August 5, 2026

Congressional Candidate Elizabeth Lee Joins Chandler Residents In Fight Against Flock

Chandler, Arizona – Nurse Elizabeth Lee, Democratic nominee for U.S. Congress in Arizona’s fifth congressional district, is joining Chandler residents to pressure the city council to drop its contract with Flock, a largely nonpartisan issue. She similarly spoke at a council meeting in December to oppose a data center, another topic the community says is deeply connected.

According to Gallup, 71% of Americans oppose new data center construction in their area, and Flock, along with other automated license plate reader (ALPR) cameras, is seen as a subject with comparably widespread agreement. With over 100,000 ALPRs nationwide, the system is often considered mass surveillance, and especially because this is all done without a warrant, groups like the ACLU characterize it as a blatant violation of privacy expectations under the 4th Amendment. The Chandler city council will vote on renewing their contract with Flock at the August 13 regular meeting. Lee, if elected, would represent parts of Chandler, and says this issue is important because “Our Fourth Amendment rights shouldn’t become optional when technology gets more sophisticated or because the ultra-rich see it as an opportunity for profit. What we are seeing unfold before us is the normalization of mass surveillance without transparency, without accountability, without public input, and without clear constitutional safeguards. Protecting individual liberties protects the American Dream.”

Importantly, the community’s argument against Flock is not anti-law enforcement; instead, they say the way Flock has been used and presented in Chandler is problematic. “The only way to stop this mass surveillance system, and the government’s involvement in it, is to stop our cities from signing away our rights through these contracts,” said Nathan Taylortaft, co-director of East Valley Unite. “Proponents of Flock will argue that we are on the side of crime, but it’s the opposite. Crime is being committed through Flock’s system, and we want that system ended through city ordinances, and laws protecting our privacy.”

In November, Elizabeth Lee will face Mark Lamb, the Trump-endorsed republican nominee currently deep in a sex scandal as reported by the Arizona Republic. Lamb is accused of covering up relationships by silencing women, threatening to use his authority and influence as Pinal County sheriff. Many East Valley residents also point out his residence in another state. “Mark Lamb is busy with his $3 million ranch in Tennessee, while Elizabeth Lee is fighting alongside voters to stop government overreach and the mass surveillance system of Flock, a nonpartisan issue”, one resident said, “This could not make it more clear how much one candidate cares about their community, and how much the other does not.”

East Valley Unite, the organization spearheading the campaign against ALPRs in Chandler, has endorsed Lee for these reasons. Lee is also endorsed by Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, Representatives Adelita Grijalva and Yassamin Ansari, and over two dozen other local, state, and nationwide endorsements. Amid a midterm election where Democrats have a lot of momentum nationwide, and some areas have seen up to 25 point swings to the left, many don’t see AZ-05 as a safe republican district anymore. Calls to vote by principle over party have been visible throughout the district, as voters grow sick of scandal-ridden candidates.

East Valley Unite says “Elizabeth Lee is using her growing platform to help communities fight these issues of unified opposition, specifically ALPR use and data center development, where establishment politicians on both sides of the political spectrum often fail to represent their constituents.” Lee has stated she takes no money from corporate PACs or AIPAC, saying this means she is only accountable to those she represents. Lee’s campaign is supporting the anti-ALPR effort in Chandler, and spreading the word about the council meeting to her supporters.

If Chandler cancels its Flock contract, it would be the largest city in the state to do so thus far.