Early ballots for the upcoming elections will be mailed out on October 7. The Arizona State Legislature is currently divided and under Republican control by a narrow margin. Republicans hold a two-seat majority in the State Senate, while in the State House of Representatives, they maintain a single-seat edge.
Arizona Democrats are pushing hard to seize the gavel in both chambers, giving them statewide control. At the same time, the Republican Party and right-leaning organizations are working to defend and expand their majorities.
Turning Point Action, for example, launched a major initiative called “Commit 100” as part of their broader “Chase the Vote” campaign aimed at mobilizing conservative voters in key battleground states like Arizona.
In the Arizona House of Representatives, where voters choose two representatives to serve each district, there are seven races that could decide which party will rule the chamber.
LD2: Republican Rep. Justin Wilmeth, Republican Ari Bradshaw, and Democrat Stephanie Simacek
Incumbent: Wilmeth
District: North Phoenix. This district leans Republican but is highly competitive.
Political analysts expect that incumbency will give the Republican team—comprised of Justin Wilmeth, Ari Bradshaw, and Senator Shawnna Bolick—an advantage in their race. Bradshaw emphasized in a recent interview with The Arizona Sun Times that his campaign is heavily focused on grassroots efforts, particularly door-knocking, to connect with voters directly.
On the Democratic side, the strategy differs as they are single-shooting with school teacher Simacek, who is running on a slate with well-known Senate candidate Judy Schwiebert. Schwiebert, who previously held this house seat, brings considerable recognition to the ticket. Notably, according to campaign documents, Simacek also holds a substantial monetary advantage in the race.
Bradshaw told The Sun Times, “I’ve knocked over 12,000 doors this cycle. Working hard to build a coalition of people who believe in doing the best for Arizona regardless of the national political and partisan rhetoric. I’m feeling good as we head into the final stretch! Remember – vote for two for State House!”
Wilmeth $97,609.00, Bradshaw $32,716.00, Simacek $152,127.00
LD4: Republican Rep. Matt Gress, Republican Pamela Carter, Democrat
Kelli Butler and Democrat Karen Gresham
Incumbent: Gress
District: North Phoenix, Scottsdale, and Paradise Valley. This district is highly competitive.
On the Republican ticket, incumbent Representative Matt Gress is running alongside Pamela Carter. According to his campaign page, Gress is a former policy adviser to Doug Ducey with a background in education. He is a fiscal conservative and is running on a banner of “independence.” Carter’s site says she is a fourth-generation Arizonan and formerly hosted a television program.
The Democrats, on the other hand, are fielding Kelli Butler and Karen Gresham. Butler is a former three-term state representative who, according to her website, has extensive experience in healthcare and education policy. Her running mate, Karen Gresham, is the current president of the Madison Elementary School District’s governing board and a strong advocate for public education, according to her campaign page.
Gresham has also made headlines for her stance on reproductive rights and her desire to reform the state’s educational funding, particularly targeting the Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program. At a campaign event, she said “We’re funding three systems right now: charter schools, public schools and the ESA system. So, we need to consolidate those and bring the funding back under the public school umbrella because it all falls into place after that.”
Gress $257,478.00, Carter $31,817.00, Butler $180,177.00, Gresham $167,282.00
LD9: Democrat Representative Lorena Austin, Democrat Seth Blattman, Republican Mary Ann Mendoza, and Republican Kylie Barber
Incumbents: Austin and Blattman
District: Mesa. This is highly competitive and leans Democratic
The race for Arizona’s Legislative District 9 (LD9) includes two Republican candidates, Mary Ann Mendoza and Kylie Barber, who bring distinct experiences and deep roots to the table.
Republican Mary Ann Mendoza is well-known in the district for her advocacy for public safety, particularly in the context of border security. According to a report by 12 News, Brandon Mendoza, a police officer with the Mesa Police Department in Arizona, was tragically killed in a car accident in 2014. The report states that Mendoza was on his way home from work when his vehicle was hit head-on by a driver who was driving the wrong way on the highway. The report further details that the driver, who was intoxicated and in the country illegally, had a history of criminal behavior and had not been deported despite previous encounters with law enforcement. Mary Ann Mendoza has been a national leader for border security but has also faced controversy over tweets and old photographs.
I have earned the right to my political opinion on Border Security.Politicians have made it political. My son became collateral damage & they don’t want to meet with me. They OWE AMERICANS everything they are providing for ILLEGAL ALIENS including PROTECTION 🤬 @realDonaldTrump pic.twitter.com/qawOtkWsWo
— mamendoza (@mamendoza602) March 2, 2024
According to her campaign page, Kylie Barber, the other Republican in the race, is a Mesa native with multiple advanced degrees in child development, children’s law, and international security.
Incumbents Seth Blattman and Lorena Austin are seeking reelection after their first term. Austin is most notable for “Drag Queen Story Hour” at the state legislature last session. The Democrats have a significant monetary advantage.
Democrat Rep. Lorena Austin deliberately misled House leadership to reserve a conference room to host a drag story hour with Planned Parenthood.
Use of House facilities for radical activism to promote dangerously perverse ideology will not be tolerated while I am Speaker.
As… pic.twitter.com/yuOnkjn8zR
— Ben Toma (@RepBenToma) April 30, 2024
Austin $106,799.00, Blattman $95,785.00, Mendoza $21,327.00, Barber $13,474.00
LD13: Republican Julie Willoughby, Republican Jeff Weninger, Democrat Nicholas Gonzales, and Green Party Cody Hannah
Incumbent: Willoughby
District: Chandler and Gilbert. This race is highly competitive.
Republican Julie Willoughby is the incumbent who was appointed after Liz Harris was expelled. Jeff Weninger is a former state representative. According to their campaign websites, they are running on platforms centered around economic growth, low taxes, and reduced regulations. On the Democratic side, Nicholas Gonzales emphasizes support for small businesses, affordable housing, and workforce development. At the same time, Green Party candidate Cody Hannah offers a progressive platform advocating for a Green New Deal, universal healthcare, and social justice.
Willoughby $45,230.00, Weninger $65,902.00, Gonzales $73,211.00, Hannah $402.00
LD16:Republicans Chris Lopez and Teresa Martinez are running against Democrat Keith Seaman
Incumbents: Martinez, Seamen
District: Casa Grande, Tucson, and Southwest Valley
Arizona’s Legislative District 16 race features Republicans Chris Lopez and Teresa Martinez against Democrat Keith Seaman. Lopez and Martinez are focusing on conservative priorities like low taxes, border security, and infrastructure improvements, particularly Highway 347. Seaman, an educator, emphasizes increased funding for public education, road safety, expanded healthcare access, and protecting voting rights.
Lopez $50,251.00, Martinez $58,282.00, Seaman $68,852.00
LD23: Democrats Mariana Sandoval and Matias Rosales are trying to unseat Michele Peña.
Incumbent: Sandoval and Peña
District: Yuma, Gina Bend, Goodyear, Tucson – strong Democrat
LD23 is a traditionally Democrat district. According to political insiders, Republican Michelle Peña won in 2022 by catching the Democrats off guard and using a single-shot strategy. It has been reported that the Democrats will throw a lot of money to unseat her.
The Arizona Sun Times spoke with Michelle Pena, who remains focused on door-knocking and engaging with LD23 constituents.
“People keep telling me prices are still too high,” Pena said. “They’re often shocked to see me knocking on their door, but it’s important for me to hear directly from them.” She is committed to continuing her work for the people of her district.
Newcomer Matias Rosales is running to unseat Peña. According to his campaign page, he is a member of the San Luis City Council and former vice mayor.
In her first term, Sandoval voted against SB 1063, which sought to prohibit local governments from imposing taxes on food and beverages intended for home consumption. The Arizona Free Enterprise Club quoted Republican Majority House Leader Biasiucci, “Removing the grocery tax would save hundreds of dollars per family. All the Democrats voted NO because they stated saving a family pennies would mean nothing. Proud to stand with my Republicans to remove the tax on groceries.” The bill was passed but vetoed by Hobbs.
Sandoval opposed HB 2586, a bill aimed at protecting children from harmful online content, including pornography. Hobbs also vetoed the bill, requiring age verification to access explicit material online.
SCR 1021 is a measure that will mandate life imprisonment for those convicted of child sex trafficking. Again, the Arizona Legislature approved it with bipartisan support, but Sandoval voted against it. This bill will be on the ballot in November.
Sandoval $60,777.00, Rosales $53,605.00, Peña $46,036.00
LD27: Republican Lisa Fink and Tony Rivero are running Democrat Deborah Howard
Incumbent: vacant seat
District: Peoria. This race leans Republican.
Republicans Lisa Fink and Tony Rivero are competing against Democrat Deborah Howard for seats in the state House of Representatives. Fink’s website says she is a conservative and community advocate who emphasizes protecting constitutional rights, improving education, and securing the economy by reducing government interference. Rivero, a former state representative with a record of supporting border security and taxpayer interests, is running on a platform of maintaining conservative values and promoting economic growth.
According to her campaign page, Howard is a community activist and breast cancer survivor who brings a background in public service and activism.
Fink $21,173.00, Rivero $2,309.00, Howard $87,423.00
The last day to register to vote is October 7. The General Election will be held on November 5.
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Christy Kelly is a reporter at The Arizona Sun Times and The Star News Network. Follow Christy on Twitter / X. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Arizona Capitol” by cmh2315fl. CC BY-NC 2.0.
