Arizona Technology Council endorses candidates across 24 legislative districts

Phoenix Business Journal

Steven Zylstra, Contributing Writer

Story Highlights

• The Arizona Technology Council endorsed candidates across 27 legislative districts
• Endorsed candidates support policies strengthening innovation, talent development, and infrastructure
• The Council based endorsements on voting records, surveys, and interviews

Make a difference. It’s hard to imagine anyone wouldn’t want to do this.

Fortunately, all of us have the opportunity to participate in the American experiment that has drawn us and our ancestors to Arizona and the rest of the nation.

The Arizona Technology Council⁠ and its members embrace this idea by helping shape public policy. This includes supporting the political leaders who make policy by developing recommendations for state legislators.

Now it’s your turn.

What follows are the Council’s endorsements of Arizona Senate and House of Representative candidates who have earned spots on the general election ballot to represent the districts within the Business Journal readership.

These candidates recognize the critical role technology plays in Arizona’s future and support policies that strengthen innovation, talent development, infrastructure and long-term economic competitiveness. Recommendations are based on several factors, including voting records of incumbents, written responses in candidate surveys and interviews conducted with first-time candidates and incumbents. In some races, no candidates were recommended.

Key priorities include strengthening Arizona’s science, technology, engineering and math pipeline; supporting workforce development and education funding across pre-K, K-12, career and technical education, and postsecondary programs; advancing policies that foster innovation and entrepreneurship; supporting infrastructure and economic development initiatives; and promoting sustainable energy and transportation solutions that support the state’s continued growth.

The Council’s 2026 legislative endorsements are:

District 2

• State Senate: Shawnna Bolick (R)
• House of Representatives: Justin Wilmeth (R)
• House of Representatives: Stephanie Simacek (D)

District 3

• State Senate: John Kavanagh (R)
• House of Representatives: Julie Gable (D)

District 4

• State Senate: Carine Werner (R)
• State Senate: Aaron Lieberman (D)
• House of Representatives: Matt Gress (R)
• House of Representatives: Tammy Caputi (D)

District 5

• State Senate: Christine Marsh (D)
• House of Representatives: Sarah Liguori (D)

District 8

• House of Representatives: Janeen Connolly (D)

District 9

• State Senate: Kiana Sears (D)
• State Senate: Bridget Fitzgibbons (R)

District 10

• State Senate: David Farnsworth (R)

District 11

• State Senate: Catherine Miranda (D)
• House of Representatives: Junelle Cavero (D)

District 12

• State Senate: Patricia Contreras (D)
• House of Representatives: Anastasia “Stacey” Travers (D)
• House of Representatives: Armando Montero (D)

District 13

• State Senate: Julie Willoughby (R)
• House of Representatives: Kevin Hartke (R)
• House of Representatives: Janet Weninger (R)

District 14

• House of Representatives: Laurin Hendrix (R)
• House of Representatives: Tyler Farnsworth (R)

District 15

• House of Representatives: Neal Carter (R)

District 16

• State Senate: T.J. Shope (R)
• House of Representatives: Chris Lopez (R)
• House of Representatives: Teresa Martinez (R)

District 18

• State Senate: Priya Sundareshan (D)
• House of Representatives: Nancy Gutierrez (D)

District 19

• House of Representatives: Lupe Diaz (R)
• House of Representatives: David Gowan (R)

District 20

• State Senate: Alma Hernandez (D)
• House of Representatives: Betty Villegas (D)

District 21

• State Senate: Rosanna Gabaldón (D)
• House of Representatives: Consuelo Hernandez (D)

District 22

• State Senate: Eva Diaz (D)
• House of Representatives: Elda Luna-Najera (D)

District 23

• State Senate: Brian Fernandez (D)
• House of Representatives: Michelle Peña (R)
• House of Representatives: Mariana Sandoval (D)

District 24

• State Senate: Analise Ortiz (D)

District 25

• State Senate: Tim Dunn (R)
• House of Representatives: Michael Carbone (R)

District 26

• State Senate: Flavio Bravo (D)
• House of Representatives: Cesar Aguilar (D)
• House of Representatives: Quantá Crews (D)

District 27

• State Senate: Kevin Payne (R)
• House of Representatives: Tony Rivero (R)

District 28

• State Senate: Frank Carroll (R)
• House of Representatives: David Livingston (R)

District 29

• State Senate: Janae Shamp (R)
• House of Representatives: Steve Montenegro (R)
• House of Representatives: James Taylor (R)

For details on why these candidates were selected, please visit the Council’s 2026 Vote TechSmart voter guide at https://www.aztechcouncil.org/vote-techsmart/.

The Council and its members know Arizona’s technology sector remains a driving force behind the state’s economic momentum, innovation ecosystem and workforce growth. Ultimately, you play a part, too.