Moderate GOP lawmakers exist in name only, study finds
So-called “moderate” Republican state legislators in Arizona aren’t so moderate after all. Only a handful of Republican senators and representatives vote alike with a few Democrats in their respective chambers, according to an analysis by the Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting.
Some GOP lawmakers vote solid red, support caucus bills
Representatives like Vince Leach, R-Tucson, and Don Shooter, R-Yuma, and Sens. Nancy Barto, R-Phoenix and John Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills, are among the Republicans most faithful to their own caucus when it comes to voting.
Small group of Republicans buck their party, vote their conscience
Republican Sen. Warren Petersen and Reps. Eddie Farnsworth and Rusty Bowers certainly don’t vote alike with Democrats. They also have the distinction of being the most likely to buck their own party.
House Dem leader crosses aisle more often than party colleagues
In the Senate, minority leaders don’t often vote with the GOP. In the House, it’s the top Democrat, Rebecca Rios of Phoenix, who casts the most votes with her Republican colleagues.
Swing-district Dems use divergent vote tactics in Legislature
No legislative votes are picked apart come election season quite like those of lawmakers from Arizona’s swing districts. While Sen. Sean Bowie follows conventional wisdom, Reps. Mitzi Epstein and Kelli Butler don’t play by bipartisan rules.