By Staff Reporter |
Legislative District 13 candidate Debra Schinke is looking to get into government to reduce its footprint, and ensure it further prioritizes faith, law, and families.
Schinke, a Chandler Citizens Police Review Board member, also wants to apply her 17 years as a fraud prosecutor to cutting down on waste within the presently struggling state budget.
The former president of Chandler Republican Women (2020-2023) told the Gilbert Chamber of Commerce in a candidate interview last month that she experienced the injustice of bureaucratic bloat during her upbringing in a California farming community.
During her youth, Schinke said she helped around her father’s gas station in addition to taking up customer service and accounting for his propane company. The former Grace Community Christian School board member attested to the struggles imposed by copious regulations on her father’s small businesses.
Schinke said freedom can’t exist without freedoms in the marketplace.
“Some of us need to stand up and defend the small businesses in our communities,” said Schinke. “Small businesses are the backbone of our economy.”
Schinke decided to run for public office because of her son, a member of the Air Force stationed in Japan. During her time as a precinct committeewoman, Republican state committeewoman, and Arizona Federation of Republican Women leadership team, she has spent years working campaigns for candidates running for city councils, school boards, the legislature, and Congress.
“It just spoke to my heart again, that if our sons and daughters are over fighting for us and our freedom and liberty, then I need to be here on the frontlines, too,” said Schinke.
Schinke’s platform consists of historically standard perspectives like: encouragement of public faith in God, protection for parental rights, resistance to bureaucratic growth, a strict view of borders, implicit trust for law enforcement, and an open mind for school choice.
While Schinke generally opposes a larger government presence, she has taken exception to the ongoing issue of water. Schinke indicated that the state ought to lead on conservation measures, but without creating additional burdens on residents.
On this and other pressing issues in the Valley, like public transit and housing, Schinke said she needed to conduct more research. In all cases, Schinke said her litmus would be the impact on Arizona families.
Per her latest campaign finance report, Schinke has raised nearly $40,400.
Other candidates in the LD13 race are Democratic candidate Racquel “Rockee” Armstrong and Republican candidates Kevin Hartke, Chandler mayor, and Janet Weninger, wife of State Rep. Jeff Weninger (R-LD13).
Armstrong’s platform encourages increased government spending to deflate costs by expanding affordable housing and public transportation.
Both Weninger and Harktes’ platforms appeared similar to Schinke’s, but with more openness to select government spending to improve social outcomes.
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