Cesar Chavez Running For Congress In Arizona?

While he may not be the iconic labor leader, Cesar Chavez is indeed running for congress. What’s surprising about the candidate from Arizona’s heavily Latino 7th congressional district, however, is that he has run twice before for the GOP.

As “Scott Fistler.”

According to a report in The Daily Beast, Fistler, 38, petitioned an Arizona state superior court last November, claiming “many hardships” because of his name. For the sum of $319 dollars, he was granted the new moniker of Cesar Chavez, and in February, he filed paperwork to run in the 7th district’s Democratic primary, which takes place on August 26th.

It isn’t the first foray into politics for Chavez. As Scott Fistler, Chavez previously ran two unsuccessful efforts, first a write-in congressional campaign in 2012, then losing a bid for a spot on the Phoenix city council. It was after those losses that Chavez decided to change his party affiliation, as well as his name.

The Arizona Capitol Times reports that Chavez’s website, Chavez for Congress, which is now a bare-bones blogspot page, was previously “covered” in pictures of supporters. The only problem, however, is that the images were actually of people rallying in support of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, despite captions that read “Sign: Vote for Chavez 2014.” The website also states that the candidate is taking “a much needed break” until June 15th.

State Democrats say they have been looking into Chavez’s FEC filings, in which he identified his party affiliation as “DEM.” Chavez also changed that affiliation to Democrat on April 28, after filing his Statement of Candidacy in February. Arizona Democratic Party chairman DJ Quinlan accused Chavez of “trying to make a mockery of the system,” while pointing out that there may be legal issues for Chavez as well:

“There are two questions: Is it a problem for the FEC that he said he was a Democrat when he wasn’t? And is it a problem for the state if he was collecting signatures to run in a Democratic primary while he was a Republican?”

Alejandro Chavez, grandson of the famed activist and leader, also spoke to the Capitol Times, expressing how he felt about the candidate’s attempt to appropriate his grandfather’s name:

“The people who do carry on his legacy shine. Those who try to ride his coattails for a political agenda, it’s apparent. You just kind of have to brush it off.”

Cesar Chavez remains an icon in Latino communities, despite his death at age 66 in 1993. As The Inquisitr previously reported, in October of 2012, President Obama announced the creation of a national monument honoring Cesar Chavez.

[Images via Daily News and Arizona Capitol Times]