By Staff Reporter |
One Republican is competing against two Democrats for two seats in the highly competitive Arizona House of Representatives race in Legislative District 9.
Bradley (Brad) Bettencourt is facing off against Democratic incumbent Lorena Austin and Democratic newcomer Jacob Martinez. Bettencourt fell right in the middle of the pack for voter turnout in the primary election. Austin received about 11,200 votes, Martinez received about 9,300 votes, and Bettencourt received about 10,400 votes.
Bettencourt believes his banking career and budgeting prowess — which he says are evidenced by his role in fixing over $1.5 million in budget errors at his Dobson Ranch community — can bring the Arizona budget off life support and onto the path of recovery.
“I’m running because the numbers have to add up: for our state budget and for the families who live here,” said Bettencourt in a recent news release. “I stepped up when my own community of 5,000 homes discovered more than a million and a half dollars in budget errors and helped get the finances back on track. Arizona families are dealing with rising prices while paychecks struggle to keep up. They deserve a representative who will bring practical solutions, not games or extremes.”
Along with the budget, Bettencourt has his eye on strengthening approaches to the biggest issues facing the state today: water security, housing affordability, educational outcomes and choice, legal immigration, and border security.
Bettencourt generally advises more aggressive government action on Colorado River negotiations, cuts to bureaucratic red tape that impact housing, border security, legal immigration pathways, first responder funding, increased penalties on certain crimes like fentanyl distribution, regular infrastructure improvements, and tax cuts to incentivize family growth.
As for the other priorities, Bettencourt proposed government actions that support the individual freedom to act, like protecting educational choice and increasing educational outcomes through competitive teacher pay and expansions of career preparation pathways for students, and opposing new restrictions or burdens on lawful gun ownership.
Bettencourt is an Arizona native that resided in other states and traveled through Latin America before returning to the Valley. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Arizona State University, and has previously resided in southern Arizona, where he worked for a bank in Yuma and Nogales.
So far, Bettencourt has been outraised by his Democratic opponents.
His campaign has raised more than $64,000, out of which $29,000 has come from himself.
The other top single donors to his campaign are the Freedom Club PAC, which gave $2,500; Michelle Masters, who gave $2,000; Gary Golka, who gave $1,000; the NFIB Arizona PAC, which gave $1,000; Veronica Law, who gave $1,000; and Don Tapia, who gave $1,000.
Austin has raised more than $104,000. Her top 10 donors are:
- AFSCME People, $11,000
- Elizabeth Simons, $5,500
- Western States Regional Council of Carpenters Legislative Improvement Committee, $5,500
- The Next 50 PAC, $5,500
- Ross Boucher, $5,400
- Jane Fonda Climate PAC, $5,000
- Peter Francis, $3,000
- Climate Cabinet PAC, $2,500
- Int’l Ass’n of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation Workers Local 359 PAC, or SMART PAC, $2,500
- Arizona Education Association Fund for Public Education, formerly AZ PAC, $2,000
Martinez has also raised a similar amount at more than $100,000. His top 10 donors are very similar to Austin’s top 10:
- AFSCME People, $11,000
- Western States Regional Council of Carpenters Legislative Improvement Committee, $5,500
- Joseph Rich, $5,500
- The Next 50 PAC, $5,500
- Jane Fonda Climate PAC, $5,000
- Ross Boucher, $3,500
- Int’l Ass’n of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation Workers Local 359 PAC, or SMART PAC, $2,500
- Climate Cabinet PAC, $2,500
- Ironworkers Local 75 PAC, $2,000
- United Food & Commercial Workers Local 99 PAC, $2,000
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