Arizona Republican longtime Gilbert resident Andrew Jackson told The Arizona Sun Times that he officially announced his candidacy for a run for the Arizona House of Representatives to represent Legislative District 14 (LD) in 2024.
“Yes, it is now official. I’m running. I’m a candidate for the Arizona House of Representatives (representing Gilbert) in 2024,” Jackson told The Sun Times.
Last week, Jackson told The Arizona Sun Times that he was “very close to running” and would make a candidacy announcement “soon.”
Jackson told The Sun Times that he did not originally intend to run to represent LD 14; however, another candidate in his district asked him to “seriously consider it,” which opened the door. Jackson noted he has internally had conversations with Senate President Warren Petersen (R-Gilbert) and State Representative Laurin Hendrix (R-Gilbert) about his candidacy and has received nothing but support.
“There has been so much confirmation that I can bring something to the table in Arizona at this time,” Jackson said.
According to Jackson, his experience pastoring large congregations of people, exposure to other cultures and political systems, education, and relationships with Arizona’s lawmakers through his interviews will make him a good political leader.
Jackson told The Sun Times that as a state representative, he wants to play a role in bridging some of the gaps among the members of the Republican Party and help bring “relational unity” to the Republican Party.
“The Republican Party has some factions to it. It hurt us in the midterms. Not legislatively but there has been some name-calling and labeling where people get emotionally hurt. I’ve interviewed many of them and I have good relationships with them. I think I could play a role in bridging some of the gaps that exist. I think relational unity is the key,” Jackson said.
According to Jackson, sometimes state representatives aren’t engaged with their city, and he “wants to get involved in Gilbert’s development and be involved in representing them.”
Some of Jackson’s policy commitments include following the U.S. and Arizona constitutions, advocating for families, protecting children, protecting the right to bear arms, protecting all human life, standing against biological men competing in women’s sports, advocating for border security, and protecting Gilbert from the government growth, intrusive policies, and increased taxes of Maricopa County.
Jackson is now running to take the seat of State Representative Travis Grantham (R-Gilbert), who is terming out of his seat.
Jackson is a pastor, teacher, and author who has lived in Gilbert for the last 28 years. He earned his Master of Divinity from Fuller Theological Seminary, and his specialized Doctor of Ministry in the “History of Church Renewal Movements” from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. He served as a senior teaching pastor at two large churches, as an adjunct seminary professor, and taught world religion courses at two colleges. Jackson leads annual tours in Israel and Turkey and has authored eight books. He has gained political notoriety for his longstanding Twitter Space interviews of Arizona’s lawmakers and candidates.
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Hannah Poling is a lead reporter at The Ohio Star, The Star News Network, and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Hannah on Twitter @HannahPoling1. Email tips to [email protected]
Photo “Andrew Jackson” by Andrew Jackson. Background Photo “Arizona Capitol” by Gage Skidmore. CC BY-SA 2.0.
