Debra Schinke Enters LD13 Race With Focus On Faith, Families, And Limited Government

Debra Schinke Enters LD13 Race With Focus On Faith, Families, And Limited Government

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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Weninger Wants “Back In The Fight” In LD13

Weninger Wants “Back In The Fight” In LD13

By Daniel Stefanski |

A former state legislator is seeking to return to the Arizona House of Representatives.

On Thursday, former Representative Jeff Weninger sent out an email announcing that he was “back in the fight,” telling those on his email list that he was “excited to announce that I’m running for State Representative in the new Legislative District 13.”

Weninger served in the state house for four terms before running for Arizona Treasurer in the Republican primary in 2022. He also was a member of the Chandler City Council for eight years.

Constituents of this legislative district are currently served in the state house by Representatives Jennifer Pawlik (a Democrat) and Julie Willoughby (a Republican). Willoughby was selected by the Maricopa Board of Supervisors to fill a vacated seat earlier this legislative session. On May 2, Pawlik announced that she would not be seeking reelection. The Democrat wrote that “it’s time to take my leadership and service in a new direction and to open the door for new candidates to run in this district.”

In his email, Weninger shared that, over the past year, he had moved his son to college, helped his daughter begin her high school journey, spent more time with his business, and invested in his community. He noted that “things are going really well” for him – but “unfortunately not every Arizonan feels the same way.” The former lawmaker stated that “inflation and prices are climbing, energy costs are higher than ever, and parents are struggling with decisions on the best educational environment for their kids.”

He went on to boost his track record with his prior service in the state house, highlighting that he “fought to lower your taxes, keep our cost of living affordable, support our first responders, and make Arizona one of the most business-friendly states in the country.”

Just last month, Weninger engaged Democrat Senator Mitzi Epstein on Twitter over the issue of the food municipal tax repeal, which was vetoed by Governor Hobbs after passing through the Republican-controlled Legislature in the spring. Weninger posted: “Sen. Epstein…. In your tweet you said “And NOT another regressive sales tax causing the middle class to pay for everything – again!” How do you square that with your opposition to eliminating tax on food? (essential item to live)”

After Epstein replied to his query with her worry that the elimination of the food tax would result in “less funding for after-school childcare,” Weninger responded, “Why not just let those folks who need after school care just keep more of their money from food taxes? Also Schools and Boys & Girls Club & ICAN provide after school care in Chandler & they do a wonderful job.”

He later added another comment to the discussion, saying, “I don’t really hear an argument against it. It is just the same parlor tricks of telling people that by letting them keep their money it somehow takes something away from them.”

Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.