Monday, April 4 was the filing deadline for candidates to file to run for office in the August 2, 2022 Primary Election. The Arizona Secretary of State now has an official list of the statewide/legislative candidates who filed to run by the deadline.
Independent candidates do not have a primary and are not listed. There could also be some late write-in candidates who may2022 qualify.
On the Republican side, there is a disturbing number of well-known QAnon conspiracy cultists, Big Lie election deniers (some of whom participated in the Arizona Senate’s GQP sham “fraudit”), and some insurrectionists who participated in the January 6, 2021 insurrection in the nation’s Capitol. All of this should be automatically disqualifying for any candidate for political office.
New districts:
Governor
Katie Hobbs (D)
Aaron Lieberman (D) Announced he is dropping out.
Marco Lopez (D)
Steve Gaynor (R) Announced he is dropping out.
Kari Lake (R)
Scott Neely (R)
Matt Salmon (R)
Karrin Taylor Robson (R)
Paola Tulliani-Zen (R)
Secretary of State
Reginald Bolding (D)
Adrian Fontes (D)
Shawnna Bolick (R)
Mark Finchem (R)
Beau Lane (R)
Michelle Ugenti-Rita (R)
Attorney General
Kris Mayes (D)
Lacey Cooper (R)
Rodney Glassman (R)
Andrew Gould (R)
Dawn Grove (R)
Abraham Hamadeh (R)
Tiffany Shedd (R)
State Treasurer
Martín Quezada (D)
Robert Lettieri (R)
Jeff Weninger (R)
Kimberlee Yee (R)
Superintendent of Public Instruction
Kathy Hoffman (D)
Tom Horne (R)
Shiry Sapir (R)
Michelle Udall (R)
State Mine Inspector
Paul Marsh (R)
Corporation Commissioner
Sandra Kennedy (D)
Lauren Kuby (D)
Nicholas Myers (R)
Kim Owens (R)
Kevin Thompson (R)
State Legislature
District 1
Mike Fogel (D) – Senate
Ken Bennett (R) – Senate
Noel Campbell (R) – Senate Announced he is dropping out.
Steve Zipperman (R) – Senate
Cathy Ransom (D) – House
Neil Sinclair (D) – House
Selina Bliss (R) – House
Judy Burges (R) – House
Ryan Cadigan (R) – House
Steve Gesell (R) – House
Quang Nguyen (R) – House
District 2
Jeanne Casteen (D) – Senate
Victoria Thompson (D) – Senate Lost petition challenge.
Sreve Kaiser (R) – Senate
Judy Schwiebert (D) – House
Neil Desanti (R) – House Lost petition challenge.
Christian Lamar (R) – House
Reynold Ramsey (R) – House Lost petition challenge.
Pierce Waychoff (R) – House
Justin Wilmeth (R) – House
District 3
Thomas Dugger (D) – Senate
Jan Dubauskas (R) – Senate
John Kavanagh (R) – Senate
Ernest Anderson (R) – House
Nicole Cantelme (R) – House
Joseph Chaplik (R) – House
Alexander Kolodin (R) – House
Darin Mitchell (R) – House
District 4
Christine Marsh (D) – Senate
Nancy Barto (R) – Senate
Laura Terech (D) – House
John Arnold (R) – House
Kenneth Bowers, Jr. (R) – House
Vera Gebran (R) – House
Matt Gress (R) – House
Jana Jackson (R) – House
Maria Syms (R) – House
District 5
Lela Alston (D) – Senate
Al Jones (D) – Senate
Sarah Tyree (D) – Senate
Sarah Liguori (D) – House
Jennifer Longdon (D) – House
Aaron Marquez (D) – House
Amish Shah (D) – House
Brianna Westbrook (D) – House
District 6
Theresa Hatathlie (D) – Senate
Mae Peshlakai (D) – House
Deydrek Scott (D) – House
Myron Tsosie (D) – House
District 7
Kyle Nitschke (D) – Senate
Wendy Rogers (R) – Senate
Kelly Townsend (R) – Senate
Brenda Barton – House Announced she is dropping out.
David Cook (R) – House
John Fillmore (R) – House
David Marshall, Sr. (R) – House
District 8
Juan Mendez (D) – Senate
Roxana Holzapfel (R) – Senate
Todd Howard (R) – Senate
Melody Hernandez (D) – House
Athena Salman (D) – House
Caden Darrow (R) – House
Bill Loughrige (R) – House
District 9
Eva Burch (D) – Senate
Tyler Pace (R) – Senate
Robert Scantlebury (R) – Senate
Lorena Austin (D) – House
Seth Blattman (D) – House
Mary Ann Mendoza (R) – House
Kathy Pearce (R) – House
District 10
Rusty Bowers (R) – Senate
David Farnsworth (R) – Senate
Helen Hunter (D) – House
Justin Heap (R) – House
Barbara Parker (R) – House
District 11
Junelle Cavaro (D) – Senate
Catherine Miranda (D) – Senate
Janelle Wood (D) – Senate
Maryn Brannies (R) – Senate
Shams Abdussamad (D) – House
Michal Butts (D) – House
Oscar De Los Santos (D) – House
Wesley Leasy (D) – House
Shawn Pearson (D) – House Lost petition challenge.
Marcelino Quinonez (D) – House
Naketa Ross (D) – House
Tatiana Peña (R) – House
District 12
Mitzi Epstein (D) – Senate
David Richardson (R) – Senate
Suzanne Sharer (R) – Senate
Patricia Contreras (D) – House
Sam Huang (D) – House
Ajlan Kurdoglu (D) – House
Anastasia Travers (D) – House
Paul Welch (D) – House
James Chaston (R) – House
Terry Roe (R) – House
District 13
Cynthia Hans (D) – Senate
Michael Morris (D) – Senate
J.D. Mesnard (R) – Senate
Jennifer Pawlik (D) – House
Josh Askey (R) – House
Ron Hardin (R) – House
Liz Harris (R) – House
Don Maes (R) – House
Julie Willoughby (R) – House
District 14
Warren Peterson (R) – Senate
Brandy Reese (D) – House
Natalie Dibernardo (R) – House
Travis Grantham (R) – House
Laurin Hendix (R) – House
Suzanne Lunt (R) – House
District 15
Jake Hoffman (R) – Senate
Neal Carter (R) – House
Jacqueline Parker (R) – House
District 16
Taylor Kerby (D) – Senate
Thomas Shope (R) – Senate
Daniel Wood (R) – Senate Lost petition challenge.
Keith Seaman (D) – House
Braden Biggs (R) – House Lost petition challenge.
Rob Hudelson (R) – House
Teresa Martinez (R) – House
District 17
Mike Nickerson (D) – Senate
Robert Barr (R) – Senate
Vince Leach (R) – Senate
Justine Wadsack (R) – Senate
Dana Allmond (D) – House
Brian Raford (D) – House
Kirl Fiehler (R) – House
Rachel Jones (R) – House
Cory MGarr (R) – House
Anna Orth (R) – House
Sherrlyn Young (R) – House
District 18
Morgan Abraham (D) – Senate
Priya Sundareshan (D) – Senate
Stan Caine (R) – Senate
Nathan Davis (D) – House
Nancy Gutierrez (D) – House
Chris Mathis (D) – House
Kat Stratford (D) – House
Charles Verdin (D) – House
Linda Evans (R) – House
District 19
David Gowan (R) – Senate
Sanda Clark (D) – House
Lupe Diaz (R) – House
Gail Griffin – House
District 20
Sally Gonzales (D) – Senate
Andrés Cano (D) – House
Alma Hernandez (D) – House
Doug Harding (LBT) – House
District 21
Rosanna Gabaldón (D) – Senate
Consuelo Hernandez (D) – House
Akanni Oyegbola (D) – House
Stephanie Stahl Hamilton (D) – House
District 22
Richard Andrade (D) – Senate
Diego Espinoza (D) – Senate
Natacha Chavez (D) – House
Lupe Chavira Conteras (D) – House
Lorenzo Sierra (D) – House
Leezah Sun (D) – House
District 23
Brian Fernadez (D) – Senate
Gary Garcai Snyder (R) – Senate
Jesus Lugo, Sr. (D) – House
Mariana Sandoval (D) – House
Joshua Pembleton (R) – House
District 24
Cesar Chavez (D) – Senate
Anna Hernandez (D) – Senate
Anna Abeytia (D) – House
Lydia Herandez (D) – House
Hector Jaramillo (D) – House
Pedro Lopez (D) – House
Analise Ortiz (D) – House
District 25
Sine Kerr (R) – Senate
Michael Carbone (R) – House
Timothy Dunn (R) – House
Joel John (R) – House
District 26
Raquel Terán (D) – Senate
Cesar Aguilar (D) – House
Flavio Bravo (D) – House
Gil Hacohen (D) – House
Christian Solorio Acuña (D) – House
District 27
Jamie Kellie (R) – Senate
Anthony Kern (R) – Senate
Jay Griffin (R) – House
Brian Morris (R) – House
Kevin Payne (R) – House
Ben Toma (R) – House
District 28
David Sandoval (D) – Senate
Frank Carrol (R) – Senate
Claire Van Steenwyk (R) – Senate
Stephanie Holbrook (D) – House
Susan Black (R) – House
David Livingston (R) – House
Beverly Pingerelli (R) – House
District 29
Ryan Eldridge (R) – Senate
Joanne Osborne (R) – Senate
Janae Shame (R) – Senate
Scott Podeyn (D) – House
Steve Montenegro (R) – House
Hop Nguyen (R) – House
Austin Smith (R) – House
Trey Terry (R) – House
District 30
Sonny Borrelli (R) – Senate
Leo Biasiucci (R) – House
John Gillette (R) – House
William Hardt (R) – House
Donna McCoy (R) – House
Nohl Rosen (R) – House
Marianne Salem (R) – House
The Arizona Agenda breaks down “These legislative races are HOT”, https://arizonaagenda.substack.com/p/these-legislative-races-are-hot?s=r
Read the post for analysis, but briefly:
LD1 Senate Republican primary
LD3 Senate Republican primary
LD5 Senate Democratic primary
LD7 Senate Republican primary [craziest of all!]
LD10 Senate Republican primary
LD11 Senate Democratic primary
LD16 Senate Republican primary
LD17 Senate Republican primary
LD22 Senate Democratic primary
LD3 House Republican primary (two seats)
LD7 House Republican primary (two seats)
LD29 House Republican primary (two seats)
Rachel Leingang and Hank Stephenson report at “The Daily Agenda: Candidates Hit Their First Deadline”, https://www.tucsonweekly.com/TheRange/archives/2022/04/04/the-daily-agenda-candidates-hit-their-first-deadline
Let’s focus on the Legislature, where more than a dozen former politicians hope to make their triumphant return to public office. Many of those hoping to return to the $24,000 per year salary had rocky runs as elected officials or have hit hard times since.
Take, for instance, Legislative District 1, where former Republican Rep. Noel Campbell is seeking a comeback as a state Senator. After leaving office, Campbell’s wife accused him of domestic violence and said she believes he’s in the beginning stages of dementia. He’ll face Yavapai County Republican Steve Zipperman and, perhaps, former Senate President Ken Bennett a once respected voice in state policy who was last spotted in an off-again, on-again relationship with the Cyber Ninjas.
Anthony Kern, a Brady List cop who was last spotted on the front steps of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, is running unopposed in the GOP primary for the state Senate in LD27 after Republican Sen. Paul Boyer decided to not seek reelection. There are many other scandal-plagued or otherwise memorable former politicians trying to get back in the spotlight:
David Farnsworth, the Republican former lawmaker who got so deep into QAnon theory that he called the cops on fellow former lawmaker Kate Brophy McGee after he claimed that she made a veiled threat on his life because he was investigating the link between children missing from the Department of Child Safety’s custody and sex trafficking, will face off against House Speaker Rusty Bowers in the LD10 Senate GOP primary.
Darin Mitchell faked his address during his first run for office in 2012, but was elected anyway and continued to serve based on a technicality. He’s running again for the House.
Catherine Miranda, whose family has such a long and storied history in Arizona politics that we couldn’t possibly recount all the anecdotes here, wants to come back. She was accused of signature fraud in 2012, though the Attorney General’s Office closed its investigation after the death of her husband, Democratic lawmaker Ben Miranda, saying he had become the primary focus of the investigation. Her brother-in-law, former Democratic lawmaker Richard Miranda, went to prison for something totally unrelated. And at one point, her daughter-in-law ran against her for the state Senate.
Steve Montenegro, a former lawmaker and youth pastor who flat-out lied after being caught carrying out an online affair with an entry-level Capitol staffer while he was a state senator, also hopes to return to the Legislature.
[Of] course, qualifying for the ballot is just the first step. After candidates file signatures today, the challenge period begins. Candidates and their proxies will start taking each other to court to try to disqualify enough signatures to knock each other off the ballot. Only after the challenge period will we really know who will appear on the August primary election ballots.