In the wake of the 2022 general election, results project that both parts of the Arizona State Legislature will fall under a Republican majority, although it appears the governor’s seat will fall into the hands of Democrat Katie Hobbs. Kim Quintero, the spokesperson for the Senate Republican Caucus, said that while it is too early to know precisely how the Hobbs administration will change Arizona, Senate Republicans will do their best to continue bettering Arizona.
“Whatever the outcome, we will strive to work with a Hobbs administration as best we can for the betterment of all Arizonans. We have pressing issues to tackle such as our water shortage, border security, public safety, election integrity, education, transportation, and much more. We’re optimistic that we can still pass some good, common-sense policies with a governor who genuinely is in office to make Arizona a better place to live, work, play and raise a family. We’re hoping that will be the case with a Hobbs administration,” Quintero told The Sun Times via email.
While there remain roughly 48,000 outstanding ballots in Arizona as of this writing, election results thus far show Republicans leading for 16 seats in the Senate and 31 in the House.
The Arizona Republican Legislative Victory Fund (RLVF) celebrated Republicans taking the majority.
“Once again, AZ voters have rejected the radical and dangerous agenda of Democratic legislative candidates. Outspent by nearly a 6 to 1 margin, RLVF targeted key legislative districts across AZ to successfully win Republican Majorities in the AZ House and Senate,” RLVF Chairman Jonathan Lines said.
Lines said that this majority victory could not have happened without the dedication of grassroots voter outreach efforts during the election cycle.
“We thank the countless volunteers and supporters who helped us with this tremendous effort. We look forward to another successful legislative session led by Republicans fighting for Arizonans,” Lines said, concluding his statement.
https://twitter.com/ArizonaRLVF/status/1592290660446801921
However, not every Republican running for re-election will be returning. On Tuesday, former Legislative District (LD) 15 Senator Nancy Barto (R-Phoenix) conceded in her race for LD 4 against her Democrat opponent Christine Marsh (D-Phoenix).
“This is a disappointing outcome,” Barto said, “but we left everything on the field and I’m proud of the campaign we ran. I congratulate my opponent on her victory. This was a hard-fought race and both campaigns stayed focused on the issues.”
Barto also thanked her team, supporters, and husband for their support in this election.
My statement. pic.twitter.com/lUBBQPr1Hx
— Nancy Barto (@NancyBarto) November 15, 2022
As reported by The Sun Times, the Arizona Senate recently decided Warren Petersen (R-Gilbert) would lead the next legislative session as Senate president. By his side, State Senator Sonny Borrelli (R-Lake Havasu) will serve as majority leader and Sine Kerr (R-Buckeye) as majority whip.
On Tuesday, the Republican Caucus revealed more leadership positions for the next Senate session. Petersen has appointed State Senator T.J. Shope (R-Coolidge) as President Pro Tempore, tasked with overseeing the Senate should the President be absent. Shope has experience working in leadership positions and committees across the state House and Senate. The Caucus also shared that Petersen and Shope have worked together while serving in the House.
https://twitter.com/AZSenateGOP/status/1592574317485002754
Several senators were appointed as chairmen for several committees, including Senator-elect John Kavanaugh (R-Fountain Hills) to the Committee on Appropriations, Sen. J.D. Mesnard (R-Chandler) with the Committee on Finance, and Sen. Wendy Rogers (R-Flagstaff) as Committee on Elections chairwoman.
The full list of committees and chairs is available here.
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Neil Jones is a reporter for The Arizona Sun Times and The Star News Network. Follow Neil on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Katie Hobbs” by Gage Skidmore. CC BY-SA 2.0. Background Photo “Arizona Capitol” by Gage Skidmore. CC BY-SA 2.0.
Correction: STOLEN election, Hobbs administration.