A progressive Democrat incumbent legislator is key to her party’s hopes of flipping both chambers in Arizona.
Mariana Sandoval is running for reelection to the Arizona House of Representatives in Legislative District 23. She was first elected in November 2022 and has served alongside Republican Michele Peña in the state House over the past two legislative sessions. In the House, Sandoval is a member of the Land, Agriculture & Rural Affairs Committee and the Ways & Means Committee.
On her campaign website, Sandoval proudly promotes endorsements from left-leaning organizations, including, Human Rights Campaign PAC, Save Our Schools Arizona, Living United for Change in Arizona, National Organization for Women Arizona Political Action Committee, Sierra Club, Arizona Education Association, Climate Cabinet, Moms Demand Action, and others.
Over her first term in office, Sandoval has proven that she does not share the values of many of the men and women who she represents. In 2023, she voted no on SB 1063, which would have “prohibit[ed] a city, town or other taxing jurisdiction from levying a transaction privilege tax, sales, use, franchise or other similar tax or fee on the sale of food and certain beverage items intended for home consumption.” After Republicans passed the bill out of both chambers, Democrat Governor Katie Hobbs vetoed it, writing, “From potential cuts to service – including public safety – to increased property taxes, it’s clear that this bill doesn’t actually eliminate costs for our residents.”
When Hobbs rejected the proposal, Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen blasted her decision in a statement. He said, Senate Republicans have been working toward introducing legislation necessary to provide financial relief to all Arizonans, especially low-income families who are feeling the tremendous burden of inflation. It’s very clear the governor has no interest in helping with that financial burden.”
Sandoval also opposed legislation that protected Arizona’s children. In February, she voted against HB 2586, which would have “add[ed] a new section of statute regulating the publishing and distribution of material harmful to minors on the internet.” Hobbs vetoed this bill, claiming that it went “against settled case law.” Other advocates for the proposal disagreed with Hobbs and her Democrat allies, including Arizona Women of Action. Amid the legislative process, the organization posted, “This nonpartisan bill needs SUPPORT. It would effectively protect AZ kids from accessing pornography. Age verification is a must.”
Terry Schilling, the president of the American Principles Project, also weighed in on the governor’s action. She said, “Up until now, protecting kids from online porn had been a cause with nearly unanimous, bipartisan support. Polls have shown the vast majority of American voters, across the political spectrum, back these laws. Both Democrat and Republican governors in a dozen states from Louisiana to Utah to Virginia have signed this legislation. And many more are on track to join this list shortly.”
This week, Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs (@katiehobbs) vetoed HB 2586, which would have required that adult websites implement age verification in order to prevent minors from accessing pornographic content. pic.twitter.com/Mb8myTVpdD
Additionally, Sandoval opposed efforts to enhance safeguards for law-abiding Arizonans who have increasingly fallen prey to the rising tide of criminal activity across the state. This year, she voted against SCR 1021, which would “statutorily require an adult who is convicted of a class 2 felony for any child sex trafficking offense to be sentenced to natural life imprisonment.” The measure was passed by the Arizona Legislature and transmitted to the Secretary of State for inclusion on the November General Election ballot.
When the legislation was introduced, Senator Shawnna Bolick, the Republican sponsor of the effort, said, “We believe in holding traffickers accountable for their heinous crimes, and that’s why we’ve filed legislation for a ballot referral to put convicted child sex traffickers behind bars for life. Our message is clear: our children are not for sale, and we will not tolerate heinous crimes against them. Join us in this fight to protect our most precious resource – our children. Perpetrators, not here, not now, not never.”
According to the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission, Legislative District 23 has a competitive vote spread of 16.9% between Democrats and Republicans over the past nine state elections. Out of those elections, Democrats have won all nine contests.
Sandoval will run in November’s General Election alongside Matias Rosales, who emerged from the July 30 Primary Election for the Democrat Party. She obtained 9,194 votes, and Rosales acquired 6,811 votes. James Holmes finished third in the primary, garnering 2,919 votes.
Both Sandoval and Rosales will face off against Peña. In November 2022, Peña had more votes than either of her Democrat opponents with 12,850, compared to 10,101 for Sandoval and 8,030 for Jesus Lugo Jr.
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Democrats are trying to win a Republican-leaning legislative seat in the southern Arizona area with a candidate who has been endorsed by several progressive organizations.
Kevin Volk is running for the Arizona House of Representatives in Arizona Legislative District 17. Volk was the only Democrat running in the primary for the chamber as his party attempts a ‘single-shot’ strategy to win enough votes for a first or second-place finish in November’s General Election. He obtained 26,330 votes in the July 30 Primary Election.
While my primary was uncontested, it is humbling to have received over 26,000 votes, and to become the Democratic nominee to represent Legislative District 17 in the Arizona State House.
On his campaign website, Volk lists several endorsements from left-leaning organizations for his bid to ascend to the state House, including the National Organization for Women Arizona Political Action Committee, the Arizona Education Association, the Sister District Project, Moms Demand Action, Human Rights Campaign PAC, Climate Cabinet, and the Sierra Club.
Should Volk manage to win a seat in the Arizona House, his endorsement from the Arizona Education Association (AEA) shows that he would likely join with this organization and his fellow Democrat colleagues to undermine – and even dismantle – the state’s historic opportunities for school choice and educational freedom. The AEA has been a staunch opponent of the Arizona Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (ESA) program, which has unlocked a chance for tens of thousands of students around the state to receive the education that best unleashes their learning abilities.
On June 18, the AEA posted, “Happy to be endorsing John McLean and Kevin Volk in LD 17. This is a vital district to win to achieve a pro-education majority in the state legislature, and we’re so glad to have two strong advocates for public education and for Arizona working families in the race!
Happy to be endorsing @JohnMcLean4AZ@KevinVolkAZ in LD17. This is a vital district to win to achieve a pro-education majority in the state legislature, and we're so glad to have two strong advocates for public education and for Arizona working families in the race! pic.twitter.com/jzNe826ayd
The Pima County Democratic Party cheered on the endorsement of Volk from the AEA in a post on X, writing, “This is simple. Kevin Volk and John McLean are champions for the public schools in Marana, SaddleBrooke, Picture Rocks, Tanque Verde, Rita Ranch, East Side, Tucson, and Oro Valley. Good public schools benefit all of us, and all of our community.”
— Pima County Democratic Party (@PimaDems) June 18, 2024
While not on his website, on May 7, Volk also acknowledged an endorsement of his campaign from Save Our Schools Arizona, another organization committed to the end of ESAs and other mediums of school choice in the state. He wrote, “Thank you, Save Our Schools Arizona for your endorsement! As a former public school teacher, I believe that all children in Arizona – more than 90% of whom attend public schools – deserve an excellent education, and that means making sure that our schools are fully funded and fully staffed.”
Thank you @arizona_sos for your endorsement! As a former public school teacher, I believe that all children in Arizona – more than 90% of whom attend public schools – deserve an excellent education, and that means making sure that our schools are fully funded and fully staffed. https://t.co/7jQfAY9eSF
Earlier this year, in April, Volk announced that he had obtained the endorsement of Sister District Project, which has targeted Arizona to help Democrats win competitive races around the state. The organization states that it “prioritize[s] endorsing where we can build momentum at the bottom of the ticket to decrease roll-off in naturally higher turnout environments with strategic higher-ticket Democratic opportunities.”
I am proud to have received the endorsement of @Sister_District, a national organization that is dedicated to helping state legislative candidates in the most critical battleground districts in the country. #LD17
To receive an endorsement from Sister District Project, Volk, like all other candidates who have been endorsed by the organization, had to agree to a six-prong policy plank, including more gun control policies and protection against climate change.
Volk’s support from Sister District Project and its devotion to the radical beliefs around the issue of climate change closely mirrors an endorsement of the LD 17 Democrat candidate from another climate-oriented organization, Climate Cabinet. This organization thanks a number of other likeminded partners – one of which is the Sierra Club Grand Canyon Chapter.
Voters might find it hard to decipher what Volk believes (or does not believe) thanks to his nonexistent record, but as with the endorsements he has received and announced, there are concerning signs that he would be an unwavering vote for the Democrat Party in the Arizona Legislature. In an opinion piece for the Tucson Daily Star on March 6, Volk wrote against an election integrity proposal from Republican Representative Rachel Jones, stating that her legislation would mean that “politicians in our state could potentially choose the winner of the presidential election – regardless of your vote.” He added, “Bypassing Arizonans’ votes for president does not secure elections, it silences voters. I believe that Arizonans, not politicians, should help decide who the next president is.”
However, Volk’s sentiments appear to be hypocritical when it comes to recent actions from his own party at the top of the ticket, where President Joe Biden stepped aside from the votes of millions of Democrats around the country, including Arizonans, after an overwhelming crescendo of voices from his party’s elite forced his hand. What Volk raged against in the southern Arizona publication became reality, not with a Republican policy, but actually with his party’s presumed and eventual nominee who was elected by the votes of political delegates in Chicago, Illinois – not the votes of Arizonans and other men and women from states around the United States.
According to the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission, Legislative District 17 has an 8.34% vote spread between Republicans and Democrats in the last nine state elections. In those nine elections, Republicans have won all nine contests.
Volk will face off in the November General Election against Republicans Cory McGarr and Jones, who are both incumbent State Representatives. McGarr and Jones emerged over Anna Orth in the July Primary Election.
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A middle-of-the-road legislative district in the Phoenix-metro area will be key to deciding the future political makeup of the Arizona State Legislature.
State Representative Seth Blattman, a Democrat, is running for reelection in Arizona Legislative District 9.
The Democrat lawmaker has been endorsed by liberal groups in his reelection bid, including National Organization for Women Arizona, AEA Fund for Public Education, the Progressive Turnout Project, the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, Jane Fonda Climate PAC, Save Our Schools Arizona, and Stonewall Democrats of Arizona.
Blattman’s support from the Fonda PAC may be one of the most concerning for voters researching his record and determining which direction they want to see for their district. On August 7, Blattman boasted of this endorsement, saying, “I am incredibly honored to announce the endorsement by the Jane Fonda Climate PAC! Their tireless efforts in combating climate change and advocating for sustainable policies are crucial for our planet’s future. Together, let’s create a healthier and sustainable Arizona for generations to come.”
I am incredibly honored to announce the endorsement by the Jane Fonda Climate PAC! Their tireless efforts in combating climate change and advocating for sustainable policies are crucial for our planet's future. Together, let's create a healthier and sustainable Arizona for… pic.twitter.com/qXZVxxZDJs
The mission of the PAC, however, is not as agreeable to a wide swath of constituents. On her website, Fonda writes, “Our planet is on fire and our leaders are failing us, so if we can’t change the minds of the people in power, we need to change the people in power. It is for that reason that I started Jane Fonda Climate PAC, which is laser-focused on one goal: Do what it takes to defeat fossil fuel supporters and elect climate champions at all levels of government.”
This PAC asserts that “major solutions are stopped cold: the Green New Deal, Build Back Better, clean energy investments, ending billions in tax subsidies to the fossil fuel industry – all because of politicians backed by Big Oil.”
The Green New Deal pushed by the Jane Fonda Climate PAC is the same championed by U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, who is one of the most progressive lawmakers in the U.S. Congress. On Sanders’ presidential campaign website, he wrote about the deal, that “the climate crisis is not only the single greatest challenge facing our country; it is also our single greatest opportunity to build a more just and equitable future, but we must act immediately.”
Sanders added that as president he would “launch the decade of the Green New Deal, a ten-year, nationwide mobilization centered around justice and equity during which climate change will be factored into virtually every area of policy, from immigration to trade to foreign policy and beyond. Part of the details of the Green New Deal, according to Sanders, includes, “declaring climate change a national emergency, commit[ing] to reducing emissions throughout the world, [and] expanding the climate justice movement.”
Though Arizona has so far resisted an extreme move to the globalist agenda of the climate change lobby – thanks, in large part, to its previous Republican governors (Brewer and Ducey) and a Republican-led legislature – Blattman’s recent votes indicate that he might help usher in more of the Green New Deal policies should Democrats retake the legislature alongside Governor Katie Hobbs. He voted against HCR 2050, which would have “constitutionally prohibit[ed] Arizona or any political subdivision or public body of Arizona from restricting the manufacture, use or sale or a device based on the energy sources used to power the device.”
Additionally, Blattman voted against HCR 2018, which would have “prohibit[ed] this state and any city, town, county, municipal corporation or other political subdivision of this state from imposing a fee or tax based on vehicle miles traveled by a person in a motor vehicle or enacting any rule or law to monitor or limit the vehicle miles traveled by a person in a motor vehicle.”
Another of Blattman’s endorsements, the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, also highlights its efforts to fight for the Green New Deal. The organization promotes itself as “a proud supporter of Elizabeth Warren since her first run for Senate and was the first national political organization to endorse her for president in the 2020 election.”
Warren, also one of the most liberal and progressive members of the U.S. Congress, presents herself as a top supporter of the Green New Deal. On her campaign website, Warren writes, “This is a crisis. We need bold, aggressive action. We need a Green New Deal – and we need it now. Elizabeth is proud to be an original cosponsor of Senator Ed Markey and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s Green New Deal resolution, which commits the United States to a ten-year mobilization to achieve domestic net-zero emissions by 2030. It provides the framework for an ambitious effort to transform our economy and save our planet.”
According to the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission, Legislative District 9 is one of the most competitive in the entire state, with a 2.6% vote spread between Democrats and Republicans in the past nine statewide elections. In those contests, Democrats have emerged victorious five times, compared to four for Republicans.
Blattman will attempt to return to the Arizona House of Representatives alongside his seatmate, Lorena Austin. The two Democrats are facing off against Republicans Mary Ann Mendoza and Kylie Barber for the right to represent the district in its two slots.
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A liberal Democrat is attempting to return to the Arizona State Legislature for the upcoming session to give her party control of the House of Representatives.
Kelli Butler is running for election to the Arizona House of Representatives in Legislative District 4. Butler previously served in the Arizona Legislature from January 2017 to 2023. Currently, she sits on the Maricopa County Community College District Governing Board as a Member At-large.
Though she is running in a centrist district in the Phoenix-metro area, Butler boasts of several endorsements from left-leaning organizations for her campaign, including the Arizona Education Association, Moms Demand Action, Arizona List, Save Our Schools Arizona, National Organization for Women Arizona Political Action Committee, Human Rights Campaign, Emilys List, and Sierra Club Grand Canyon.
The former lawmaker does not have an “issues” page on her campaign website, yet her “about” section makes clear that she would be legislating with an anti-school choice agenda should voters return her to the House of Representatives chamber. She writes, “We know public schools are underfunded, but universal vouchers send tax dollars to private schools with no accountability.” She also mentions abortion being one of her top focuses, highlighting that “attacks on women’s reproductive rights seem to be the priority.” Butler promises that “with a new majority, those priorities will change.”
On May 3, Butler reposted an endorsement from Save Our Schools, adding, “So proud to earn this endorsement! I’m looking forward to working to strengthen our neighborhood public schools.” Save Our Schools and the Arizona Education Association have been two of the top organizations opposed to school choice and educational freedom opportunities, working against efforts to give Arizona parents and guardians more choices when it comes to their children’s’ education and future development.
During her last term in legislative office, Butler voted against HB 2853, which expanded the state’s empowerment scholarship accounts program, giving tens of thousands more Arizona families enhanced opportunities to maximize the potential of their children’s education.
Butler also took a stand against Republican attempts to help the state secure the border and give law enforcement officers additional resources and authority they require to better protect communities and unsuspecting families. When the state legislature debated whether to pass HCR 2060 and send it to the ballot for the consideration of Arizonans, she posted, “I agree federal immigration reform is needed, but HCR 2060 is not the answer. It will divert local law enforcement resources, result in taxpayer funded lawsuits, give AZ another black eye nationally and further strain our state budget.”
I agree federal immigration reform is needed, but HCR2060 is not the answer. It will divert local law enforcement resources, result in taxpayer funded lawsuits, give AZ another black eye nationally & further strain our state budget. https://t.co/85qjurqyTv
The three-term legislator has also been a champion of gun control measures and would be a vote to dismantle Arizonans Second Amendment rights at the state capitol.
Pleased to join my #LD4 House running mate, Karen Gresham, for @MomsDemand Action Advocacy Day. The GOP majority at #azleg refuses to hear sensible bills to help make our children safer-instead, the GOP is pushing to allow guns on college & university campuses again. pic.twitter.com/ItzBEyBpZF
In 2022, Butler decried the lack of action on gun control bills introduced by her fellow Democrat legislators.
⬇️ a list of the gun violence prevention legislation @AZHouseDems introduced this year. All have been blocked from getting hearings & debate by the GOP majority. We call on our Republican colleagues to work with us & take sensible steps to make our communities safer. https://t.co/6cvkrHk4HF
Back in January 2022, Butler slammed then-Republican Governor Doug Ducey’s commitment to keep Arizona schools open for in-person learning – more than a year after the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Butler said, “Gov. Ducey is again punishing schools that take action to shut down to protect the health of students and staff. He’s using this pandemic to defund our already stressed-to-the-brink public schools. Instead, he should provide PPE, paid sick days, substitutes, ventilation.”
Gov. Ducey is again punishing schools that take action to shut down to protect the health of students and staff. He’s using this pandemic to defund our already stressed-to-the-brink public schools. Instead, he should provide PPE, paid sick days, substitutes, ventilation. https://t.co/gKsFuIYYLQ
She also attacked Governor Ducey’s assertion that “there [was] no mask mandate in Arizona” in December 2021 – again, more than a year after COVID-19 pandemic pinnacle swept the nation, framing Ducey’s statement as bragging about “ignoring public health guidelines.”
While #Covid_19 is the leading cause of death in #AZ, Gov. Ducey brags that he’s ignoring public health guidelines. Thank goodness @POTUS is sending federal medical support teams to address the crisis caused by our governor’s failure to lead. https://t.co/5eQp41S3JW
Additionally, in September 2021, Butler pounced on a lawsuit from then-Republican Attorney General Mark Brnovich over one of President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 vaccine orders, calling it a “PR campaign” and accusing the state’s top prosecutor of “want[ing] Arizonans to get sick and stay sick.”
Remember when AG Brnovich wasted our tax dollars suing to destroy the Affordable Care Act & protections for preexisting conditions? Now we’re paying for his new PR campaign/lawsuit to fight efforts to require COVID vaccine.
Butler ran as a team for the state House with fellow Democrat Karen Gresham, who serves on the Madison Elementary School District’s governing board as its president. In the just-completed primary election, Butler finished first, receiving 20,918 votes, according to the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office. Gresham obtained 18,930 votes. They will face off against incumbent state Representative Matt Gress and his running mate, Pamela Carter, for the Republicans. Gress received 24,329 votes in the July 30 primary election, compared to 19,432 for Carter.
According to the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission, Legislative District 4 is one of the most competitive in the state, with a 3.4% vote spread between Republicans and Democrats in the past nine statewide elections. In those elections, Republicans have won five of the contests, compared to four for the Democrats.
Currently, there is only one legislator representing Legislative 4 (Gress) due to a Democrat’s resignation this summer. Butler was one of three Democrats nominated to fill the seat (with Gresham and Eric Meyer) to be considered by the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors. One of those individuals will be selected by the Board to serve for the duration of the term (until early January 2025).
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A Republican State Senator is speaking out against the Arizona governor’s decision to veto one of his education-related bills.
Last week, Governor Katie Hobbs vetoed SB 1151, which would have allowed state teachers or administrators in all schools to “read or post copies or excerpts of the Ten Commandments.”
Hobbs, in a veto letter to Senate President Warren Petersen, explained that she had “serious concerns about the constitutionality of this legislation,” adding that she also felt it “is also unnecessary.”
The sponsor of the bill, Senator Anthony Kern, expressed his outrage over the governor’s action, writing, “I’m appalled the state’s top elected official is abandoning God and the very foundation our country was built upon by not allowing teachers to expose their students to the morals and ethics outlined in the Ten Commandments. When you look at some of the garbage being forced on our children in the classroom, it’s no wonder rates of depression, anxiety, and suicide among youth are at their highest levels ever recorded. When children are exposed to good, noble, honest, and righteous ideas, they are more prone to being better human beings with sound character, able to navigate life’s problems with grace, and have a greater chance of treating each other with respect and dignity throughout life. Sadly, Katie Hobbs’ veto is a prime example of Democrats’ efforts to push state-sponsored atheism while robbing Arizona’s children of the opportunity to flourish with a healthy moral compass.”
On the Arizona Legislature’s Request to Speak system, the proposal drew a significant amount of opposition, including representatives from the Arizona Association of County School Superintendents, Arizona Education Association, American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona, Save Our Schools Arizona, Arizona School Boards Association, and Americans United for Separation of Church and State.
SB 1151 had first passed the State Senate in February with a 16-12 vote (with two members not voting), before being approved in the State House earlier this month with a 31-28 tally (with one member not voting).
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
