Arizona’s candidates for the 2018 midterm elections
By: Mae Yen Yap
Tags: Elections, Arizona, Politics, Midterms, Congress

As Arizona prepares for the 2018 midterm elections, the majority-red state has experienced an increase in registration numbers from Democratic voters. Although that surge in number is still much lower than the lead Republicans have in Arizona, it just may affect Arizona’s midterm elections results.

Important dates and deadlines

The last day for Arizona voters to register is Oct. 9.

Absentee ballots must be received by voters’ respective local election offices by Oct. 26, two Fridays before Election day.

Election day is Nov. 6.

Arizona’s candidates for the 2018 Midterm

Who is running for U.S. Senate?

Currently, the U.S. Senate is controlled by Republicans who make up the majority with 51 seats while Democrats have 47 seats and independents with two seats. There will be 35 seats up nationwide for election for the 2018 midterm elections, 26 held by Democrats and nine held by Republicans.

Incumbent Arizona Republican Senator Jeff Flake will not be running for re-election during the 2018 midterm elections. Flake, an outspoken critic of President Donald Trump, announced his resignation stating that it was due to disagreements on Trump’s policies. Flake was appointed as senator after the death of former Arizona Senator John McCain during August 2018.

For the first time in history, Arizona will have a female senator representing the state.

Martha McSally (R)

Republican Martha McSally will be running for the position of U.S. senator.

McSally has represented Arizona’s 2nd Congressional District since 2015 to the present day. Prior to that, McSally has a history in the military, having graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy and served in the Air Force for 26 years before retiring in 2010 as a colonel.

McSally’s campaign website issues page lists the following stances among others:

Kyrsten Sinema (D)

Democrat Kyrsten Sinema will be running for the position of U.S. senator.

Sinema’s political career began when she represented District 15 as part of the Arizona House of Representatives between 2005 and 2011. She was elected to Arizona State Senate in 2011 and later resigned during 2012 to run for Congress. Sinema is a strong advocate for women and children, passing laws against sex trafficking in Arizona and expanding the AMBER Alert system to tribal lands in Arizona and across the nation.

Sinema’s campaign website priorities page lists the following stances among others:

Who is running for Governor Elections?

Doug Ducey (R)

Republican Doug Ducey is the incumbent Governor of Arizona. He is re-running for the seat.

Ducey was first elected as Arizona Treasurer in 2010. In 2014, Ducey ran for the position of Governor of Arizona where he continues to serve in the position to the present day.

Ducey’s campaign website issue page lists the following stances among others:

David Garcia (D)

Democrat David Garcia is running for the position of Governor of Arizona.

Prior to his involvement in politics, Garcia has had a long history with education policy. Garcia was the director of Research and Policy for the Arizona Department of Education and the director of the Arizona Education Policy Initiative.

Garcia’s campaign website issues page lists the following stances among others:

Angel Torres (G)

Angel Torres is a Green Party candidate running for Governor of Arizona.

Torres is an active member of the Green Party and has served as the state co-chair of the Arizona Green Party since 2004. She represented Arizona as a delegate to the Green Party-U.S. National Committee and continues to do so to the present day. Torres was previously the co-chair of the Green Party-US Latinx Caucus between 2008 and 2015.

Torres’ campaign website issue page lists the following stances among others:

Supports organizing worker unions

Increase funding for education and increasing teachers’ salary

Supports the Red for Ed movement

Expanding Medicare

Who is running for Attorney General?

Mark Brnovich (R)

Republican Mark Brnovich is the incumbent Attorney General for Arizona. He is re-running for the seat.

Brnovich succeeded former Attorney General Tom Horne after winning the general election in 2014 and has served as attorney general to the present day. Prior to his political career, Brnovich served as an assistant attorney at the U.S. Attorney’s office. He later left to become the director of the Arizona Department of Gaming.

Brnovich’s campaign website issues page is inaccessible as of Sept. 25.

January Contreras (D)

Democrat January Contreras is running for the position of Arizona’s Attorney General.

Contreras was a country and state prosecutor prior to her running for Attorney General. She founded the not-for-profit Arizona Legal Women and Youth Services to protect and serve kids and young adults who have survived trauma and homelessness among others. The organization also fights for survivors of human trafficking in Arizona.

Contreras’ campaign website does not have an issues page as of Sept. 25. In an interview with Tucson Business, Contreras states her support for the Affordable Care Act and supporting DREAMers among other stances.

The rundown on 2018’s U.S. House of Representatives candidates

District 1

Tom O’Halleran (D)

Democrat Tom O’Halleran is the incumbent representative from Arizona’s 1st Congressional District in the U.S. House. He is re-running for the seat.

O’Halleran was first sworn into the house as a state representative from 2001 to 2007 and was a state senator from 2007 to 2009. O’Halleran changed his registration twice, from Republican to independent on May 17, 2014, and from independent to Democrat during 2016.

O’Halleran’s campaign website issues page lists the following stances among others:

Wendy Rogers (R)

Republican Wendy Rogers is running to represent Arizona’s 1st Congressional District in the U.S. House.

Prior to her political career, Rogers served 20 years for the U.S. Air Force. Rogers had previously ran for Arizona State Senate District 17 during 2010 and for the U.S. House to represent Arizona’s 9th District in 2012 and 2014. She also ran to represent Arizona’s 1st Congressional District during 2016.

Rogers’ campaign website issues page lists the following stances among others:

Supports building a border wall to secure U.S. borders

Pro-Second Amendment without gun regulations

Anti-abortion

Opposes same-sex marriage

Supports repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act

Supports personalized education syllabus systems

Eliminating the IRS

District 2

Ann Kirkpatrick (D)

Democrat Ann Kirkpatrick is running to represent Arizona’s 2nd Congressional District in the U.S. House.

Kirkpatrick is a former U.S. House member and had represented the 1st Congressional District of Arizona between 2009 to 2011 and from 2013 to 2017. Prior to that, she was part of the Arizona House of Representatives from 2005 to 2007.

Kirkpatrick’s campaign website issues page lists the following stances among others:

Building and maintaining national infrastructure

Supports the DISCLOSE Act and the Government By The People Act

Opposes privatizing Social Security and Medicare

Supports the Affordable Care Act

Honoring commitments to veterans

Advocate for the DREAM Act

Supports federal funding for border enforcement in Arizona

Increasing funding for public schools and public universities, free community college

Opposes “free trade” deals that outsource U.S. jobs

Acknowledges global climate change, supports developing alternative energy sources

Pro-Second Amendment with gun regulations

Supports funding the military’s A-10 Squadron

Supports abortion rights

Lea Marquez Peterson (R)

Republican Lea Marquez Peterson is running to represent Arizona’s 2nd Congressional District in the U.S. House.

Since 2009, Peterson has served as the president and CEO of the Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Peterson has a long history in business and has been involved in several Arizona business organizations and chapters.

Peterson’s campaign website issues page lists the following stances among others:

Supports building a border wall to secure U.S. borders

Supports repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act

Supports tax reform

Honoring commitments to veterans

District 3

Raul Grijalva (D)

Democrat Raul Grijalva is the incumbent representative from Arizona’s 3rd Congressional District in the U.S. House. He is re-running for the seat.

Grijalva first took up the position during 2003 and has continued to serve Arizona throughout the past 15 years. On Oct. 8, 2013, Grijalva was among seven other Democratic members of Congress who were arrested during a staged sit-in protest in front of the U.S. Capitol that called for comprehensive immigration reform. Throughout his role as U.S. House representative, Grijalva introduced several acts supporting protecting the environment, increasing funding for education, publishing a border security plan among others.

Grijalva’s campaign website issues page lists the following stances among others:

Nicolas Pierson (R)

Republican Nicolas Pierson is running to represent Arizona’s 3rd Congressional District in the U.S. House.

Prior to running for a U.S. House seat, Pierson served eight years at the U.S. Army Reserves. Pierson also spent 40 years as a financial advisor with Northwestern Mutual. He founded Tus Vecinos en el Barrio during 2008.

Pierson’s campaign website issues page lists the following stances among others:

Supports building a border wall to secure U.S. borders

Developing youth programs

District 4

Paul Gosar (R)

Republican Paul Gosar is the incumbent representative from Arizona’s 4th Congressional District in the U.S. House. He is re-running for the seat.

Gosar has served as a U.S. representative since 2011 to the present day. During the 2016 presidential elections, Gosar endorsed Ted Cruz for the Republican presidential primary and Donald Trump for the general election later on. Gosar had collaborated with former 2010 campaign rival Ann Kirkpatrick to pass several legislations.

Gosar’s campaign website lists the following stances among others:

David Brill (D)

Democrat David Brill is running to represent Arizona’s 4th Congressional District in the U.S. House.

Prior to running for Congress, Brill was the head of Primary Care at the Veterans Administration for 10 years. Brill also founded three companies that conduct international business.

Brill’s campaign website issues page lists the following stances among others:

Haryaksha Gregor Knauer (G)

Green Party Candidate Haryaksha Gregor Knauer is running to represent Arizona’s 4th Congressional District in the U.S. House.

Knauer had ran for state representative previous during 2010 and house of representatives during 2012 and 2016

Knauer’s campaign website lists the following stances among others:

Supports protecting the environment

Opposes war, supports dismantling NATO

Restructuring of insurance industry

Abolishing the death penalty

Taxing churches

Legalizing drugs

Pro-Second Amendment with gun regulation

Expanding the visa system

District 5

Andy Biggs (R)

Republican Andy Biggs is the incumbent representative from Arizona’s 5th Congressional District in the U.S. House. He is re-running for the seat.

Biggs is a former Arizona State Senator and represented District 12 from 2011 to 2017. He served as the majority leader from 2011 to 2012 and as president of the Senate from 2013 to 2017. Biggs was among the 36 Republican members of the Arizona State Legislature who signed a lawsuit to block the expansion of Medicaid during September 2013.

Biggs’ campaign website issues page lists the following stances among others:

Supports National Defense Authorization Act

Raising military wages

Honoring commitments to veterans

Advocates for the U.S. to withdraw from the United Nations

Pro-second amendment without gun regulations

Supports personalized education syllabus systems

Anti-abortion, supports defunding Planned Parenthood

Supports the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act

Supports building a border wall to secure U.S. borders

Joan Greene (D)

Democrat Joan Greene is running to represent Arizona’s 5th Congressional District in the U.S. House.

Prior to running for congress, Greene is a business owner. Greene is also an avid advocate for animal rescue.

Greene’s campaign website issues page lists the following stances among others:

Building and maintaining national infrastructure

Investing in renewable energy

Debt-free tuition for public community colleges, universities and vocational schools

Increase funding for education, increasing teachers’ salary

Supports Medicare and Medicaid

Supports abortion rights and funding Planned Parenthood

Against discrimination toward LGBTQ community

Investing in computer science and STEM education

District 6

David Schweikert (R)

Republican David Schweikert is the incumbent representative from Arizona’s 6th Congressional District in the U.S. House. He is re-running for the seat.

Schweikert was first sworn in as a member of the Arizona House of Representatives between 1989 and 1994. He then joined Arizona State Board of Equalization between 1995 and 2003. Schweikert has been representing Arizona’s 6th Congressional District since 2011 to the present day.

Schweikert’s campaign website issues page lists the following stances among others:

Supports building a border wall to secure U.S. borders

Pro-Second Amendment without gun regulations, against tracking and cataloging gun purchases

Bringing awareness to Valley Fever through a task force

Anti-abortion

Reducing the size and cost of government

Anita Malik (D)

Democrat Anita Malik is running to represent Arizona’s 6th Congressional District in the U.S. House.

Prior to running for U.S. House of Representatives for Arizona’s 6th District, Malik was the chief operating officer of a content technology company. Malik is a regular guest on NPR’s “Tell Me More” and founded the bimonthly national publication East West Magazine.

Malik’s campaign website issues page lists the following stances among others:

Raising the Federal minimum wage

Universal quality early education and childcare programs

Expand the Affordable Care Act and support Medicare and Medicaid

Assisting DREAMers and immigrant families

Increase funding for education, free and affordable post-secondary educational options

Supports abortion rights

Protecting Net Neutrality

Equal pay for equal work

Investing in renewable energy

Pro-Second Amendment with gun regulations

Equal rights for LGBTQ communities

Strengthening the Americans with Disabilities Act

Supports the Iran Deal

Reforming Federal laws to legalize medical marijuana

Honoring commitments to veterans

District 7

Ruben Gallego (D)

Democrat Ruben Gallego is the incumbent representative from Arizona’s 7th Congressional District in the U.S. House. He is re-running for the seat.

Gallego is a former U.S. Marine Corps from 2002 to 2006. He became the vice chair of the Arizona Democratic Party during 2009. From 2010 to 2014, Gallego was a member of the Arizona House of Representatives. Gallego has been the U.S. Representative from Arizona’s 7th Congressional District since 2015 to the present day.

Gallego’s campaign website issues page lists the following stances among others:

Assisting DREAMers and immigrant families

Protecting national monuments

Supports the Affordable Care Act

Supports abortion rights

Opposes Trump’s Muslim ban (Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States)

Raising wages for military

Equal pay for equal work

Opposes building a border using military funds

Gary Swing (G)

Green Party write-in candidate Gary Swing is seeking to represent Arizona’s 7th Congressional District as well as to represent Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District.

Swing had previous sought election to the U.S. House to represent Colorado first in 1996 and more recently during 2014 and 2012. According to an interview with AZ Central, Swing has stated that he is unlikely to be voted into the U.S. House, but is campaigning to “raise awareness.”

District 8

Debbie Lesko (R)

Republican Debbie Lesko is the incumbent representative from Arizona’s 8th Congressional District in the U.S. House. She is re-running for the seat.

Lesko’s political career began when she represented District 21 in the Arizona House of Representatives during 2009 to 2015. Lesko became a member of the Arizona State Senate, representing the same district, between 2015 and 2018. Lesko served as senate president pro tempore from 2017 until she resigned on Jan 8, 2018 to focus on her U.S. House campaign. Lesko was among the 36 Republican members of the Arizona State Legislature who signed a lawsuit to block the expansion of Medicaid during September 2013. Lesko is a member of the National Rifle Association.

Lesko’s campaign website issues page lists the following stances among others:

Repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act

Investing in military

Supports building a border wall to secure U.S. borders

Supports personalized education syllabus systems

Reforming tax code, tax simplification

Anti-abortion

Pro-Second Amendment without gun regulations

Opposes privatizing Social Security and Medicare

Hiral Tipirneni (D)

Democrat Hiral Tipirneni is running to represent Arizona’s 8th Congressional District in the U.S. House.

Prior to running for U.S. House of Representative, Tipirneni has served more than 20 years as an emergency room physician and cancer research advocate. Tipirneni is on the board of directors of the Maricopa Health Foundation.

Tiperneni’s campaign website issues section lists the following stances among other:

District 9

Steve Ferrara (R)

Republican Steve Ferrara is running to represent Arizona’s 9th Congressional District in the U.S. House.

Ferrara served 25 years in the U.S. Navy between 1991 to 2016 and retired with the rank of captain. During his time in the Navy, Ferrara was also the chief medical officer from 2013 to 2015 and prior to that, was a congressional health policy fellow from 2012 to 2013. Ferrara described himself as a “Reagan Republican” in his biographical information submission form for Ballotpedia.

Ferrara’s campaign website issues page lists the following stances among others:

Honoring commitments to veterans

Opposes the Affordable Care Act

Expanding Medicaid

Making middle-class tax cuts permanent, simplifying tax codes

Shrinking the federal government

Increase funding for military

Opposes the Iran Nuclear Agreement (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action)

Enforce existing immigration laws and never allow amnesty

Securing U.S. borders

Equal pay for equal work

Increase funding for education, increasing teachers’ salary

Supports personalized education syllabus systems

Addressing the opioid epidemic

Greg Stanton (D)

Democrat Greg Stanton is running to represent Arizona’s 9th Congressional District in the U.S. House.

Stanton served as mayor of Phoenix from 2012 to 2018. He resigned during May 2018 to run for Congress. Prior to becoming mayor, Stanton represented District 6 as Arizona’s Deputy Attorney General between 2000 and 2009.

Stanton’s campaign website issues page lists the following stances among others:

Expanding Medicare, led Phoenix’s Access to Care Ordinance

Opposes privatizing Social Security and Medicare

Increase funding for education

Refinancing student loans at the current or lower interest rates

Building and maintaining national infrastructure, creating alternative modes for public transport

Comprehensive immigration reform, assisting DREAMers and immigrant families

Equal pay for equal work

Opposes discrimination against LGBTQ and disabled communities

Investing in renewable energy, developing Phoenix’s solar energy capacity

Protecting Arizona’s water supply

Predictions on the race

Arizona is an equally divided state between both Democrat and Republican parties. According to Vox, Trump’s victory during the 2016 presidential election in Arizona was a tight squeeze with just a 3 point difference between the votes. Currently, Arizonans are evenly divided on their opinions on Trump with a 48 percent approval and disapproval rating.

Both U.S. Senate candidates Sinema and McSally are leading a tight competition for the seat. According to Arizona Public Media, Republican McSally is currently ahead in the polls, leading by 49 percent to Sinema’s 46 percent. According to CNBC, however, an NBC News/Marist poll found that Sinema leads by 48 percent compared to McSally’s 45 percent.

Both leads are within the margin of error.

In terms of the legislative branch, the same poll found that a majority of likely voters responded to the CNBC poll stating that they prefer a Democratic-controlled Congress. More than half of the likely voters also hope for Democrats in Congress to control Trump while 38 percent of likely voters wanted Republican officials to help Trump pass his agenda.