WASHINGTON – Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema will be joined by military man-turned lobbyist Ted Maxwell to join her for the State of the Union address. Senator Martha McSally will be joined by Hope Harrison, the widow of Dustin Harrison, a pilot who was killed by Somali militants in January.
Maxwell serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of SALC (Southern Arizona Leadership Council), serving the interests of some of largest corporations in southern Arizona. In that role, he has advocated tirelessly for publicly funded assistance to private companies and regressive tax increases.
Prior to taking the reins at SALC, Maxwell served as the Commander of the Arizona Air National Guard.
In a tweet, Sinema praised Maxwell of his work expanding “opportunities in Tucson and across our state.”
Last month, McSally called for improved security for U.S. assets in Africa following the Jan. 5 terrorist attack on a U.S. airfield in Kenya that left three Americans dead, including Mr. Harrison.
“Earlier this month, we tragically lost Dustin Harrison in a terrorist attack in Kenya,” McSally said in a press release. “I am honored to be joined by his wife, Hope Harrison, for President Trump’s 2020 State of the Union speech. The Arizona community has rallied around Hope and their 2-year-old daughter Heaven and I want them to know that the nation stands by them too. We will not forget the sacrifice Dustin made for his country and pledge to honor his life and service.”
“I am beyond honored and humbled to have been invited to attend the State of the Union address as Martha McSally’s guest in honor of my beloved husband and America’s silent hero, Dustin Harrison,” Harrison said. “This will not bring my husband back, but I pray this will help bring comfort to our daughter when she is old enough to understand the honor and respect her father was given. Thank you, Martha McSally, for your service to our country and your kindness to my husband, myself, and our daughter.”