Tea partier legally changes name to Cesar Chavez and switches party affiliation to run in Hispanic district

PHOENIX, June 2 (UPI) -- A failed tea party candidate has legally changed his name to Cesar Chavez and is running for Congress again as a Democrat. Along with changing his name and party affiliation, Chavez has again filed to run for Democrat Rep. Ed Pastor's soon-to-be-vacant congressional seat in Arizona's largely Hispanic 7th Congressional District.

A two-time political loser, formerly known as Scott Fistler, lost a 2012 write-in campaign against Pastor before losing a year later to Pastor's daughter for a seat on Phoenix's city council.

In his petition to change his name to that of deceased civil rights leader Cesar Chavez, the now-Democrat wrote that he had "experienced many hardships because of my name."

Chavez justified his new identity, saying his name is now plastered all over the area and world, something he has no hesitations promoting with out-of-context pictures on his Blogspot-hosted campaign website.

"It's almost as simple as saying Elvis Presley is running for president," Chavez said in an interview with AZcentral.com. "You wouldn't forget it, would you?"

Chavez is declining further interviews, forgetting what month it is and saying in a statement, "There is just simply not enough Cesar Chavez to go around. We may resume questions starting May 10 [sic]."