2006 Arizona Legislature election explained

Elections to the 48th Arizona Legislature were held on November 7, 2006. Primary elections to determine political party nominees were held on September 12, 2006. The two candidates with the highest vote count in each primary advanced to the November election.

The Legislature is composed of 30 legislative districts, each electing two Representatives (to the Arizona House of Representatives) and one Senator (to the Arizona Senate). No person may serve more than four consecutive terms in either body. Members of the Republican Party currently hold a majority of seats in both the House and Senate.

State House of Representatives

DistrictIncumbentsPartyStatusCandidates
1Lucy Mason
Tom O'Halleran
Republican
Republican
Running
Running for State Senate
Andy Tobin (R)
Wesley Edmonds (D)
George Seaman (I)
2Ann Kirkpatrick
Albert Tom
Democratic
Democratic
Running
Running
Preston J. Korn (R)
3Trish Groe
Nancy McLain
Republican
Republican
Running
Running
Luis Lopez (D)
4Tom Boone
Judy Burges
Republican
Republican
Running
Running
Debra Boehlke (D)
Sue Dolphin (D)
5Jack Brown
Bill Konopnicki
Democratic
Republican
Running
Running
6Ted Carpenter
Pamela Gorman
Republican
Republican
Running for State Senate
Running for State Senate
Doug Clark (R)
Sam Crump (R)
7Ray Barnes
Nancy K. Barto
Republican
Republican
Running
Running
Marilyn Fox (D)
Jeanne Lunn (D)
Jim Iannuzo (L)
8Michele Reagan
Colette Rosati
Republican
Republican
Running
Retiring
John Kavanagh (R)
Stephanie Rimmer (D)
H. William Sandburg (D)
9Rick Murphy
Bob Stump
Republican
Republican
Running
Running
Sheri van Horsen (D)
10Doug Quelland
James P. Weiers
Republican
Republican
Running
Running
Lamont Lovejoy (D)
Jackie Thrasher (D)
11John Allen
Stephen Tully
Republican
Republican
Retiring
Retiring
Adam Driggs (R)
Don Hesselbrock (R)
Mark Anthony DeSimone (D)
12John Nelson
Jerry Weiers
Republican
Republican
Running
Running
None
13Steve Gallardo
Martha Garcia
Democratic
Democratic
Running
Running
None
14Debbie McCune-Davis
Robert Meza
Democratic
Democratic
Running for State Senate
Running
Chad Campbell (D)
John Stevens (R)
Mike Renzulli (L)
15David Lujan
Kyrsten Sinema
Democratic
Democratic
Running
Running
Robert Gear (R)
William Wheat (R) (write-in)
Richard Buck (L)
16Leah Landrum Taylor
Ben Miranda
Democratic
Democratic
Running for State Senate
Running
Cloves Campbell, Jr. (D)
Daniel Coleman (R)
17Meg Burton Cahill
Laura Knaperek
Democratic
Republican
Running for State Senate
Running
Ed Ableser (D)
David Schapira (D)
Dale Despain (R)
18Mark Anderson
Russell Pearce
Republican
Republican
Running
Running
Tammie Pursley (D)
19Kirk Adams
Gary Pierce
Republican
Republican
Running
Running for Arizona Corporation Commission
Rich Crandall (R)
Lara Wibeto (D)
20John McComish
Bob Robson
Republican
Republican
Running
Running
Jack Heald (L)
21Warde Nichols
Steve Yarbrough
Republican
Republican
Running
Running
Phil Hettmansperger (D)
22Andy Biggs
Eddie Farnsworth
Republican
Republican
Running
Running
Edward Schwebel (L)
23Cheryl Chase
Pete Rios
Republican
Democratic
Running for State Senate
Running
John Fillmore (R)
Frank Pratt (R)
Barbara McGuire (D)
24Amanda Aguirre
Russell Jones
Democratic
Republican
Running for State Senate
Running for State Senate
Joseph "Mel" Melchione (R)
Ken Rosevar (R)
Lynne Pancrazi (D)
Theresa Ulmer (D)
Martin Rodney (I)
25Manuel Alvarez
Jennifer Burns
Democratic
Republican
Running
Running
Patricia Fleming (D)
Gail Griffin (R)
26Pete Hershberger
Steve Huffman
Republican
Republican
Running
Retiring
David Jorgenson (R)
Lena Saradnik (D)
27Olivia Cajero Bedford
Phil Lopes
Democratic
Democratic
Running
Running
Gene Chewning (R)
28David Bradley
Ted Downing
Democratic
Democratic
Running
Retiring
Steve Farley (D)
Bill Phillips (R)
29Linda Lopez
Tom Prezelski
Democratic
Democratic
Running
Running
Bruce Murchison (R)
30Marian McClure
Jonathan Paton
Republican
Republican
Running
Running
Clarence Boykins (D)

State Senate

DistrictIncumbentPartyStatusCandidatesWinner
1Ken BennettRepublicanRetiringTom O'Halleran (R)
Josephine Kelleher (D)
Terry Dunn (L)
Tom O'Halleran (R)
2Albert HaleDemocraticRunningRoyce Jenkins (R)
Mark Haughwout (I)
Albert Hale (D)
3Ron GouldRepublicanRunningNoah Harris (D)Ron Gould (R)
4Jack HarperRepublicanRunningEd Gogek (D)Jack Harper (R)
5Jake FlakeRepublicanRunningPhil Cobb (D)Jake Flake (R)
6Dean MartinRepublicanRunning for State TreasurerPamela Gorman (R)
Jim Larson (D)
7Jim WaringRepublicanRunningLisa Black (D)
8Carolyn AllenRepublicanRunningDan Oseran (D)
9Bob BurnsRepublicanRunningSteve Poe (D)
10Linda GrayRepublicanRunningMartin Monroe (D)
Dan Poland (L)
11Barbara LeffRepublicanRunningAnn Wallack (D)
12Robert BlenduRepublicanRunningNone
13Richard MirandaDemocraticRunningNone
14Bill BrothertonDemocraticRetiringDebbie McCune-Davis (D)
15Ken CheuvrontDemocraticRunningAndrew Smigielski (R)
16Linda AguirreDemocraticRetiringLeah Landrum (D)
Daniel Veres (R)
17Ed AbleserDemocraticRunning for State HouseMeg Burton Cahill (D)
Rose Crutcher (R)
18Karen JohnsonRepublicanRunningRachel Kielsky (L)
19Chuck GrayRepublicanRunningSteven Zachary (D)
20John HuppenthalRepublicanRunningDonna Gratehouse (D)
21Jay TibshraenyRepublicanRunningNone
22Thayer VerschoorRepublicanRunningGlenn A. Ray (D)
23Rebecca RiosDemocraticRunningCheryl Chase (R)
24Robert CannellDemocraticRetiringAmanda Aguirre (D)
Russell Jones (R)
Stanley Lenihan (I)
25Marsha ArzbergerDemocraticRunningMary Ann Black (R)
26Toni HellonRepublicanDefeated in PrimaryAl Melvin (R)
Charlene Pesquiera (D)
27Jorge Luis GarciaDemocraticRunningNone
28Paula AboudDemocraticRunningMichael J. Steimer (I, Write-In)
29Victor SolteroDemocraticRunningNone
30Tim BeeRepublicanRunningJeffrey Chimene (D)
R=Republican, D=Democratic, L=Libertarian, I=Independent/No Affiliation

Analysis

Five incumbents—three Democrats and two Republicans— retired and didn't seek another elective office. Eleven State House members ran for the State Senate, and one State Senator ran for a seat in the State House; switching between chambers, especially when a term limit has been reached in one chamber, is a common occurrence in the Arizona Legislature.[1] Two members of the State Legislature sought statewide offices, and one sought election to the United States House of Representatives.

There were 14 races in which an incumbent Senator or both the incumbent Representatives are sought reelection and faced a primary challenge for the nomination(s) of their respective parties. Out of the 90 state legislative races, there are only six in which there are candidates ran without opposition.

The Republican Party needed to pick up one seat in the State House and two in the State Senate and lose none of their own in either chamber to gain a legislature that could override a Governor's veto. The Democratic Party needed to pick up nine seats in the State House without losing any of their own to form a House majority, and pick up three in the State Senate without losing any of their own to form a Senate majority.

See also

References

https://web.archive.org/web/20121017223640/http://www.azsos.gov/election/2006/General/2006_General_results_query.htm

Notes and References

  1. Although in this case the State Senator doing so did not term out, see Ed Ableser's biography