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Tag: Teresa Martinez

Arizona ‘DOGE’ down and out after bipartisan rejection

A bill aimed at bringing a local version of the Department of Government Efficiency to Arizona failed in the state House on Feb. 26, after bipartisan opposition voted against the new regulations. 

HB2031, introduced by Republican Rep. Alex Kolodin, would have repealed eight different state boards and commissions tasked with regulating or promoting various industries. Kolodin has long said the bill is inspired by the Trump administration’s establishment of DOGE, a new federal department created to cut wasteful government expenditures.

“In the 2024 general elections, the voters of the state and of this country spoke loudly, and they spoke clearly, and they want to reduce the size of government,” Kolodin said during floor discussion on the bill on Feb. 25.

Several lawmakers voted against the bill because it would have repealed the Barbering and Cosmetology Board and Commission on the Arts, both of which Republicans and Democrats said provided safety and value to state government.

Rep. Selina Bliss, R-Prescott, attempted to amend the bill to remove both the Cosmetology and Arts boards from the proposed cuts, but Kolodin said her amendment was hostile and it ultimately failed.

“The reason we can’t do DOGE is because everybody is always trying to take out this piece, that piece … and if you give in to what everybody’s asking for, you take apart the bill,” Kolodin said during discussion of the measure on Feb. 25.

Several lawmakers spoke about the importance of keeping the Barbering and Cosmetology Board because of the regulatory responsibility it has for the cosmetology industry. Rep. Teresa Martinez, R-Casa Grande, said she agrees with Kolodin that the voters want to cut government, but said she doesn’t think the Barbering and Cosmetology Board is the place to start. 

Referring to women who cut her hair, Martinez said during floor discussion on the bill,  “I want them licensed and trained … And I do think that this can go down a road where it can be detrimental to someone’s health.”

Democrats also spoke up in opposition, including Rep. Anna Abeytia D-Phoenix, who is a certified lash technician — a license that is regulated by the Cosmetology Board.

“This is an extremely harmful bill to people like myself, other people in the industry, and everyday people like us,” Abeytia said.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle also defended the Commission on the Arts, which Bliss said helps contribute significantly to the state’s economy.

“Get this, Arizona’s arts and culture industries contribute $14 billion to the state’s economy,” Bliss said while explaining her amendment. “Get this, according to the analysis by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Arizona’s arts and culture sector contributes more to the state’s economy than mining, agriculture and forestry combined.”

Kolodin said he could concede to removing the Barbering and Cosmetology Board from the bill, but said he believes the Commission on the Arts should be repealed. 

“Here’s why the Arts Commission is especially pernicious — besides the flagrant misuse of taxpayer funds — we have a term in political science for government art, and that term is propaganda,” Kolodin said.

The bill ultimately failed 42-17, with several Republicans joining Democrats to kill it. 

The introduced version of Kolodin’s bill would have repealed 10 different boards and commissions, but he agreed to remove the Citrus Research Council, Cotton Research Protection Council and the Beef Council after listening to feedback from stakeholders. However, in the amendment removing those councils from the bill, a new board, the Iceberg Lettuce Research Council, was added to the list. 

The bill would have removed smaller boards and commissions like the Acupuncture Board of Examiners, the Companion Animal Spay and Neuter Committee and the Student Transportation Advisory Council — the latter of which has no current members. 

A recent review by the Arizona Capitol Times found that 16% of state board and commission seats are vacant, but only one of those vacant boards was targeted by HB2031. However, Kolodin has said that he would do away with every state agency, board and commission if he got his way. 

Kolodin is not the first Republican to suggest deregulating the cosmetology industry. Former Gov. Doug Ducey was a proponent of deregulation in the industry and signed a bill in 2019 that removed licensing requirements for styling services like blow drying, washing and curling hair. 

Total deregulation for cosmetology during Ducey’s term ran into similar hurdles as Kolodin’s bill did, with opponents expressing concerns about potential harms to the health and safety of customers if cosmetologists aren’t licensed. 

Other DOGE-inspired bills aimed at shrinking or removing responsibilities from state agencies are still moving through the Legislature, but none would be as drastic as Kolodin’s ill-fated proposal.

GOP lawmaker wants to force governor, AG to cooperate with Trump immigration efforts

A Casa Grande Republican lawmaker wants to force Gov. Katie Hobbs to cooperate with any federal order issued by President Trump when he takes office to begin mass deportation of those not here legally.

And Rep. Teresa Martinez wants the same mandate on Attorney General Kris Mayes.

But to make that the law in Arizona, she will need to first get Hobbs’ signature on her HB 2099. And a press aide to the Democratic governor, who has sought to say she’s willing to work with Trump on at least some immigration issues, declined to say what his boss will do with the bill if and when it reaches her desk.

Mayes, however, said through her own spokesman that a blanket requirement to go along with whatever Trump wants – which is what could be covered under the wording of the legislation – is unacceptable.

“We’re going to wait and see what the new administration’s plans are and then respond to them,” said Richie Taylor. “But if they are at odds with the U.S. Constitution and the rights and guarantees that it allows for, then we’re going to have an issue with that.”

And Mayes already has staked out a position that she will fight the future president if he enacts measures she believes interfere with individual rights.

Martinez, however, said the issue is much simpler for her. She said Trump’s electoral victory, including in Arizona, is a mandate for him to carry out the policies he announced during the campaign, including launching “the largest deportation operation in American history.”

Of note is that HB 2099 does not simply require Hobbs and Mayes to comply with federal law. 

Instead, it mandates that they “enforce, administer and cooperate with federal actions, orders and programs that relate to the enforcement of federal immigration laws.” And given Trump’s statements about the actions he intends to take unilaterally, that could be much broader than anything Congress approves.

Martinez, for her part, does not see an issue.

“I say illegal immigrants do not have a right to be in the United States,” she said.

“Illegal immigrants do not have a fundamental right to be in the state of Arizona,” Martinez continued. “They don’t. I’m sorry. I do not believe that.”

Nor does Martinez believe her legislation runs afoul of the Republican philosophy of “states’ rights” and how that supersedes federal law. In this case, she said, HB 2099 would actually have the state voluntarily accede to do what Trump mandates.

The legislation comes at a time when both Hobbs and Mayes, in the wake of Trump’s 187,382-vote victory in Arizona and Democratic losses at the Legislature, are trying to chart a moderate path on what they think should happen to the approximately 11 million people who are in this country without authorization.

Martinez claims that Hobbs, in an interview, said “Not on my watch” when asked about cooperating with federal mass deportation efforts.

Other than some second-hand references on X, formerly Twitter, there is no evidence Hobbs actually used those words, at least not about what Trump has in mind.

But Hobbs has clearly said there are limits on her willingness to work with the new president. That includes a pre-session interview with Capitol Media Services where she said “we’re not going to use state resources to participate in misguided efforts that harm our communities.”

Still, the governor, in that same interview, sidestepped questions of what she would do if Trump issues orders to have the state police and the Arizona National Guard round up those not here legally.

“I’m not going to ‘what if’ because there’s no clear details on what exactly he’s going to do or how he’s going to carry that out,” she said.

Martinez said the issue isn’t that complex.

“What we need to do is we need to obey federal law,” she said. “And that is what the bill says.”

Martinez said her legislation to direct Hobbs and Mayes – and future elected officials – is narrowly crafted. 

For example, federal law makes the possession of marijuana a crime. But Arizona voters have decided that individuals should be allowed to possess and use it.

“I didn’t say all federal laws,” Martinez said.

“This bill doesn’t affect marijuana use,” she said of the requirement to cooperate and enforce federal laws. “This bill simply says ‘immigration.’ ”

Martinez said the mandate on the governor and the attorney general in HB 2099 is necessary.

“You have a group of Democratic governors who have sworn some sort of blood oath to fight President Trump in every way, shape or form,” she said.

“Gov. Hobbs is one of those people,” Martinez said. “It is up to the Republican legislature to defend and to help Donald Trump as much as we can.”

And Martinez said if Hobbs had made no statement about cooperating, or not, with a Trump deportation plan “I would not feel the need to compel the governor or the AG of Arizona to help President Trump when it comes to immigration actions and orders.”

But it is that question of what constitutes “actions and orders,” aside from actually enacted federal laws, that her legislation would mandate the cooperation of Hobbs and Mayes.

Trump himself has referred to a 1954 order by then-President Dwight Eisenhower, which rounded up perhaps a million Mexican immigrants and some people who actually were U.S. citizens. Martinez, however, brushed aside questions of whether a presidential directive by itself, one that might even deny court hearings to those rounded up, would be something that her HB 2099 would require Hobbs and Mayes to follow.

“You’re talking about stuff that may never happen,” she said. “You’re giving me a hypothetical question that President Trump may or may not do.”

But Martinez said that ultimately comes back to the “philosophical question” of whether those not here legally have a fundamental right to be in this country in the first place.

Martinez said this isn’t meant to be “gotcha” legislation, bills being crafted by Republicans to send to the governor for an anticipated veto so they can use it against her when she campaigns for reelection in 2026.

“I hope she does sign it,” Martinez said. “I want her to sign it.”

And she noted the governor did mention in her State of the State speech on Monday the importance of the state having a role in stopping the flow of illegal drugs across the border.

“If she does not sign it, it is because she believes that illegal immigrants, illegal aliens, have a fundamental right to be in the United States,” Martinez said. “And that is it to the core.”

Nor is Martinez concerned about family separation.

She acknowledged there are people who are not here legally but who have had a child in this country who, according to a constitutional amendment, is a U.S. citizen. But Martinez said that should not be an excuse to let the parents remain.

“If you are a 2-year-old child and both your parents are illegal, then the three of you should go back to your home country,” she said.

But Martinez said there should be a path to permanent legal residency status for “dreamers” who were brought here illegally as young children but have spent at least three-fourth of their lives here. She said, however, if their parents want to apply for residency they would first have to go home to their own country.

 

 

Tax relief renters’ gain, cities’ loss

Arizona renters are in for a bit of a break in their monthly payments to landlords – if the law works the way it’s been advertised.

Effective Jan. 1, cities can no longer charge sales taxes on residential rentals. While not all communities now have such a levy – Tucson for example, does not – 75 of the 91 cities in the state do at rates ranging from 1% to 4%.

And what that also means is that, come January, the affected cities collectively will lose about $230 million a year.

It’s been a long time coming. In fact, Gov. Katie Hobbs vetoed the repeal the first time it came to her desk in 2023, saying it suffered from defects.

One of the biggest, she said, is there is no “enforceable mechanism” to ensure that landlords, who actually remit the tax to the cities, actually will pass along the savings to their tenants rather than just keep collecting the same amount every month and pocketing the difference.

Nor was the governor swayed by the fact that the measure had language that would have required landlords to reduce the rent due by an amount equal to what they are no longer paying to cities. Hobbs claimed that even an attorney for lawmakers said that such a provision may not withstand a challenge under the state or federal constitutions.

But by August, Hobbs had changed her mind.

So what’s different?

The measure still has the same language as the version she vetoed about landlords being required to pass along the tax savings to tenants. But it also includes a provision that says if there’s a civil suit, presumably filed by an unhappy tenant who believes he or she is being overcharged, the burden is on the landlord to show that none of the rent being charged is attributable to the levy once it disappears.

Then there’s timing.

Acknowledging the concerns about lost city revenues, the 2023 law was designed with a delay to give communities a chance to figure out how to either make up the difference from other sources or find places to cut their budgets. That’s why the repeal doesn’t take effect until the end of this year.

And there was something else: a link to the whole debate over extension of the transit sales tax for Maricopa County.

State law requires Maricopa County – and only Maricopa County – to get legislative approval to seek an extension of the half-cent levy that pays for roads and mass transit. Republican leaders confirmed that there was an understanding that if they approved allowing the tax extension to go to a public vote in a form acceptable to Hobbs, then she would sign the measure they wanted repealing the rental tax.

The deal was made and Prop 479 went on the ballot last month and was approved.

What cities did not get, though, was some “backfill” by the state to compensate them for the lost revenues.

That did not bother Senate Republicans when they pushed the legislation last year.

At a press conference, several said they believed the cities were flush with cash and criticized them for not voluntarily eliminating the rental tax, something they said was necessary to help low-income renters during a period of high inflation.

“This is (money) to help people put food on the table, give them an extra tank of gas in the car,” said Senate President Warren Petersen, R-Gilbert. “And we are ready to provide relief.”

House Majority Whip Teresa Martinez, who has several cities in her district that are affected, acknowledged Friday that voting for the 2023 legislation provided her with some heartburn.

“On one hand, I don’t believe the state should tell the cities what to do,” said the Casa Grande Republican, comparing it to the federal government dictating to the state.

But she said that has to be weighed against the benefit to tenants. And Martinez said she believes the bill, as finally approved, provides sufficient assurance that the renters will get some relief and landlords will not simply pocket the difference.

As to the effect on cities – like Casa Grande with an anticipated $1.2 million annual impact – Martinez said the lost revenues will have a significant impact.

“But it didn’t kill them,” she said. Still, Martinez said she remains open to having a conversation with the affected communities.

Cities with rental tax and rates:

Apache Junction — 2.2%

Avondale — 2.5%

Benson — 2.5%

Bisbee — 3.5%

Buckeye — 2.0%

Camp Verde — 2.0%

Carefree — 3.0%

Casa Grande — 1.8%

Cave Creek — 3.0%

Chandler — 1.5%

Chino Valley — 3.0%

Clarkdale — 3.0%

Clifton — 3.0%

Colorado City — 2.0%

Coolidge — 3.0%

Cottonwood — 3.0%

Dewey-Humboldt — 2.0%

Douglas — 2.8%

Duncan — 2.0%

Eagar — 3.0%

El Mirage — 3.0%

Eloy — 3.0%

Florence — 2.0%

Fountain Hills — 1.6%

Fredonia — 4.0%

Gila Bend — 3.0%

Gilbert — 1.5%

Glendale — 2.2%

Goodyear — 2.5%

Guadalupe — 3.0%

Hayden — 3.0%

Holbrook — 3.0%

Huachuca City — 1.0%

Jerome — 3.5%

Kearny — 2.5%

Kingman — 2.0%

Litchfield Park — 2.8%

Mammoth — 2.8%

Maricopa — 2.0%

Mesa — 2.0%

Miami — 2.5%

Nogales — 2.0%

Page — 3.0%

Paradise Valley — 1.65%

Parker — 2.0%

Patagonia — 3.0%

Peoria — 1.8%

Phoenix — 2.3%

Pima — 2.0%

Pinetop-Lakeside — 3.0%

Prescott — 2.0%

Queen Creek — 2.25%

Sahuarita — 2.0%

San Luis — 4.0%

Scottsdale — 1.75%

Sierra Vista — 1.0%

Somerton — 3.0%

South Tucson — 2.5%

Springerville — 3.0%

St. Johns — 2.0%

Star Valley — 2.0%

Superior — 2.0%

Surprise — 2.2%

Taylor — 2.0%

Tempe — 1.8%

Thatcher — 2.0%

Tolleson — 2.5%

Tombstone — 2.5%

Wellton — 2.5%

Wickenburg – 1.7%

Williams — 3.0%

Winkelman — 3.5%

Youngtown — 2.0%

Yuma — 1.7%

— Source: Arizona Department of Revenue

 

Tourism director resigns in wake of conflict of interest accusations

The head of the Arizona Office of Tourism resigned abruptly Friday amid questions of a conflict of interest in a $700,000 expenditure for a new logo.

Lisa Urias submitted her resignation to Gov. Katie Hobbs less than 24 hours after House Majority Whip Teresa Martinez said she wants an investigation. The Casa Grande Republican said there are legal questions about the decision by Urias’ office to spend money with Urias Communications for a rebranding effort.

Urias has said that while she still owns the company she has cut financial ties. She later admitted to the Arizona Republic, however, she continues to get a “stipend” from the firm but would not disclose the amount.

Whatever the financial arrangement, the governor said it was clear that Urias had to go.

“Anyone who has the privilege of serving the public needs to be above reproach,” Hobbs said Friday.

“That’s why I accepted her resignation this morning,” the governor continued. “This appearance of a conflict is not acceptable.”

Hobbs sidestepped questions about whether it made sense for the state to spend $700,000 on what critics say was simply designing a new logo.

“This is not about that project,” she said. “This is about the appearance of conflict that is unacceptable.”

But what also is true is that Urias’ future at the agency likely was limited.

In a social media post Thursday, Senate President Warren Petersen said the odds of Urias getting confirmed by the Senate “are zero.”

“She should resign or be removed by the governor immediately,” the Gilbert Republican said.

Urias acknowledged that reality.

“I was caught in a maelstrom of unfounded and false allegations regarding the financial management of this project,” she wrote in her resignation letter. And Urias said neither the firm that bears her name nor she personally has ever benefited from this project or any work related to the Arizona Office of Tourism.

But that, she said, doesn’t make the issue go away.

“It became evidenct that these false allegations would obstruct my confirmation by the Senate confirmation committee,” Urias wrote.

Hobbs, in accepting her resignation, said Friday she had not heard about the call by Martinez for an investigation.

But Martinez said the resignation does not end her call for Attorney General Kris Mayes and Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell to look into the issue.

All this relates to reports by Arizona Agenda that Urias suggested to Heart & Soul Marketing, a third-party design firm, that it hire artist Kevin Coochwytewa to develop the new logo. He was eventually hired by that firm, earning a reported $27,500.

But the report also said that Coochwytewa is the brother of Jason Coochwytewa, who took over for Urias as the CEO of Urias Communications.

“The issue, originally, in my mind, was the conflict,” Martinez said, saying even if her company was not benefiting” the optics look bad.”

She said, though, even with Urias on her way out the door from her $205,000 job – her resignation is effective Dec. 4 – there are other questions that need to be answered. And central to all that, Urias said, was the price tag for the new logo and why the state needed to hire an outside firm to design it.

“People make fun of why a hammer costs $1,500 if the government buys it versus the 15 bucks at Ace Hardware,” she said.

“This is government bloat,” Martinez continued. “This is waste and fraud and abuse. This is not a good thing.”

But Josh Coddington, the public information officer at the Office of Tourism, said all that is based on misinformation.

Yes, he said, there is the logo. But Coddington said this was just a piece of the whole effort to rebrand the state.

It included a year-long “discovering Arizona listening tour,” described by the agency as asking 1,000 Arizonans about things like what they love about where they live and what they would show a visitor.

All that led to a new Vibrant Arizona brand identity including six “pillars” including majestic beauty, vibrant arts, culture and experiences; abundant diversity, welcoming warmth, strong connections, and trailblazing ingenuity. Coddington said the contract also included a video highlighting the pillars and revealing the new identity.

“We didn’t do it in house because we don’t have graphic designers on staff and because the ambitious scope of work was beyond what Arizona Office of Tourism could handle,” he said.

Hobbs herself boasted of the work when she announced the Vibrant Arizona brand and logo in August.

“Arizona deserves a brand as vibrant as its people, one that showcases our collective Arizona story,” the governor said.

 

 

Republicans take slim leads in key races, look to keep control of Legislature

This election cycle saw both parties focusing heavily on trying to add seats to their caucuses in both chambers of the Legislature and some races could be headed toward recounts with narrow margins between the candidates. 

Democrats jumped to early leads in many swing district races on election night, but Republicans have chipped away or taken the lead in some races throughout the week as more ballots were counted. 

The election results are unofficial from the Secretary of State’s Office and could change, but if results as of Nov. 7 stand, Republicans would hold a 16-14 majority in the Senate and a 32-28 majority in the House, maintaining their lead in the upper chamber and adding one seat in the lower chamber. 

“It’s a tale of where the votes are coming from,” said Paul Bentz, a pollster with HighGround Public Affairs Consultants. “As metro Phoenix gets more progressive leaning … we see a pretty significant uptick in conservative voting in some of the outer portions of the Valley and certainly a growing red vote in Pinal and Yavapai County.”

In Legislative District 16, which consists of Pinal County, Pima County and Maricopa County, single-shot candidate Rep. Keith Seaman, D-Casa Grande, was trailing his House race to Republican Chris Lopez and Rep. Teresa Martinez, R-Casa Grande, by Bov. 7. Seaman was down by about 3% to Lopez for the second House seat in the district. 

“It certainly looks like bad news for Seaman,” Bentz said. 

Republicans also took leads in the Legislative District 4 and Legislative District 2 Senate races, which both were key factors in Senate control. 

In LD2, Sen. Shawnna Bolick, R-Phoenix, was leading Rep. Judy Schwiebert, D-Phoenix, by nearly 3%. Republican Carnie Werner established a near 1.5% lead over Sen. Christine Marsh, D-Phoenix.

But Democrats have maintained leads in both the Senate and House race in Legislative District 17, which both would be pickups if those leads hold. 

Democrat John McLean led Republican Vince Leach, who is seeking a return to the Senate, by just under 1% of votes in the district on Nov. 7.

McLean’s House running mate, Kevin Volk, led Republican incumbent Reps. Rachel Jones, R-Tucson; and Cory McGarr, R-Tucson, on Nov. 7. Volk held a near 3% lead over Jones and a 4% lead over McGarr. 

The lost seat in the House for Democrats would be from Legislative District 13, if results stand. Rep. Julie Willoughby, R-Chandler, had over a 1.5% lead over Democrat Brandy Reese and Republican Jeff Weninger had nearly a 2% lead over Reese. That district’s House representation is currently split between Willoughby and Rep. Jennifer Pawlik, D-Chandler.

Noble Predictive Insights CEO Mike Noble said Republican Donald Trump’s overperformance in the presidential race compared to what many pollsters had him at has given a boost to other Republicans down ballot.

“If (Kamala) Harris was ahead by one or something like that, I think these legislative races would look very different,” Noble said. “The folks down ticket. They’re not defined and typically not known. A lot of state legislators like to believe they are but for the average voter, maybe not as much.”

Some races were very narrow. Rep. Matt Gress, R-Phoenix, got some breathing room and led the second place vote getter, Democrat Kelli Butler, by about 2% in LD4. Butler led Republican Pamela Carter by .07%.

In 2022, Republican Gov. Doug Ducey signed a law that changed the voter recount threshold from a tenth of a percent to half of a percent. 

The Legislative District 9 House race saw a similar result to the LD4 race with two Democrats defending their seats. Rep. Lorena Austin, D-Mesa, held about a 1.5% lead over the second-place leader Rep. Seth Blattman, D-Mesa. 

Blattman led both GOP candidates Mary Ann Mendoza and Kylie Barber by just over .30% each. 

In the event of a recount, it must occur after a county canvasses election results, which is Nov. 21.

Republicans have also maintained a strong hold in Legislative District 23 with Rep. Michele Pena, R-Yuma. She leads all vote getters despite the district having a Democratic lean by nearly 17%, according to the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission. 

Pena led Rep. Mariana Sandoval, D-Goodyear, in the district’s House race by more than 3%, and had a 5% lead over Democrat Matias Rosales. 

“That district, even though it was drawn as a heavy lean ‘D,’ it’s got a big portion of Maricopa County that’s had a bunch of new red tile spots that have popped up,” said GOP consultant Doug Cole. 

Sen. Brian Ferdnandez, D-Yuma, led his Republican opponent Michelle Altherr in the district by just under 2% of votes. In 2022, he had a much more comfortable margin of victory and beat Republican Gary Garcia Snyder by more than 7%.

Lopez leading for LD16 House seat

The lone Democrat running in Legislative District 16’s House race is trailing both of his Republican opponents after early voting results.

Rep. Keith Seaman, D-Casa Grande, trails Republican political newcomer Chris Lopez for a second House seat in the district by 9:10 p.m. Tuesday. Lopez has received 32.33% of votes while Seaman has received 32.10%.

Incumbent Rep. Teresa Martinez, R-Casa Grande, has received the most votes so far, with 35.57%.

Seaman’s 2022 win over Republican Rob Hudelson by just over half a percent was one of the state’s closest legislative races.

Republicans are heavily targeting his seat this election to try and add to their slim 31-29 majority in the House.

Seaman is running as a single-shot candidate in the district. This strategy was effective for Seaman’s 2022 win in picking up voters who supported Martinez but not Seaman.

Republicans are hoping to avoid a repeat of 2022 with Lopez, a business owner and political newcomer. Lopez is running on a slate with Martinez and Sen. T.J, Shope, R-Coolidge, who have been popular candidates in the district. 

LD16 leans slightly Republican with a 3.6% vote spread favoring GOP candidates. It is one of the highly competitive districts of the state designated by the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission. 

 

Parties target pair of swing districts in bid to flip legislature

In two swing districts of the state with bipartisan representation, Republicans and Democrats are seeking legislative majorities by completely flipping districts they have voter advantage in.

Republicans are heavily focusing on winning all three seats in Legislative District 16, which covers a small part of south Maricopa County, Pinal County, and Pima County. With a 3.6% vote spread favoring Republicans, they are attempting to take the House seat occupied by Rep. Keith Seaman, D-Casa Grande.

Seaman, the only Democrat running for the House in the district as a single-shot candidate, won in 2022 by just over half a percent of votes, finishing ahead of Republican Rob Hudelson by more than 600 votes. 

“We give (voters) something new to think about and something to vote for,” Seaman said.

House Majority Whip Teresa Martinez, R-Casa Grande, and Republican Chris Lopez are running against Seaman.

Martinez is a strong incumbent as one of the leaders of the House GOP caucus. She got the most votes in the 2022 House race and finished with more than 4% of votes ahead of Seaman. 

Lopez is a small business owner in Casa Grande running on the same ticket as Martinez and Sen. T.J. Shope, R-Coolidge.

Lopez lists the border, increasing teacher pay, and defending the state’s Empowerment Scholarship Account program as some of his top issues on his campaign website. He did not respond to an interview request from The Arizona Capitol Times.

He specifically cites Democrats not supporting a bill that would have increased teacher pay during the 2023 legislative session. The measure, House Bill 2800, proposed to give Arizona teachers a $10,000 raise over a two-year period but Democrats because the bill offered a one-time funding increase and it didn’t include other classroom support staff. 

Seaman said increasing pay for school staff was one of his top priorities, but he wanted to ensure the legislature finds an equitable solution. 

“We’re seeing teachers leaving and the number one reason they leave the schools, in the middle of the year too, is because they can’t live on those salaries and they have too many kids in the room. They may not have a paraprofessional,” Seaman said. 

Republicans are targeting Seaman heavily in an attempt to get some breathing room with their one-seat majority in the House. The Republican State Leadership Committee recently begun running ads in the district as part of its “Left’s Most Wanted” campaign, attacking Seaman for voting against SB1027 in 2023, which would have increased the penalties to fentanyl manufacturers or dealers if the drug they transferred caused injury to a minor. 

Gov. Katie Hobbs vetoed the bill and wrote in her veto measure that she felt it undermined the state’s “Good Samaritan Law.” Other Democrats expressed concerns that the bill would prevent people from contacting emergency services in overdose situations out of fears they would be criminally charged. 

“Arizonans deserve to have legislators who will protect their best interests and not obstruct a commonsense agenda,” RSLC spokesperson Stephanie Rivera said in a statement about the committee’s ad campaign. 

Republican consultant Tyler Montague said picking up both seats in LD16 would be significant for the GOP because it might offset a loss in another district. 

“If they’re going to cling to the legislature, they have to sneak a seat or two,” Montague said.

One such district could be Legislative District 23, where incumbent Rep. Michele Pena, R-Yuma, is running as the Republican single shot candidate in a district that the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission has 17% vote spread favoring Democrats and is considered a non-competitive district. 

Despite the commission’s analysis, Pena was able to pick up a win for the GOP that gave Republicans a majority in the House when she beat Democrat Jesus Lugo Jr. by more than 4% of votes in 2022. 

Even before Pena’s win, parts of the district were represented by former Republican state Rep. Joel John before the state was redistricted. 

LD23 is in the southeast region of the state and covers Maricopa County, Pima County, Pinal County and Yuma County. Its House top vote getter in 2022 was Rep. Mariana Sandoval, D-Goodyear, who received about 2.5% more votes than Pena. 

Pena’s challenger is Democrat Matias Rosales, a San Luis city councilman who’s served on the council for the last 12 years. 

Rosales was unavailable for comment before the Arizona Capitol Times deadline but recently criticized Pena on a Sept. 5 Clean Elections Commission discussion for voting in support of Prop. 138, a ballot referral that would allow employers to pay tipped workers up to 25% less than the minimum hourly wage if the employer can guarantee a worker’s tips are at least $2 more than the minimum wage hourly earnings. 

“We need to work to expand economic opportunities here in our state and create good paying jobs,” Rosales said.

Pena didn’t respond to the Arizona Capitol Times interview request. She lists the state’s ESA program as one of her top priorities. In 2023, she also sponsored legislation to extend the expiration date for chicken eggs, which she says on her website have created obstacles for rural communities and farmers.

Rep. Alexander Kolodin, R-Scottsdale, attempted to help Pena defend her seat on Wednesday by sharing a complaint San Luis Mayor Nieves Riedel had previously filed with Attorney General Kris Mayes accusing Rosales of mishandling public funds for Greater Yuma Port Authority on social media. 

Rosales has been a board member of the authority for the last decade and Riedel accused Rosales of conflict of interest and public monies violations by influencing the authority into renting office space from his real estate firm Realty One.

The complaint was submitted to the attorney general’s office on June 2, 2023. Attorney General Communications Director Richie Taylor confirmed to the Arizona Capitol Times that Mayes’ office investigated and found no violations on Feb. 28. 

Despite no violations, Kolodin still shared the complaint less than a month away from the Nov. 5 general election in a race that will be pivotal in deciding which party controls the House. 

“Though Mr. Rosales’ conduct may constitute a felony … he, like every American, is entitled to the presumption of innocence,” Kolodin wrote in his post on X. “Regardless, however, of whether his actions rise to the level of criminal conduct, voters should carefully weigh whether his conflicts of interests allow him to faithfully serve the best interests of the people.”

LD15 candidate responds to allegations he is not eligible to run

A Republican candidate for state House is seeking to dismiss a complaint filed against him alleging he doesn’t meet state residency requirements to hold public office. 

Michael Way, a Republican who recently advanced in the Legislative District 15 primary race as a candidate for the House, is facing a legal challenge from a voter in his district who wants a replacement to be appointed in Way’s place if he wins election this November in the Republican-leaning district. 

The lawsuit was filed in Maricopa County Superior Court on Aug. 19 by Deborah Kirkland, represented by Attorney Tim La Sota. The lawsuit alleges Way can’t hold public office because he hasn’t lived in the state for three uninterrupted years prior to the election in accordance with state law. 

Michael Way

The lawsuit was filed days after an article published by The Arizona Republic raised questions about Way’s candidacy eligibility. Voter records from North Carolina show Way voted in the state’s November 2022 election and that he had a residence in the state from 2021-2024. 

The lawsuit also cites an opinion article Way wrote in January 2023 about charter schools published by The Carolina Journal. The article describes Way having “deep roots and an appreciation” for his family’s home in the greater Raleigh area while noting he graduated from Arizona State University. 

Way’s attorney Andrew Gould filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit Monday, arguing the complaint doesn’t comply with the statutory filing deadline of April 15 applicable to the challenge.

That date marked 10 days after the final day candidates could file nomination papers and petitions. Kirkland’s complaint was filed 126 days after the deadline, according to the motion. Gould also argued the complaint was erroneously filed under a statute that is specific to “members of the legislature.” Way has not yet been elected to office.

The Republic reported Kirkland’s lawsuit is seeking a court order not to remove Way from the ballot, but to keep him from taking office if he’s elected. 

Gould also wrote in his motion that the complaint’s claim of a court order in the event Way is elected is not yet ripe. 

“Plaintiff asks this Court to act if and only if some other event occurs. In other words, Plaintiff asks for an advisory opinion,” Gould wrote. 

Way advanced in the LD15 House primary race with Rep. Neal Carter, R-Queen Creek. Way beat Republican Peter Anello by more than 10% of votes. 

Anello was endorsed by Rep. Jaqueline Parker, R-Mesa, and ran with Carter and Sen. Jake Hoffman, R-Queen Creek on the same slate. Parker didn’t run for re-election. 

The Arizona Republican Party has backed Way and called the allegations against Way “baseless” and pushed by “the Left and their media allies” in a statement on Aug. 18. 

House Majority Whip Teresa Martinez, R-Casa Grande, has also supported Way and said in a written statement that he has met the constitutional requirements to be on the ballot. Way has stated he’s lived in Arizona for the past 15 years and the state has been his primary residence. 

“I will not stand for baseless accusations against Republicans at any time,” Martinez said. “Furthermore, as a Republican Party, we need to be unified and supportive to continue the strong leadership Republicans provide for the State of Arizona.” 

Way has called the claims against him a “false narrative” pushed by “far left” Arizona influencers and the “Fake News Media” as an attempt to entertain the idea of a House seat in LD15 going to Democrats. 

“Democrats have ZERO chance of beating me at the ballot box in November. They are instead resorting to writing fan fiction in an effort to gaslight Democrat donors to believe this seat is somehow in play,” Way wrote in a post on Facebook.

LD15, which covers Queen Creek, San Tan Valley and southeast Mesa, falls outside of the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission’s competitive range, with Republicans holding a 27% advantage in vote spread. 

An evidentiary hearing for the complaint filed against Way is scheduled 9 a.m. on Sept. 3 under Judge Rodrick Coffey.

 

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