By Matthew Holloway |

Arizona House Republicans elected Speaker Steve Montenegro as their next minority leader Friday, selecting Rep. Michael Carbone as assistant minority leader and Rep. Lupe Diaz as minority whip as Democrats prepare to take control of the chamber in January.

Montenegro currently serves as House speaker, while Carbone serves as majority leader.

“Our role in the House is changing, but our principles and our responsibility to Arizona families are not,” Montenegro said. “Our vision for Arizona has always been grounded in three commitments: preserving the American Dream, promoting public safety, and protecting individual rights and liberties. Those principles shaped how we led in the majority, and they will continue to guide our work in the upcoming session.”

The caucus identified tax relief, school choice, educational accountability, and public safety as priorities for the upcoming session. Montenegro said Republicans would review Democratic proposals and their costs while continuing to introduce legislation addressing affordability, education, and community safety. He also said Republicans would work with the incoming majority when opportunities aligned with the state’s interests.

“Democrats will control the House agenda,” Montenegro added, “but they will also have to answer for the decisions they make. We will scrutinize their proposals, demand answers about their costs, and make sure Arizonans understand how those decisions will affect their lives. If the new majority wants to raise taxes, restrict parents’ choices, weaken public safety, or undo reforms that have made Arizona stronger, they should expect a fight. And when there are opportunities to work together in the best interests of our state, we will.”

Montenegro represents Legislative District 29, Carbone represents District 25, and Diaz represents District 19.

The leadership election follows a shift in legislative control. Unofficial results put Democrats on track for a 37–23 House majority and a 20–10 Senate majority.

House Democrats selected Rep. Oscar De Los Santos (D-LD11) as their nominee for speaker and Rep. Nancy Gutierrez (D-LD18) as majority leader. Reps. Brian Garcia (D-LD8) and Kevin Volk (D-LD17) were selected as majority whips, with Rep. Quantá Crews (D-LD26) chosen for speaker pro tempore. Senate Democrats selected Sen. Priya Sundareshan (D-LD18) to lead their incoming majority as Senate president.

Education policy is among the issues the incoming leaders have identified for the next session. Gutierrez wants lawmakers to consider changes to the Empowerment Scholarship Account program similar to Proposition 212, an initiative that failed to qualify for the ballot. That proposal included a household income cap and restrictions on eligible expenses.

Montenegro told reporters that protecting parental choice would remain a Republican priority as Democrats pursue changes to the program.

Carbone’s legislative work has included property tax relief for disabled veterans. He sponsored the House version of legislation granting full primary-residence property tax exemptions to veterans with a 100% service-connected disability. The legislation received bipartisan support and was signed into law earlier this year.

Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.