Arizona State Senate elections, 2020

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2020 Arizona
Senate Elections
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GeneralNovember 3, 2020
PrimaryAugust 4, 2020
Past Election Results
201820162014
201220102008
2020 Elections
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Republicans lost a seat but kept their majority in the 2020 elections for Arizona State Senate. All 30 seats in the chamber were up for election in 2020. Heading into the election, Republicans controlled 17 seats to Democrats' 13. Democrats gained a net one seat from Republicans, leaving the Republican Party with a 16-14 majority. In the 2018 elections, the chamber's Republican majority did not change, remaining at 17-13.

Heading into the election, Ballotpedia identified four of the races as battlegrounds, all four of which were Republican-held districts. These battlegrounds were District 6, District 17, District 20, and District 28.

Heading into the election, Arizona had been under a Republican trifecta since 2009, when Gov. Jan Brewer (R) was sworn into office. Brewer's accession to the governorship ended a period of divided government that began when Republicans lost their majority in the state Senate during the 2000 legislative elections. Republicans regained their Senate majority in the 2002 elections, during which Janet Napolitano (D) was elected governor. Heading into the 2020 election, Republicans had maintained control of the state House since the 1966 elections. Had the Democratic Party taken the state Senate in 2020, it would have broken the Republican trifecta.

Democrats needed to win three of the four battleground seats to take control of the state Senate, while Republicans needed to win three of the four battleground seats to keep control of the state Senate.

The Arizona State Senate was one of 86 state legislative chambers with elections in 2020. In 2018, 87 out of 99 legislative chambers held elections. All 30 seats in the Arizona State Senate were up for election in 2018.

Arizona is one of only six states where independent commissions are responsible for both congressional and state legislative redistricting. The Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission is responsible for drawing both congressional and state legislative district lines.

Click here for more information on redistricting procedures in Arizona after the 2020 census.

Heading into the 2020 general election, Republicans controlled 59 out of 99 state legislative chambers in the U.S., while Democrats controlled 39 chambers. The Alaska House was the sole chamber in which there was a power-sharing agreement between the parties. Republicans also had trifectas in 21 states. A party has a trifecta when it controls the governorship and majorities in both state legislative chambers.

Election procedure changes in 2020

See also: Changes to election dates, procedures, and administration in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020

Ballotpedia provided comprehensive coverage of how election dates and procedures changed in 2020. While the majority of changes occurred as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, some changes occurred for other reasons.

Arizona modified its voter registration procedures for the November 3, 2020, general election as follows:

  • Voter registration: Voters had until 5:00 p.m. on October 15, 2020, to register to vote.

For a full timeline about election modifications made in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, click here.

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Party control

See also: Partisan composition of state senates and State government trifectas
Arizona State Senate
Party As of November 3, 2020 After November 4, 2020
     Democratic Party 13 14
     Republican Party 17 16
Total 40 40

Districts

See also: Arizona state legislative districts

Use the interactive map below to find your district.

Candidates

General election

Arizona State Senate general election

  • Incumbents are marked with an (i) after their name.
  • Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
Office Democratic Party Democratic Republican Party Republican Other
District 1

Gilbert Carillo

Green check mark transparent.pngKaren Fann (i)

District 2

Green check mark transparent.pngRosanna Gabaldón

Mark Workman

District 3

Green check mark transparent.pngSally Ann Gonzales (i)

District 4

Green check mark transparent.pngLisa Otondo (i)

Travis Angry  Candidate Connection

Did not make the ballot:
Gary Garcia Snyder  (Independent) (Write-in)

District 5

Amanda Murray (Write-in)
Zachary Schul (Write-in)

Green check mark transparent.pngSonny Borrelli (i)

District 6

Felicia French  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngWendy Rogers  Candidate Connection

District 7

Green check mark transparent.pngJamescita Peshlakai (i)

District 8

Barbara McGuire

Green check mark transparent.pngThomas Shope

District 9

Green check mark transparent.pngVictoria Steele (i)  Candidate Connection

District 10

Green check mark transparent.pngKirsten Engel

Justine Wadsack

District 11

JoAnna Mendoza  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngVince Leach (i)

District 12

Lynsey Robinson

Green check mark transparent.pngWarren Petersen

District 13

Green check mark transparent.pngSine Kerr (i)
Brent Backus (Write-in)

District 14

Bob Karp  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngDavid Gowan (i)

District 15

Green check mark transparent.pngNancy K. Barto

Matt Smith (Libertarian Party) (Write-in)

District 16

Richard Grayson (Write-in)  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngKelly Townsend

Nick Fierro (Independent) (Write-in)
John Ross Hart (Independent) (Write-in)

District 17

Ajlan Kurdoglu  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngJavan Daniel Mesnard (i)

District 18

Green check mark transparent.pngSean Bowie (i)

Suzanne Sharer

District 19

Green check mark transparent.pngLupe Contreras (i)

District 20

Douglas Ervin  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngPaul Boyer (i)

District 21

Did not make the ballot:
Brian Whitman 

Green check mark transparent.pngRick Gray (i)

District 22

Sarah Tyree  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngDavid Livingston (i)

District 23

Seth Blattman  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngMichelle Ugenti-Rita (i)

Kyle Kirsch (Libertarian Party) (Write-in)

District 24

Green check mark transparent.pngLela Alston (i)

Ray Michaels  Candidate Connection

District 25

Paul Weigel  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngTyler Pace (i)

District 26

Green check mark transparent.pngJuan Mendez (i)

Jae Chin

District 27

Green check mark transparent.pngRebecca Rios (i)

Garland Shreves

District 28

Green check mark transparent.pngChristine Marsh

Kate Brophy McGee (i)

District 29

Green check mark transparent.pngMartin Quezada (i)  Candidate Connection

John Wilson

Charles Carpenter (Libertarian Party) (Write-in)

District 30

Green check mark transparent.pngTony Navarrete (i)


Primary election

The candidate list below is based on candidate filing lists provided by the Arizona Secretary of State. (i) denotes an incumbent.[1]

Arizona State Senate primary election

  • Incumbents are marked with an (i) after their name.
  • Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
Office Democratic Party Democratic Republican Party Republican Other
District 1

Green check mark transparent.pngGilbert Carillo (Write-in)

Green check mark transparent.pngKaren Fann (i)

District 2

Green check mark transparent.pngRosanna Gabaldón

Green check mark transparent.pngMark Workman

District 3

Green check mark transparent.pngSally Ann Gonzales (i)

The Republican primary was canceled.


District 4

Green check mark transparent.pngLisa Otondo (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngTravis Angry  Candidate Connection

District 5

The Democratic primary was canceled.


Green check mark transparent.pngSonny Borrelli (i)

District 6

Green check mark transparent.pngFelicia French  Candidate Connection

Sylvia Allen (i)
Green check mark transparent.pngWendy Rogers  Candidate Connection

Did not make the ballot:
Bob Thorpe 

District 7

Green check mark transparent.pngJamescita Peshlakai (i)

The Republican primary was canceled.


District 8

Green check mark transparent.pngBarbara McGuire

Green check mark transparent.pngThomas Shope

District 9

Green check mark transparent.pngVictoria Steele (i)  Candidate Connection

The Republican primary was canceled.


District 10

Green check mark transparent.pngKirsten Engel
David Moore (Write-in)

Green check mark transparent.pngJustine Wadsack

District 11

Green check mark transparent.pngJoAnna Mendoza  Candidate Connection
Linda Patterson  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngVince Leach (i)

District 12

Green check mark transparent.pngLynsey Robinson

Green check mark transparent.pngWarren Petersen

District 13

The Democratic primary was canceled.


Green check mark transparent.pngSine Kerr (i)

District 14

Green check mark transparent.pngBob Karp  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngDavid Gowan (i)

District 15

The Democratic primary was canceled.


Heather Carter (i)
Green check mark transparent.pngNancy K. Barto

District 16

The Democratic primary was canceled.


Green check mark transparent.pngKelly Townsend

District 17

Green check mark transparent.pngAjlan Kurdoglu  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngJavan Daniel Mesnard (i)

District 18

Green check mark transparent.pngSean Bowie (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngSuzanne Sharer

District 19

Green check mark transparent.pngLupe Contreras (i)

Steven Robinson (Write-in)

District 20

Green check mark transparent.pngDouglas Ervin  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngPaul Boyer (i)

District 21

Green check mark transparent.pngBrian Whitman  (unofficially withdrew)

Green check mark transparent.pngRick Gray (i)
Ryan Eldridge (Write-in)

District 22

Green check mark transparent.pngSarah Tyree  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngDavid Livingston (i)
Van DiCarlo
Hop Nguyen

District 23

Green check mark transparent.pngSeth Blattman  Candidate Connection
Brandon Donnelly (Write-in)

Green check mark transparent.pngMichelle Ugenti-Rita (i)
Alexander Kolodin  Candidate Connection

Did not make the ballot:
Adam Kwasman 

District 24

Green check mark transparent.pngLela Alston (i)
Ryan Starzyk  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngRay Michaels (Write-in)  Candidate Connection

District 25

Green check mark transparent.pngPaul Weigel  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngTyler Pace (i)

District 26

Green check mark transparent.pngJuan Mendez (i)
Jana Granillo

Did not make the ballot:
Isela Blanc 

Green check mark transparent.pngJae Chin

District 27

Green check mark transparent.pngRebecca Rios (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngGarland Shreves

District 28

Green check mark transparent.pngChristine Marsh

Green check mark transparent.pngKate Brophy McGee (i)

District 29

Green check mark transparent.pngMartin Quezada (i)  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngJohn Wilson

District 30

Green check mark transparent.pngTony Navarrete (i)

C. Curtis Porter (Write-in)


Campaign finance

See also: Arizona State Senate elections, 2020/Campaign finance

The section and tables below contain data from financial reports submitted to state agencies. Districts and elections are grouped in sections of 10. To view data for a district, click on the appropriate bar below to expand it. The data is gathered and made available by Transparency USA.

Open Seats in Arizona State Senate elections: 2010 - 2018
Year Total seats Open seats Seats with incumbents running for re-election
2020 30 5 (17%) 25 (83%)
2018 30 14 (47%) 16 (53%)
2016 30 8 (27%) 22 (73%)
2014 30 8 (27%) 22 (73%)
2012 30 8 (27%) 22 (73%)
2010 30 5 (17%) 25 (83%)

2020 battleground chamber

See also: State legislative battleground chambers, 2020

The Arizona State Senate was among 24 state legislative chambers Ballotpedia identified as battleground chambers for the 2020 cycle. Click here for more information on state legislative battlegrounds.

What was at stake?

  • Democrats needed to gain three seats to take control of the chamber in 2020.
  • If Democrats had flipped or split control of the chamber, they would have broken the Republican trifecta. If Republicans had maintained their majorities in the state House and Senate, they would have preserved their trifecta.

Why was it a battleground?

  • Seats needed to flip: Democrats would have needed to flip three of the 30 seats up for election (10% of the chamber) in order to win a majority.
  • Seats decided by less than 10% in 2016: The last time this set of seats was up, five of the 30 seats up (17% of the chamber) were decided by a margin of 10% or smaller.
  • 2018 battleground: The Arizona State Senate was a battleground chamber in 2018. That year, no seats changed partisan control.
  • Race ratings: The Cook Political Report rated the Arizona State Senate a toss-up in 2020, meaning both parties had a good chance of winning control of the chamber.[2]


Battleground races

Arizona State Senate
Battleground races
Republican Party District 6
Republican Party District 17
Republican Party District 20
Republican Party District 28

Heading into the election, Ballotpedia identified four battleground races in the Arizona State Senate 2020 elections, all four of which were Republican-held seats. Based on analysis of these districts' electoral histories, these races had the potential to be more competitive than other races and could possibly have led to shifts in a chamber's partisan balance.

To determine state legislative battleground races in 2020, Ballotpedia looked for races that fit one or more of the four factors listed below:

  1. In the last state legislative election, the winner received less than 55% of the vote.
  2. The presidential candidate who won the district in 2016 is of a different party than the most recent state legislative election winner in the district, and the most recent state legislative election winner won by a margin of 10 percentage points or less.
  3. The presidential candidate who won the district in 2016 is of a different party than the most recent state legislative election winner in the district, and the incumbent is not on the ballot this year.
  4. The presidential candidate who won the district in 2016 is of a different party than the most recent state legislative election winner in the district, and that presidential candidate won the district by a margin of 20 percentage points or more.

Republican PartyDistrict 6

What party controlled the seat heading into the election?

The Republican Party

Who were the candidates running?

Republican Party Wendy Rogers
Democratic Party Felicia French

What made this a battleground race?

This was a district where the winner received less than 55% of the vote in 2018. Sylvia Tenney Allen (R) was first elected in 2014 and was reelected in 2016, where she received 50.9 percent of the vote and defeated her Democratic challenger by 1.8 percentage points. Allen won the 2018 election with 50.9% of the vote, but lost in the 2020 Republican primaries to challenger Wendy Rogers. District 6 was one of 16 Arizona Senate districts that Republican Donald Trump won in the 2016 presidential election. Trump carried District 6 by 10.4 percentage points. Mitt Romney (R) won the district in the 2012 presidential election by 13.4 percentage points.

Campaign finance

Republican PartyDistrict 17

What party controlled the seat heading into the election?

The Republican Party

Who were the candidates running?

Republican Party J.D. Mesnard (incumbent)
Democratic Party Ajlan Kurdoglu

What made this a battleground race?

This was a district where the winner received less than 55% of the vote in 2018. Incumbent J.D. Mesnard (R) was first elected in 2018 where he received 50.9 percent of the vote and defeated Steve Weichert (D) by 1.8 percentage points. District 17 was one of 16 Arizona Senate districts that Republican Donald Trump won in the 2016 presidential election. Trump carried District 17 by 4.1 percentage points. Mitt Romney (R) won the district in the 2012 presidential election by 14.2 percentage points.

Campaign finance


Republican PartyDistrict 20

What party controlled the seat heading into the election?

The Republican Party

Who were the candidates running?

Republican Party Paul Boyer (incumbent)
Democratic Party Douglas Ervin

What made this a battleground race?

This was a district where the winner received less than 55% of the vote in 2018. Incumbent Paul Boyer (R) was first elected in 2018 when he received 48.3 percent of the vote and defeated his Democratic challenger by 3.8 percentage points. District 20 was one of 16 Arizona Senate districts that Republican Donald Trump won in the 2016 presidential election. Trump carried District 20 by 8.0 percentage points. Mitt Romney (R) won the district in the 2012 presidential election by 12.9 percentage points.

Campaign finance

Republican PartyDistrict 28

What party controlled the seat heading into the election?

The Republican Party

Who were the candidates running?

Republican Party Kate Brophy McGee (incumbent)
Democratic Party Christine Marsh

What made this a battleground race?

This was a district where the winner received less than 55% of the vote in 2018. Incumbent Kate Brophy McGee (R) was first elected in 2016 where she received 51.2 percent of the vote and defeated her Democratic opponent by 2.3 percentage points. She was reelected in 2018 where she received 50.1 percent of the vote and defeated her Democratic challenger by 0.2 percentage points. District 28 was one of 14 Arizona Senate districts that Democrat Hillary Clinton won in the 2016 presidential election. Clinton carried District 28 by 5.3 percentage points. Mitt Romney (R) won the district in the 2012 presidential election by 9.0 percentage points.

Campaign finance

Battleground races map

Incumbents who were not re-elected

See also: Annual State Legislative Competitiveness Report: Vol. 10, 2020

Incumbents defeated in the general election

One incumbent lost in the Nov. 3 general election. That incumbent was:

Name Party Office
Kate Brophy McGee Ends.png Republican Senate District 28

Incumbents defeated in primary elections

Two incumbents lost in the August 4 primaries. Those incumbents were:

Name Party Office
Sylvia Allen Ends.png Republican Senate District 6
Heather Carter Ends.png Republican Senate District 15

Retiring incumbents

There were five open seats where the incumbent legislator did not file for re-election in 2020.[3] Those incumbents were:

Name Party Office
Andrea Dalessandro Electiondot.png Democratic Senate District 2
Frank Pratt Ends.png Republican Senate District 8
David Bradley Electiondot.png Democratic Senate District 10
Eddie Farnsworth Ends.png Republican Senate District 12
David Farnsworth Ends.png Republican Senate District 16


The five seats left open in 2020 represented the lowest number of open seats since 2010. The table below shows the number of open seats in each election held between 2010 and 2020.

Redistricting in Arizona

’’See also: Redistricting in Arizona’’

The Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission is responsible for drawing both congressional and state legislative district lines. The commission is composed of five members. Of these, four are selected by the majority and minority leaders of each chamber of the state legislature from a list of 25 candidates nominated by the state commission on appellate court appointments. These 25 nominees comprise 10 Democrats, 10 Republicans, and 5 unaffiliated citizens. The four commission members appointed by legislative leaders then select the fifth member to round out the commission. The fifth member of the commission must belong to a different political party than the other commissioners. The governor, with a two-thirds vote in the Arizona State Senate, may remove a commissioner "for substantial neglect of duty, gross misconduct in office, or inability to discharge the duties of office." The Arizona State Legislature may make recommendations to the commission, but ultimate authority is vested with the commission.[4][5][6]

The Arizona Constitution requires that both congressional and state legislative districts be "contiguous, geographically compact, and respect communities of interest–all to the extent practicable." The state constitution further mandates that district lines "should [follow] visible geographic features, city, town, and county boundaries, and undivided census tracts." In addition, the constitution requires that "competitive districts be favored where doing so would not significantly detract from the goals above."[6]

Process to become a candidate

See also: Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Arizona

DocumentIcon.jpg See statutes: Title 16, Chapter 3 of the Arizona Revised Statutes

Candidates in Arizona can access the ballot as political party candidates, independent candidates, or write-in candidates. Before any candidate can accept contributions, make expenditures, distribute campaign literature, or circulate petitions, he or she must file a "Political Committee Statement of Organization" or a "$500 Threshold Exemption Statement." All candidates file with the Arizona Secretary of State.[7]

Political party candidates

Political party candidates are nominated in primary elections. If no candidate is nominated at the primary election for a specific office, no candidate for that office can appear on the general election ballot for that political party.[8][9]

A political party candidate must file his or her nomination documents during the candidate filing period, which begins 120 days before the primary and ends 90 days before the primary. At the time of filing, a candidate must be a qualified voter residing in the geographic area represented by the office being sought. The following documents must be filed in order to gain ballot access:[10]

  • a financial disclosure statement
  • an affidavit affirming that the candidate will be eligible to hold office if elected
  • a nomination paper including the following information:
    • candidate’s residence address
    • name of the party with which the candidate is affiliated
    • office the candidate seeks, with district or precinct, if applicable
    • the candidate’s name as the candidate wishes it to appear on the ballot
    • date of the primary and corresponding general election
  • a nomination petition

Nomination petitions must be signed by qualified electors who are eligible to vote for the office the candidate is seeking. A qualified signer may be a "registered member of the party from which the candidate is seeking nomination," a "registered member of a political party that is not entitled to continued representation on the ballot," or an independent. To calculate the number of petition signatures needed, the voter registration totals as of March 1 of the year of the election must be used. Signature requirements vary according to the office being sought. See the table below for further details.[11][12]

Formulas for determining signature requirements for political party candidates
Office sought Minimum signatures required Maximum signatures allowed
United States Senator or state executive office At least one-fourth of 1 percent of the total number of qualified signers** No more than 10 percent of the total number of qualified signers
United States Representative At least one-half of 1 percent of the total number of qualified signers in the district the candidate seeks to represent No more than 10 percent of the total number of qualified signers in the district the candidate seeks to represent
State legislative office At least one-half of 1 percent of the total number of qualified signers in the district the candidate seeks to represent No more than 3 percent of the total number of qualified signers in the district the candidate seeks to represent
**Note: In July 2014, the Arizona Secretary of State announced that the state would no longer enforce a requirement that signatures come from at least three counties in the state. The decision was made following a lawsuit filed by the Arizona Public Integrity Alliance and four Maricopa County voters. The suit alleged that this requirement violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment by "impermissibly diluting the value of signatures from citizens in more populous counties and increasing the value of signatures from citizens in less populous counties."[13]

Newly qualified political party candidates

A candidate of a newly qualified political party must file the same documents at the same time as other political party candidates. Petition signature requirements are different for newly qualified political party candidates. A candidate of a new political party must file signatures equal to at least one-tenth of 1 percent of the total votes cast for the winning presidential or gubernatorial candidate at the last general election in the district the candidate seeks to represent.[11]

For example, in 2012, 1,233,654 votes were cast for Mitt Romney, the winning presidential candidate in Arizona, meaning that new party candidates seeking state executive office in 2014 needed to collect 1,234 signatures on their qualifying petitions.[14]

Independent candidates

A candidate may not run as an independent if he or she is representing a party that failed to qualify for the primary election. Additionally, a candidate cannot run as an independent if he or she tried and failed to qualify as a political party candidate in the primary.[15]

An independent candidate must be nominated by petition to run in the general election. The nomination petition must be filed with the financial disclosure statement during the candidate filing period, which begins 120 days before the primary election and ends 90 days before the primary election.[15]

An independent candidate's nomination petition must be signed by registered voters eligible to vote for the office the candidate is seeking. The number of signatures required on the petition is equal to at least 3 percent of all registered voters who are not affiliated with a recognized political party in the district the candidate seeks to represent. Signature requirement figures should be calculated using voter registration data from March 1 of the year of the election. Though the number of signatures required to gain ballot access as an independent is related to the number of registered voters who are not affiliated with recognized political parties, the affiliation of those signing the petitions does not matter as long as they have not already signed a political party candidate's petition.[15]

Write-in candidates

A candidate may not file as a write-in if any of the following are true:[16]

  • The candidate ran in the primary election and failed to get elected.
  • The candidate did not file enough signatures to be allowed ballot access when previously filing for primary ballot access.
  • The candidate filed nomination petitions to run in the general election but did not submit enough valid signatures to gain ballot access.

Write-in votes will not be counted unless the write-in candidate files a nomination paper and financial disclosure form no later than 5 p.m. on the 40th day before the election in which the candidate intends to run. The nomination paper must include the following information:[16]

  • the candidate's name and signature
  • the candidate's residence address or description of place of residence and post office address
  • the candidate's age
  • the length of time the candidate has been a resident of the state
  • the candidate's date of birth

2020 ballot access requirements

The table below details filing requirements for Arizona State Senate candidates in the 2020 election cycle.

Filing requirements for state legislative candidates, 2020
Chamber name Party Signatures required Filing fee Filing deadline Source
Arizona State Senate Qualified party 0.5% of total qualified signers residing in the district N/A 4/6/2020 Source
Arizona State Senate Unaffiliated 3% of total registered voters in the district who are not members of a qualified party N/A 4/6/2020 Source

Qualifications

See also: State legislature candidate requirements by state

Article 4, Part 2, Section 2 of the Arizona Constitution states: "No person shall be a member of the Legislature unless he shall be a citizen of the United States at the time of his election, nor unless he shall be at least twenty-five years of age, and shall have been a resident of Arizona at least three years and of the county from which he is elected at least one year before his election."

Salaries and per diem

See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
State legislative salaries, 2024[17]
SalaryPer diem
$24,000/yearFor legislators residing within Maricopa County: $35/day. For legislators residing outside of Maricopa County: $251.66.

When sworn in

See also: When state legislators assume office after a general election

Arizona legislators assume office on the first day of the session after they are elected. Each regular session begins on the second Monday in January.[18]

Arizona political history

Trifectas

A state government trifecta is a term that describes single-party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government.

Arizona Party Control: 1992-2025
No Democratic trifectas  •  Twenty-two years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Governor R R R R R R R R R R R D D D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R D D D
Senate R R R R R R R R R S S R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
House R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R

Presidential politics in Arizona

2016 Presidential election results

U.S. presidential election, Arizona, 2016
Party Candidate Vote % Votes Electoral votes
     Democratic Hillary Clinton/Tim Kaine 45.1% 1,161,167 0
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngDonald Trump/Mike Pence 48.7% 1,252,401 11
     Libertarian Gary Johnson/Bill Weld 4.1% 106,327 0
     Green Jill Stein/Ajamu Baraka 1.3% 34,345 0
     Other Write-in votes 0.7% 18,925 0
Total Votes 2,573,165 11
Election results via: Arizona Secretary of State

Voter information

How the primary works

A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Arizona utilizes a semi-closed primary system. Unaffiliated voters may choose which party's primary they will vote in, but voters registered with a party can only vote in that party's primary.[19][20][21]

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

Poll times

In Arizona, all polling places are open from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.[22][23]

Registration requirements

Check your voter registration status here.

To vote in Arizona, one must be a citizen of the United States and a resident of an Arizona county. A voter must be 18 years or older on or before Election Day.[24]

To be eligible to vote in an election one must register at least 29 days prior to the election. Individuals can register online, in person at the county recorder's office, or by mail.[25]

Automatic registration

Arizona does not practice automatic voter registration.

Online registration

See also: Online voter registration

Arizona has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.

Same-day registration

Arizona does not allow same-day voter registration.

Residency requirements

Arizona law requires 29 days of residency in the state before a person may vote.

Verification of citizenship

See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

Arizona requires voters to submit proof of citizenship with their voter registration application to vote in state and local elections. According to the Arizona Secretary of State's website: "A registrant who attests to being a citizen but fails to provide proof of citizenship and whose citizenship is not otherwise verified will be eligible to vote only in federal elections (known as being a 'federal only' voter)."[24] Accepted proof of citizenship include:[24]

  • An Arizona Driver's License/Identification Number
  • Indian Census Number, Bureau of Indian Affairs Card Number, Tribal Treaty Card Number, or Tribal Enrollment Number
  • A photocopy of U.S. naturalization documents
  • A photocopy of a birth certificate and supporting legal documentation (i.e., marriage certificate) if the name on the birth certificate is not the same as your current legal name.
  • A photocopy of a U.S. passport.
  • A photocopy of a Tribal Certificate of Indian Blood or Bureau of Indian Affairs Affidavit of Birth.

On August 22, 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court issued an emergency order partially granting the Republican National Committee and Arizona Republicans' request to enforce a 2022 law related to proof of citizenship requirements. The court allowed the enforcement of the provision requiring the state to reject state voter registration forms submitted without proof of citizenship. Previously, a person who submitted a state voter registration form without proof of citizenship could still be a federal only voter. After the court's ruling, a person unable to provide proof of citizenship would need to submit a federal voter registration form in order to vote in federal elections.[26][27][28][29] Read more about legal challenges to this law here.

All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment.[30] As of January 2025, six states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, and New Hampshire — had passed laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration. However, only two of those states' laws were in effect, in Arizona and New Hampshire. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allowed noncitizens to vote in some local elections as of November 2024. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.

Verifying your registration

The Arizona Voter Information Portal, run by the Arizona Secretary of State's office, allows residents to check their voter registration status online.

Voter ID requirements

Arizona requires voters to present photo identification or two forms of non-photo identification while voting.[31][32]

The following were accepted forms of identification as of July 2024: Click here for the Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Commission's page on accepted ID to ensure you have the most current information.

Voters can present one of the following forms of ID that contain the voter’s photograph, name, and address:

  • Arizona driver’s license
  • U.S. federal, state, or local government-issued ID, issued with printed name and address
  • Arizona ID card
  • Tribal enrollment card or other form of tribal ID

If a voter does not have one of the above forms of ID, the voter can present two of the following forms of ID that contain the voter’s name and address:

  • Utility bill in the voter's name
  • Bank or credit union statement that is dated within 90 days of the date of the election
  • Valid Arizona vehicle registration
  • Arizona vehicle insurance card
  • Indian census card
  • Property tax statement
  • Recorder's certificate or voter registration card
  • Tribal enrollment card or other tribal ID
  • Valid U.S. federal, state, or local government-issued ID with a printed name and address or
  • Any mailing in the voter's name that is labeled "official election material"  

Additionally, if a voter presents photo ID that does not list an address within the precinct in which he or she wants to cast a vote, that person may present the photo ID with one non-photo identification material from the second list above. The identification material should include the voter’s address.

Early voting

Arizona permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.

Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.

As of February 2024, 47 states and the District of Columbia permitted no-excuse early voting.

Absentee voting

All voters are eligible to vote absentee/by-mail in Arizona. There are no special eligibility requirements for voting absentee/by-mail.

To vote absentee/by-mail, an absentee/mail-in ballot application must be received by elections officials by 5:00 p.m. 11 days prior to the election. A returned absentee ballot must then be received by elections officials by 7:00 p.m. on Election Day.[33][34]


See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. Arizona Secretary of State, "2020 Primary Election: Legislative," accessed April 13, 2020
  2. The Cook Political Report, "July Update: Handicapping the 2020 State Legislature Races," July 22, 2020
  3. Ballotpedia defines an incumbent as retiring if the incumbent did not file for office or filed for office but withdrew, was disqualified, or otherwise left a race in a manner other than losing the primary, primary runoff, or convention. If an incumbent runs as a write-in candidate, Ballotpedia does not consider them to be retiring. If an incumbent runs in the same chamber for a different seat, Ballotpedia does not consider them to be retiring.
  4. Supreme Court of the United States, "Arizona State Legislature v. Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission, et al. - Appellant's Jurisdictional Statement," accessed March 6, 2015
  5. Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission, "Home page," accessed March 6, 2015
  6. 6.0 6.1 All About Redistricting, "Arizona," accessed April 17, 2015
  7. Arizona Secretary of State, "Candidate Checklist," accessed March 17, 2014
  8. Arizona Revised Statutes, "Title 16, Chapter 3, Section 301," accessed March 17, 2014
  9. Arizona Revised Statutes, "Title 16, Chapter 3, Section 302," accessed March 17, 2014
  10. Arizona Revised Statutes, "Title 16, Chapter 3, Section 311," accessed March 17, 2014
  11. 11.0 11.1 Arizona Revised Statutes, "Title 16, Chapter 3, Section 322," accessed March 17, 2014
  12. Arizona State Legislature, "HB 2608," accessed April 15, 2015
  13. Election Law Blog, "Citizens Successfully Challenge Unconstitutional Arizona Ballot Access Law," July 24, 2014
  14. Federal Election Commission, "Federal Elections 2012," Updated July 2013
  15. 15.0 15.1 15.2 Arizona Revised Statutes, "Title 16, Chapter 3, Section 341," accessed March 17, 2014
  16. 16.0 16.1 Arizona Revised Statutes, "Title 16, Chapter 3, Section 312," accessed March 17, 2014
  17. National Conference of State Legislatures, "2024 Legislator Compensation," August 21, 2024
  18. Arizona Revised Statutes, "41-1101, Section B," accessed November 22, 2016
  19. National Conference of State Legislatures, "State Primary Election Types," accessed July 19, 2024
  20. Citizens Clean Elections Commission, "Primary Election," accessed July 19, 2024
  21. Arizona State Legislature, "Arizona Revised Statutes 16-467," accessed July 19 2024
  22. Arizona Revised Statutes, "Title 16, Section 565," accessed July 18, 2024
  23. Arizona generally observes Mountain Standard Time; however, the Navajo Nation observes daylight saving time. Because of this, Mountain Daylight Time is sometimes observed in Arizona.
  24. 24.0 24.1 24.2 Arizona Secretary of State, "Voters," accessed July 18, 2024
  25. Arizona Secretary of State, "Arizona Voter Registration Instructions," accessed July 18, 2024
  26. Supreme Court of the United States, "No. 24A164," accessed August 22, 2024
  27. The Washington Post, "Supreme Court allows Arizona voter-registration law requiring proof of citizenship," August 22, 2024
  28. Bloomberg Law, "Supreme Court Partly Restores Voter Proof-of-Citizenship Law ," August 22, 2024
  29. Reuters, "US Supreme Court partly revives Arizona's proof of citizenship voter law," August 22, 2024
  30. Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
  31. ArizonaElections.gov, "What ID Do I Need to Vote Quiz," accessed March 14, 2023
  32. Arizona State Legislature, “Arizona Revised Statutes 16-579,” accessed July 19, 2024
  33. Arizona State Legislature, “Arizona Revised Statutes 16-541,” accessed July 19, 2024
  34. Arizona State Legislature, “Arizona Revised Statutes 16-547,” accessed July 19, 2024


Current members of the Arizona State Senate
Leadership
Senate President:Warren Petersen
Majority Leader:Janae Shamp
Minority Leader:Priya Sundareshan
Senators
District 1
District 2
District 3
District 4
District 5
District 6
District 7
District 8
District 9
Eva Burch (D)
District 10
District 11
District 12
District 13
District 14
District 15
District 16
District 17
District 18
District 19
District 20
District 21
District 22
Eva Diaz (D)
District 23
District 24
District 25
Tim Dunn (R)
District 26
District 27
District 28
District 29
District 30
Republican Party (17)
Democratic Party (13)