Republicans and Democrats are battling for one House seat in a north Phoenix swing district that will help determine which party controls the chamber in the next legislative session.

Legislative District 2 is currently represented by Rep. Justin Wilmeth, R-Phoenix; and Rep. Judy Schwiebert, D-Phoenix. Schwiebert is running for state Senate in the district, leaving her House seat to be filled by a newcomer to the Legislature. 

Wilmeth, the House Commerce Committee chairman, is running for re-election on a slate with Republican Ari Bradshaw, a former president of North Valley Young Republicans.

The two Republicans are running against Democrat Stephanie Simacek, a governing board member of Deer Valley Unified School District. Simacek is running as a single-shot candidate, although business owner Tom Simes is running as an independent in the district. 

Democrats are spending considerable money to hold onto their seat in the district.  Recent campaign finance reports filed for the Oct. 15 third quarter deadline indicate Simacek raised $175,000 during the quarter and more than $350,000 over the election cycle.

Bradshaw raised $66,000 during the quarter and brought in just under $200,000 in total, while Wilmeth raised $150,000 during the election cycle and just under $60,000 during the recent quarter. 

One of Simacek’s main priorities is education – she has experience working as a public school teacher and a substitute teacher at Deer Valley. 

“I’ve seen first hand what teachers are going through,” Simacek said in a Sept. 21 video posted on X. “Overcrowded classrooms, lack of funding, having to use their own personal funds to make sure that their children have a good learning experience – and this is just unacceptable.”

Political consultant Barrett Marson said Wilmeth has an incumbent advantage and is likely a lock for re-election in the district. The race for the second House seat will likely come down to Simacek and Bradshaw. 

The district leans Republican with a near 4% vote spread favoring GOP candidates, according to the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission. 

Schwiebert got the most House votes in the district in her 2022 general election race, finishing ahead of Wilmeth by about 2% of votes. 

The seat is crucial for Democrats in their goal to flip Republicans’ one-seat majority in the state House. For Republicans, the seat would be insurance as Democrats are targeting Republican seats in other districts, including LD17 and LD23. 

“There are a couple of districts where a House vote can go one way or another,” said lobbyist Barry Aarons. 

Bradshaw has received negative attention from both Democrats and Republicans on the campaign trail. 

The Arizona Republic reported on Oct. 5 that Bradshaw attempted to visit Simacek at her home at 7 a.m. after she didn’t participate in a Clean Elections Commission debate. Bradshaw was the only LD2 participant during that debate and posted on X that Simacek wasn’t at the home he visited after he was informed by her ex-husband that they separated. 

Bradshaw also made an enemy of Sen. Wendy Rogers, R-Flagstaff, during the primary election campaign after he spoke out against her running mate Steven Slaton’s alleged stolen valor. He also accused Slaton of making racist remarks toward Rep. David Marshall, R-Snowflake, leading to Rogers posting a screenshot of an anonymous text exchange accusing Bradshaw of selling fentanyl.

“He’s made a name for himself, good or bad,” Marson said. 

Bradshaw denied the accusation that he has sold fentanyl and criticized the rhetoric of Rogers during his Clean Elections appearance. He called her a “sick human being,” referencing her association with far-right conservative commentator Nick Fuentes, who has made several anti-Semitic and white supremacist remarks that led to a permanent YouTube channel ban.

“This extremism needs to be stamped out,” Bradshaw said. “The Republican Party under people such as that is becoming a distorted version of what it should be and what it needs to be under the next generation.”