giffords’ campaign as part of the national effort for a new direction in Washington. “We have to take back Congress,” Grant says. “You do that one seat at a time, and the race I can most impact is this one.”

Grant has been married to his wife, Dina, for five years. He is an avid reader, and loves to travel.