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Stories about Arizona

Amendment to require direct partisan primary elections will be decided by Arizona voters in 2024

Voters in Arizona will decide on a constitutional amendment to require that direct partisan primaries be conducted in a way that allows political parties to nominate a candidate or candidates (in multi-seat districts) for the general election. The amendment wouldn’t change the current process but could preempt top-four primaries, as seen in Alaska, or other types of primary elections in which every candidate, regardless of party affiliation, runs in the same primary. It would also say that a legislature-enacted direct primary election law supersedes any other law or ordinance. Voters will decide on the amendment at the November general election in 2024.

According to Rep. Austin Smith (R), who sponsored the bill, the amendment is part of a legislative proposal to preempt ranked-choice voting. He said, “[The amendment] will now be placed on the ballot in 2024 for the voters of Arizona to decide to amend Arizona’s Constitution even more and make it more clearer that we prohibit ranked-choice voting in this state. This is a huge accomplishment for conservatives and for Republicans … as long as I’m in this legislature, and as long as Republicans are here, we are going to continue to protect Arizona’s primary election system.”

The Arizona State Senate passed the amendment, House Concurrent Resolution 2033 (HCR2033), by 16-13 on March 28, 2023. All 16 Republicans voted to pass the amendment, while 13 Democrats voted against it. Previously, the Arizona House of Representatives passed the amendment on March 1 by 31-28, with all 31 Republicans voting for it and 28 Democrats voting against it.

The Arizona House of Representatives also passed House Bill 2552 (HB2552), which, if passed by the Senate and signed by the governor, would prohibit ranked-choice voting under state law.

Heritage Action, a conservative policy advocacy group, supported the passage of the amendment and bill. Heritage Action said, “The ranked-choice voting scheme upends the democratic process and fundamentally changes the way elections operate, leaving voters confused, disenfranchised, and left with unpopular candidates who do not properly represent them … these bills would maintain election integrity by outlawing ranked-choice voting, ensuring direct elections, and affirming that the most popular candidates are declared the winners.”

Ranked-choice voting may appear on the ballot as an initiative proposed by the nonprofit group Save Democracy Arizona. The nonprofit is working with a group called Voter Choice Arizona to potentially circulate a petition that would enact ranked-choice voting in Arizona. Save Democracy Arizona said, “A partisan election system that creates barriers to participation and treats certain voters and candidates differently – particularly independents or those who choose not to affiliate with a party is surely not a system that works for every Arizonan. Arizona’s current partisan primary  provides taxpayer funds to private political party activities and excludes registered unaffiliated candidates from participating in the primary election.”

Currently, Alaska and Maine are the only states that have implemented ranked-choice voting for federal and/or state-level elections. Eleven states contain jurisdictions that have implemented ranked-choice voting at the local level. Most recently, Nevada voters approved an amendment that would implement ranked-choice voting; however, voters in Nevada need to approve the measure again in 2024 before the constitutional amendment can be ratified.

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Tempe voters to decide ballot measures for Coyotes arena and entertainment district

Voters in Tempe, Arizona, will decide on three ballot measures proposing an entertainment district on May 16, 2023. The entertainment district would house the Arizona Coyotes arena.

The three proposals will appear on the ballot as Proposition 301, Proposition 302, and Proposition 303.

  • Proposition 301 would approve the redevelopment by changing the classification of land from a city-owned commercially zoned property into a mixed-use project. The new classification would allow for the development of the proposed arena and entertainment district.
  • Proposition 302 would rezone the property as an official mixed-use district.
  • Proposition 303 would approve the construction of the arena and entertainment district from Bluebird Development LLC.

All three measures would need to pass for the construction and development of the arena and entertainment district to continue.

The plan for the entertainment district was first proposed in Sept. 2021. The $2.1 billion 46-acre project would include a 16,000-seat arena and practice facility, hotels, retail, apartments, and a theater. Officials representing the Arizona coyotes said that the district would create 6,900 permanent jobs and create about $200 million in new tax revenue for the city over the next 30 years.

According to the Tempe City Council, the developer would use largely private funding to build the 4 million-square-foot development and will pay Tempe $50.3 million for the land.

Xavier Gutierrez, CEO of the Arizona Coyotes, said: “Together, 301, 302 and 303 will authorize all the necessary components of the development agreement. We have full confidence that Tempe voters will embrace all three propositions and the economic, community and environmental benefits the project will bring to the City of Tempe.”

Former Tempe City Councilmember Lauren Kuby (D), who opposes the measures, said, “We’re just creating bottlenecks and traffic congestion and neighborhoods in the southeast neighborhoods are really going to suffer from that.”

Tempe 1st is a campaign opposed to the ballot initiatives. “While our schools, public safety, roads and other services suffer from a lack of funding, Props 301, 302 & 303 will rob Maricopa County and Tempe Residents of half a billion dollars in tax revenues,” the campaign said.

Tempe voters will decide on the measures on May 16, 2023.



Measure related to death benefit for first responders certified for the 2024 ballot in Arizona

Arizona voters will decide on a ballot measure on Nov. 5, 2024, to establish a $20 fine on every conviction for a criminal offense. These fines would go towards paying benefits of $250,000 to the family of a first responder who is killed in the line of duty starting on June 30, 2025.

The measure first passed the Arizona State Senate on Feb. 28, 2023, by a 16-13 vote. It passed the Arizona House of Representatives by a 47-13 vote on March 7, 2023. In the Senate, all Republicans voted for the measure and all Democrats voted against it. In the House, all Republicans voted for it, while 16 Democrats voted for it and 13 Democrats voted against it.

Sen. David Gowan (R), who sponsored the measure, said, “That $250,000 can go a long way to helping our families of those victims of crime, certainly when there are police officers and first responders who have sworn to defend and protect us.”

The $250,000 benefit to the spouse or children of a first responder would be in addition to the federal or state benefits and pensions already provided to families.

Sen. Lela Alston (D), who opposed the measure, said that the benefit for the families of first responders should come from the general fund. “I have always supported death benefits for our workers,” she said,  “I do have a problem with this bill, and that is that it creates another fine that is disproportionate to certain members of our population. And it would be a preferable option to me if we were to pay that death benefit directly out of the general fund to the family of the firefighter or police officer who was killed and not do any more fines in our legal system.”

This measure is the first one certified for the 2024 statewide ballot in Arizona. There are 13 potential legislatively referred measures that have passed one chamber in the state legislature, and may also appear on the 2024 ballot if they pass the other chamber. For the state legislature to refer a measure to the ballot, it must pass both the House and the Senate by a simple majority of votes. In addition, there are two citizen-led campaigns working to put initiatives on the 2024 ballot.

Last year, Arizona had 10 statewide measures on the Nov. 8, 2022 ballot—eight which were referred by the state legislature, and two which were placed on the ballot by successful citizen initiatives. Seven measures were approved by voters, and three were defeated.

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Arizona State Senate passes unemployment insurance indexing bill

The Arizona State Senate on March 2 passed a bill 16-14 that would index the length of unemployment insurance benefits to the state’s unemployment rate. During times when the unemployment rate is at or below 5%, unemployed workers could collect a maximum of 12 weeks of benefits under the bill. The bill proposes capping the maximum benefit length at 20 weeks during times when the unemployment rate is more than 8.5%.

Arizona’s current maximum benefit length is 24 weeks if the unemployment insurance rate is less than 5% and 26 weeks if the jobless rate is 5% or more. The state’s unemployment rate was 4.0% as of December 2022, according to the most recent Arizona Commerce Authority data, meaning the maximum weekly benefit would fall by 12 weeks (from 24 weeks to 12 weeks) if the bill passes and the unemployment rate remains stable.

The bill now heads to the Arizona House for consideration.

Unemployment insurance is a joint federal and state program that provides temporary monetary benefits to eligible laid-off workers who are actively seeking new employment. Qualifying individuals receive unemployment compensation as a percentage of their lost wages in the form of weekly cash benefits while they search for new employment.

The federal government oversees the general administration of state unemployment insurance programs. The states control the specific features of their unemployment insurance programs, such as eligibility requirements and length of benefits.

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These 10 Arizona contributors gave over $15.5 million

In Arizona politics, state-level candidates and political action committees have received $379.2 million in total contributions between Jan. 1, 2021, and Dec. 31, 2022. The 10 largest contributors gave more than $15.5 million, or 4 percent of all contributions.

These are the top 10 individual contributors to Arizona state-level candidates and committees in the 2022 election cycle, according to campaign finance reports submitted to the Arizona Secretary of State:

Top 10 Arizona Contributors (1/1/2021 – 12/31/2022)

Rank Contributor Name Total Contributions
1 Lynn Schusterman $2,526,200
2 Katherine Leslie Rudin $2,500,000
3 Barry Munger $2,001,000
4 Deborah J Simon $1,622,500
5 Waseem Hamadeh $1,456,300
6 Karla T Jurvetson $1,397,400
7 Robert Glassman $1,135,300
8 Michael Bloomberg $1,000,000
9 David Tedesco $928,600
10 Ried G Hoffman $907,300

The list of Arizona contributors in this time period includes more than 1,402 individuals identified by name in the Arizona Secretary of State’s public records.

The data above are based on campaign finance reports that active Arizona committees submitted to the Arizona Secretary of State. Political expenditures that are not controlled by candidates or their campaigns, known as satellite spending, are not included in candidate totals. Federal committees are not required to report to state agencies. Transparency USA publishes campaign finance data following major reporting deadlines.

This article is a joint publication from Ballotpedia and Transparency USA, who are working together to provide campaign finance information for state-level elections. Learn more about our work here.



The top fundraisers among Arizona statewide elected offices

Campaign finance requirements govern how much money candidates may receive from individuals and organizations, how often they must report those contributions, and how much individuals, organizations, and political entities may contribute to campaigns.

While campaign finance is not the only factor in electoral outcomes, successful fundraising can provide a candidate with advantages during a campaign. Fundraising can also indicate party momentum.

This article lists top fundraisers among Arizona statewide officeholders and candidates, overall and by party. It is based on campaign finance reports that officeholders in and candidates for statewide elected offices submitted to the Arizona Secretary of State. It includes activity between July 1, 2022, and Dec. 31, 2022.

Statewide political positions are typically offices in the executive and judicial branches of government rather than the legislative, and they most often represent all citizens in the state, rather than those in a particular district.

Top Arizona statewide fundraisers by party

The top fundraisers among Arizona statewide officeholders and candidates are shown below. Individuals are presented with the office that they were on the ballot for in 2022, if applicable. If no office is indicated, the person was an incumbent and was not on the ballot in 2022.

In the Democratic Party, the top fundraisers in the most recent semiannual reporting period were:

  • Katie Hobbs (Governor) – $10,268,953
  • Adrian Fontes (Secretary of State) – $3,264,370
  • Kris Mayes (Attorney General) – $2,166,579
  • Lauren Kuby (Corporation Commission) – $180,593
  • Sandra D. Kennedy (Corporation Commission) – $170,654

In the Republican Party, the top fundraisers in the most recent semiannual reporting period were:

  • Kari Lake (Governor) – $12,345,148
  • Karrin Taylor Robson (Governor) – $6,205,348
  • Rodney Glassman (Attorney General) – $3,762,618
  • Abraham Hamadeh (Attorney General) – $1,344,302
  • Mark Finchem (Secretary of State) – $1,268,851

Fundraising totals

Overall, Democratic officeholders and candidates raised $16.5 million in this period. Republican officeholders and candidates raised $26.4 million. Combined, all statewide officeholders and candidates in the July 1, 2022, through Dec. 31, 2022, filing period raised $42.9 million.

The five largest Democratic fundraisers were responsible for 97 percent of all Democratic statewide officeholder and candidate fundraising. The five largest Republican fundraisers were responsible for 95 percent of all Republican statewide officeholder and candidate fundraising.

The table below provides additional data from the campaign finance reports from the top 10 fundraisers during this period.

TOP 10 FUNDRAISERS – Arizona STATEWIDE OFFICEHOLDERS AND CANDIDATES (July 1, 2022, through Dec. 31, 2022)
Name Party Affiliation Office Sought Raised Spent
Kari Lake Republican Party Governor $12,345,148 $12,279,952
Governor Katie Hobbs Democratic Party Governor $10,268,953 $11,741,304
Karrin Taylor Robson Republican Party Governor $6,205,348 $7,003,941
Rodney Glassman Republican Party Attorney General $3,762,618 $4,861,990
Secretary of State Adrian Fontes Democratic Party Secretary of State $3,264,370 $3,154,852
Attorney General Kris Mayes Democratic Party Attorney General $2,166,579 $2,675,197
Abraham Hamadeh Republican Party Attorney General $1,344,302 $1,334,518
Mark Finchem Republican Party Secretary of State $1,268,851 $1,460,848
Dawn Grove Republican Party Attorney General $521,369 $837,188
Andrew W. Gould Republican Party Attorney General $183,731 $292,522

Campaign finance reporting periods

The data above are based on campaign finance reports that candidate committees submitted to the Arizona Secretary of State. Candidate committees represent individuals who have run for state or local office at any point, including past and present officeholders. This article does not include non-candidate committees. Transparency USA publishes campaign finance data following major reporting deadlines.

This article is a joint publication from Ballotpedia and Transparency USA, who are working together to provide campaign finance information for state-level elections. Learn more about our work here.



The top fundraisers in the Arizona State Senate

Campaign finance requirements govern how much money candidates may receive from individuals and organizations, how often they must report those contributions, and how much individuals, organizations, and political entities may contribute to campaigns.

While campaign finance is not the only factor in electoral outcomes, successful fundraising can provide a candidate with advantages during a campaign. Fundraising can also indicate party momentum.

This article lists top fundraisers in the Arizona State Senate, overall and by party. It is based on campaign finance reports that officeholders in and candidates for the State Senate submitted to the Arizona Secretary of State. It includes activity between July 1, 2022, and Dec. 31, 2022.

Top fundraisers in the Arizona State Senate by party

The top fundraisers in Arizona State Senate elections are shown below. Individuals are presented with the office that they were on the ballot for in 2022, if applicable.

In the Democratic Party, the top fundraisers in the most recent semiannual reporting period were:

  • Christine Marsh (District 4) – $264,315
  • Cindy Hans (District 13) – $260,451
  • Eva Burch (District 9) – $244,904
  • Jeanne Casteen (District 2) – $173,411
  • Eva Diaz (District 22) – $110,746

In the Republican Party, the top fundraisers in the most recent semiannual reporting period were:

  • Wendy Rogers (District 7) – $347,329
  • Nancy K. Barto (District 4) – $272,657
  • Russell Bowers (District 10) – $243,512
  • Javan Daniel Mesnard (District 13) – $195,612
  • Steve Kaiser (District 2) – $176,404

Fundraising totals

Overall, Democratic officeholders and candidates raised $1.8 million in this period. Republican officeholders and candidates raised $2.2 million. Combined, all State Senate fundraisers in the July 1, 2022, through Dec. 31, 2022, filing period raised $4.0 million.

The five largest Democratic fundraisers were responsible for 59 percent of all Democratic State Senate fundraising. The five largest Republican fundraisers were responsible for 56 percent of all Republican State Senate fundraising.

The table below provides additional data from the campaign finance reports from the top 10 fundraisers during this period.

TOP 10 FUNDRAISERS – ARIZONA STATE SENATE (July 1, 2022, through Dec. 31, 2022)
Name Party Affiliation Raised Spent
Wendy Rogers Republican Party $347,329 $1,530,813
Nancy K. Barto Republican Party $272,657 $369,959
Christine Marsh Democratic Party $264,315 $398,031
Cindy Hans Democratic Party $260,451 $239,011
Eva Burch Democratic Party $244,904 $286,301
Russell Bowers Republican Party $243,512 $350,852
Javan Daniel Mesnard Republican Party $195,612 $243,964
Steve Kaiser Republican Party $176,404 $135,988
Jeanne Casteen Democratic Party $173,411 $228,094
Eva Diaz Democratic Party $110,746 $115,978

Campaign finance reporting periods

The data above are based on campaign finance reports that candidate committees submitted to the Arizona Secretary of State. Candidate committees represent individuals who have run for state or local office at any point, including past and present officeholders. This article does not include non-candidate committees. Transparency USA publishes campaign finance data following major reporting deadlines.

This article is a joint publication from Ballotpedia and Transparency USA, who are working together to provide campaign finance information for state-level elections. Learn more about our work here.



The top fundraisers in the Arizona House

Campaign finance requirements govern how much money candidates may receive from individuals and organizations, how often they must report those contributions, and how much individuals, organizations, and political entities may contribute to campaigns.

While campaign finance is not the only factor in electoral outcomes, successful fundraising can provide a candidate with advantages during a campaign. Fundraising can also indicate party momentum.

This article lists top fundraisers in the Arizona House of Representatives, overall and by party. It is based on campaign finance reports that officeholders in and candidates for the House submitted to the Arizona Secretary of State. It includes activity between July 1, 2022, and Dec. 31, 2022.

Top fundraisers in the Arizona House of Representatives by party

The top fundraisers in Arizona House of Representatives elections are shown below. Individuals are presented with the office that they were on the ballot for in 2022, if applicable.

In the Democratic Party, the top fundraisers in the most recent semiannual reporting period were:

  • Laura Terech (District 4) – $251,301
  • Judy Schwiebert (District 2) – $182,795
  • Lorena Austin (District 9) – $178,240
  • Seth Blattman (District 9) – $148,554
  • Jennifer Pawlik (District 13) – $133,685

In the Republican Party, the top fundraisers in the most recent semiannual reporting period were:

  • Matt Gress (District 4) – $314,653
  • Justin Wilmeth (District 2) – $104,030
  • Ben Toma (District 27) – $97,690
  • Maria Syms (District 4) – $91,140
  • Laurin Hendrix (District 14) – $77,550

Fundraising totals

Overall, Democratic officeholders and candidates raised $2.1 million in this period. Republican officeholders and candidates raised $2.0 million. Combined, all House fundraisers in the July 1, 2022, through Dec. 31, 2022, filing period raised $4.0 million.

The five largest Democratic fundraisers were responsible for 44 percent of all Democratic House fundraising. The five largest Republican fundraisers were responsible for 35 percent of all Republican House fundraising.

The table below provides additional data from the campaign finance reports from the top 10 fundraisers during this period.

TOP 10 FUNDRAISERS – ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES (July 1, 2022, through Dec. 31, 2022)
Name Party Affiliation Raised Spent
Matt Gress Republican Party $314,653 $446,227
Laura Terech Democratic Party $251,301 $320,467
Judy Schwiebert Democratic Party $182,795 $261,890
Lorena Austin Democratic Party $178,240 $212,530
Seth Blattman Democratic Party $148,554 $146,862
Jennifer Pawlik Democratic Party $133,685 $157,411
Justin Wilmeth Republican Party $104,030 $89,662
Ben Toma Republican Party $97,690 $81,155
Maria Syms Republican Party $91,140 $117,495
Dana Allmond Democratic Party $79,563 $81,243

Campaign finance reporting periods

The data above are based on campaign finance reports that candidate committees submitted to the Arizona Secretary of State. Candidate committees represent individuals who have run for state or local office at any point, including past and present officeholders. This article does not include non-candidate committees. Transparency USA publishes campaign finance data following major reporting deadlines.

This article is a joint publication from Ballotpedia and Transparency USA, who are working together to provide campaign finance information for state-level elections. Learn more about our work here.



These Arizona State Senate candidates raised the most money and lost

Elections for all 30 seats in the Arizona State Senate took place on Nov. 8, 2022. Republicans held a 16-14 majority heading into the election.

This article details the five candidates who raised the most money and lost their election. In the 2022 election cycle, 25 of 30 general elections were contested. The losing candidates are shown along with the percentage of the vote they received compared to the winner. In cases where the race was pushed to a runoff, vote percentages for both advancing candidates are included.

State Senate candidates who raised the most money and lost their general election

This information comes from candidate reports to the Arizona Secretary of State covering the period of Jan. 1, 2021, through Oct. 22, 2022.

The candidates who raised the most money and lost their election were:

  • Nancy K. Barto – $390,158 – District 4 (Lost general 50% – 50%)
  • Jeanne Casteen – $246,783 – District 2 (Lost general 48% – 52%)
  • Cindy Hans – $216,522 – District 13 (Lost general 48% – 52%)
  • Robert Scantlebury – $115,214 – District 9 (Lost general 48% – 52%)
  • Roxana Holzapfel – $84,307 – District 8 (Lost general 37% – 63%)

State Senate candidates who raised the most money and lost their general election last cycle

This information comes from candidate reports to the Arizona Secretary of State covering the period of Jan. 1, 2019, through Dec. 31, 2020.

The candidates who raised the most money and lost their election were:

  • Kate Brophy McGee – $712,517 – District 28 (Lost general 50% – 50%)
  • Felicia French – $674,768 – District 6 (Lost general 45% – 55%)
  • Ajlan Kurdoglu – $489,904 – District 17 (Lost general 47% – 53%)
  • Douglas Ervin – $367,456 – District 20 (Lost general 48% – 52%)
  • JoAnna Mendoza – $221,247 – District 11 (Lost general 46% – 54%)

The data above are based on campaign finance reports that active Arizona PACs submitted to the Arizona Secretary of State. Political expenditures that are not controlled by candidates or their campaigns, known as satellite spending, are not included in candidate totals. Federal PACs are not required to report to state agencies. Transparency USA publishes campaign finance data following major reporting deadlines.

This article is a joint publication from Ballotpedia and Transparency USA, who are working together to provide campaign finance information for state-level elections. Learn more about our work here.



These Arizona State House candidates raised the most money and lost

Elections for all 30 districts in the Arizona House of Representatives took place on Nov. 8, 2022. Republicans held a 31-29 majority heading into the election.

This article details the five candidates who raised the most money and lost their election. In the 2022 election cycle, 30 of 30 general elections were contested. The losing candidates are shown along with the percentage of the vote they received compared to the winner. In cases where the race was pushed to a runoff, vote percentages for both advancing candidates are included.

House candidates who raised the most money and lost their general election

This information comes from candidate reports to the Arizona Secretary of State covering the period of Jan. 1, 2021, through Oct. 22, 2022.

The candidates who raised the most money and lost their election were:

  • James Chaston – $163,062 – District 12 (Lost general 21% – 29%, 29%)
  • Maria Syms – $160,610 – District 4 (Lost general 32% – 35%, 33%)
  • Dana Allmond – $134,174 – District 17 (Lost general 25% – 26%, 26%)
  • Julie Willoughby – $97,640 – District 13 (Lost general 32% – 35%, 33%)
  • Terry Roe – $93,745 – District 12 (Lost general 21% – 29%, 29%)

House candidates who raised the most money and lost their general election last cycle

This information comes from candidate reports to the Arizona Secretary of State covering the period of Jan. 1, 2019, through Dec. 31, 2020.

The candidates who raised the most money and lost their election were:

  • Coral Evans – $813,792 – District 6 (Lost general 25% – 29%, 26%)
  • Kathy Knecht – $370,450 – District 21 (Lost general 31% – 33%, 36%)
  • Eric Kurland – $279,493 – District 23 (Lost general 28% – 35%, 37%)
  • Anthony Kern – $189,307 – District 20 (Lost general 32% – 34%, 34%)
  • Brendan Lyons – $177,806 – District 9 (Lost general 27% – 36%, 36%)

The data above are based on campaign finance reports that active Arizona PACs submitted to the Arizona Secretary of State. Political expenditures that are not controlled by candidates or their campaigns, known as satellite spending, are not included in candidate totals. Federal PACs are not required to report to state agencies. Transparency USA publishes campaign finance data following major reporting deadlines.

This article is a joint publication from Ballotpedia and Transparency USA, who are working together to provide campaign finance information for state-level elections. Learn more about our work here.