Justin Pierce

Republican
Candidate for Arizona House in Legislative District 25
Phone: (480) 776-9343
Email: justin@justinpierceforarizona.com
Website: www.justinpierceforarizona.com
7406 E Nora St, Mesa, AZ 85207.

Age: 37. (01/06/75, Mesa, AZ).

Arizona since: Birth.

Occupation: Labor and employment attorney, Jackson Lewis, LLP, since 2010; Ford & Harrison, LLP, 2007-2010; Lewis and Roca LLP, 2004-2007; judicial law clerk, the Honorable Charles E. Jones, Chief Justice of the Arizona Supreme Court, 2003-2004.

Marital: Married (Cortney, homemaker).

Children: 4.

Religious preference: LDS.

Education: J.D., Georgetown University Law Center, 2003; B.S., accountancy, ASU, 2000.

Political experience: Precinct committeeman since 1993; vice-chair and area leader, LD 19 Executive Bd; assisted in various volunteer capacities for multiple Republican candidates running for various offices over the last 20 years.

Legis exp: House since 2011. Appointed 5/25/11 to replace Kirk Adams.

Memberships: Federalist Society, J. Reuben Clark Law Society, State Bar of Arizona.

Interests: Outside of politics and law, I enjoy spending time with my wife and four children, especially in the Rim Country of Northern Arizona. I also enjoy playing the guitar, working out, and participating in various sports.

Political influence: Ronald Reagan. I became a fan of the president at an early age. I have read much about the life of this great man and am convinced that his integrity, love of country, and understanding of, and ability to communicate, the proper role of government made him one of the greatest presidents our country has ever known.

Job creation measures: I would support the elimination of the state capital gains tax as a way to encourage investment in Arizona, which in turn should cause the private sector to expand and create jobs. Additionally, I believe that lowering, flattening, and possibly eliminating the individual income tax will bring business to Arizona and spur job creation.

Top Issues: I will concentrate my efforts toward reforming our state tax policy and working toward improving educational opportunities for both children and adults.

Prop 100 sales tax extension: I oppose extending the tax. First, a promise is a promise, and the tax was sold to the voters as a temporary measure. Efforts to extend the tax would be nothing more than a “bait and switch” and would lessen the public’s already low confidence in public leaders to do what they say they are going to do. But aside from the promise of the tax being temporary, Arizona has one of the highest sales tax rates in the country. We cannot tax ourselves into prosperity, and I will always work toward easing the tax burden on our citizens.

Illegal immigration: With the passage of laws like SB 1070, I believe most of what can be done to address this situation on the state level has been done. But that does not mean we do nothing. The border must be secured, and we’ve shown that it can be done. That’s going to require cooperation from the federal government. Consequently, we need to work with federal leaders to ensure, among other things, that the funds necessary to secure the border, which includes funds necessary to finish the fence, comes to Arizona.

Background & experience: Aside from the fact that I am a sitting legislator, my business and legal education, together with my real world experience as a judicial law clerk at the Arizona Supreme Court and now a partner in one of the largest law firms in the country, has given me a unique perspective on the law, which I believe is valuable to my constituents and Arizona as a whole.

Pro-life / pro-choice: The first of the “self-evident” unalienable rights listed in the Declaration of Independence is the right to life. Thus, I am unapologetically pro-life and will always stand between the abortioner’s knife and the innocent baby to protect that baby’s right to life.

One last thing: Outside of politics, I have served in various capacities working on behalf of charitable organizations as well as a basketball and soccer coach to young kids. My prior service should give the voters confidence that they will be represented by someone who cares deeply about our community.

Campaign finance: private.