Legislative District 22 Voting History

CURRENT LEGISLATORS

Senate
Thayer Verschoor (R)
Gilbert;
owner of EZ-Pack and Mail, business consultant.
Termed out in 2010.

House
Andy Biggs (R)
Gilbert;
retired attorney.
Termed out in 2010.

Laurin Hendrix (R)
Gilbert;
owner of Mesa-based cabinetry shop.
Termed out in 2016.

VOTING HISTORY

When the Independent Redistricting Commission drew boundaries of LD-22 in 2002, the historical partisan voting pattern in the district was 64 percent Republican and 35 percent Democrat. In the 2004 presidential election, Bush did even better, defeating Kerry in the district 66 percent to 34 percent. In 2008, McCain slightly underperformed, getting 62 percent if the vote to Obama’s 36.7 percent.

In the gubernatorial election of 2006, Napolitano out-polled Munsil by 8 percentage points, the fourth-smallest margin in the state. Likewise, the margin of victory of the amendment to prohibit illegal immigrants from suing for punitive damages was one of the largest in the state. In the same year, the approval margin for the union-sponsored minimum wage initiative was the third-smallest in the state.

Though the broader marriage amendment in 2006 was defeated statewide (48 percent to 52 percent), it was successful in the district by almost 13.5 percentage points. The narrower marriage amendment on the ballot in 2008 was approved in this district by almost 25 percentage points, one of the largest margins in the state.

In the 2008 race for the 6th Congressional District, Republican Jeff Flake’s margin of victory over Democrat Rebecca Schneider (30.3 percentage points) exceeded his margin in the entire congressional district (27.8 percentage points).

FINAL ANALYSIS

This is a reliably Republican district, and it has elected only Republicans to the Legislature since 2002. All three current members of the district’s delegation can be said to adhere to the principles of fiscal and social conservatism that appeal to most voters in this district.

In the legislative elections in this district since 2002, Democrats have fielded candidates only half the time. In one additional election for the House, the sole Democrat failed as a write-in to qualify for the general election ballot.

The only time Democrats have challenged for the House since 2002, they single-shot Glenn Ray in 2008 when there was a vacant seat. He lost to Laurin Hendrix by more than 9 percentage points (15,694 votes). In the two contested Senate races, Democrats were defeated by 22 and 18 points respectively.

Sometimes, a primary contest is waged between two Republicans with the primary issue being who is the better conservative. In 2008, Rep. Eddie Farnsworth decided to challenge incumbent Thayer Verschoor in the Senate primary because of what he said were changes in Verschoor’s “priorities” after the latter became Senate majority leader in 2006. Farnsworth objected to some of Verschoor’s votes that could have been interpreted as expansions of the role of government. Verschoor won the primary contest between two old friends by 574 votes (3.4 percentage points).

Verschoor and Andy Biggs will reach the end of their terms at the end of 2010. Biggs has filed to run for the Senate. Hendrix is expected to file for re-election. Vying for the vacant House seat are Republicans Adam Armer, Brett Petillo, Paul Howell, Kelly Townsend and Stephen Urie.