To offer guidance to voters in the 2022 elections, the Arizona Technology Council has released its endorsements of Arizona Legislature candidates who support the technology industry’s agenda. Recommendations are based on several factors, including the most recent two-year voting records of incumbents, written responses to a survey and interviews of new candidates.
“Our state’s technology industry has been one of the fastest growing in the nation and a main contributor to Arizona’s economy,” said Steven G. Zylstra, the Council’s president and CEO. “Furthermore, technology will continue to be a cornerstone of our growth. The state legislators we endorse represent those who understand and advocate our industry’s success, as well as the betterment of our overall economy.”
The Council’s Public Policy Committee thoroughly researched candidates for the state Senate and House of Representatives to determine whether they provided ongoing support of the technology agenda. The issues most heavily weighted in the Committee’s recommendations included the legislative priorities outlined in Council’s 2022 Public Policy Guide. Priorities included cultivating a diverse, equitable and statewide science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) ecosystem; funding the state’s P-20 education system, including pre-K, K-12, career and technical education district (CTED), postsecondary programs; supporting efforts to positively impact the diversity, equity and inclusion of the workforce and its leadership; and advancing energy policy that encourages demand-side adoption of efficiency, prioritizes clean and renewable energy use, invests in electric vehicle infrastructure development, and supports innovation in the industry.
The endorsements focus on candidates for the state Legislature in Arizona’s 2022 elections. Because the Council backs only candidates who support a technology agenda and those who either have a voting record or participated in our endorsement process, some districts have no recommendations. The Council does not provide recommendations on other statewide or congressional races.
To provide transparency on selections, the Council soon will publish its 2022 Vote TechSmart, a biennial voters’ guide that will offer details of its official endorsements.
The Council’s legislative candidate endorsements are:
Arizona Senate:
- District 2: Steve Kaiser (R)
- District 3: John Kavanagh (R)
- District 4: Christine Marsh (D)
- District 5: Lela Alston (D)
- District 6: Theresa Hatathlie (D)
- District 9: Tyler Pace (R)
- District 10: Rusty Bowers (R)
- District 12: David Richardson (R)
- District 13: J.D. Mesnard (R)
- District 16: TJ Shope (R)
- District 17: Vince Leach (R)
- District 18: Morgan Abraham (D)
- District 19: David Gowan (R)
- District 21: Rosanna Gabaldón (D)
- District 22: Diego Espinoza (D)
- District 23: Brian Fernandez (D)
- District 24: Cesar Chavez (D)
- District 25: Sine Kerr (R)
- District 28: Frank Carroll (R)
- District 29: Joanne Osborne (R)
- District 30: Sonny Borrelli (R)
Arizona House of Representatives:
- District 1: Quang Nguyen (R)
- District 2: Justin Wilmeth (R)
- District 3: Nicole Cantelme (R)
- District 4: Matt Gress (R), Maria Syms (R)
- District 5: Jennifer Longdon (D), Dr. Amish Shah (D)
- District 6: Myron Tsosie (D)
- District 7: David Cook (R)
- District 9: Lorena Austin (D), Seth Blattman (D)
- District 11: Wesley Leasy (D), Marcelino Quiñonez (D)
- District 12: James Chaston (R), Ajlan Kurdoglu (D), Stacey Travers (D)
- District 13: Ron Hardin (R), Jennifer Pawlik (D)
- District 15: Neal Carter (R)
- District 16: Teresa Martinez (R)
- District 18: Christopher Mathis (D), Nathan Davis (D)
- District 20: Andres Cano (D), Alma Hernandez (D)
- District 21: Consuelo Hernandez (D), Stephanie Stahl Hamilton (D)
- District 22: Lupe Contreras (D), Lorenzo Sierra (D)
- District 25: Tim Dunn (R), Joel John (R)
- District 26: Flavio Bravo (D)
- District 27: Kevin Payne (R), Ben Toma (R)
- District 28: David Livingston (R)
- District 29: Trey Terry (R)
- District 30: Leo Biasiucci (R)
To stay current on politics and policies affecting the state’s technology industry, visit the Technology Advocacy & Technology Public Policy page on the Council’s website at aztechcouncil.org/
About the Arizona Technology Council
The Arizona Technology Council is Arizona’s premier trade association for science and technology companies. Recognized as having a diverse professional business community, Council members work towards furthering the advancement of technology in Arizona through leadership, education, legislation and social action. The Council offers numerous events, educational forums and business conferences that bring together leaders, visionaries and community members to make an impact on the technology industry. These interactions contribute to the Council’s culture of growing member businesses and transforming technology in Arizona. To become a member or to learn more about the Arizona Technology Council, please visit www.aztechcouncil.org.