Senator John McCain. Biography. Stance on Issues. Biography. Committees. Election Results

Transcription

1 Arizona

2 Senator John McCain John McCain, Arizona s senior senator, was once the Democrats ideal Republican fiercely independent and unafraid to cross the aisle to work on issues such as campaign finance and immigration. Since losing to Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential race, however, McCain has rebranded himself as the GOP s chief critic of Obama s national security policies, using his celebrity status to espouse a hawkish approach in the Middle East and elsewhere. McCain became chairman of the Armed Services Committee in 2015, a perch from which he said he hoped to shape his legacy as someone who played "a significant role in defeating the forces of radical Islam that want to destroy America." The earlier Republican gains in the 2010 elections appeared to whet McCain s inclinations toward partisanship, leaving his onetime Democratic allies disappointed. Opposing a Democratic cybersecurity bill, McCain introduced competing legislation arguing that standards for electrical grids and other infrastructure should be left up to the private sector. On international issues, he called for airstrikes on Syrian forces attempting to put down a popular rebellion, and he blasted the Obama administration s approach as a feckless foreign policy that abandons American leadership. Another of his legislative crusades was a war on earmarks, the practice among lawmakers of slipping high-dollar projects into bills to benefit a particular congressional district or state. His ubiquitous presence on television talk shows, however, indicates his influence remains strong. Currently: Senator, AZ Elected: 1986 Education: U.S. Naval Academy, B.S., 1958; Natl. War Col., 1974 Religion: Baptist Family: Married (Cindy), 7 children (3 from a previous marriage) Contact: (202) Russell Senate Office Washington, DC Opposes the expansion of Obamacare Supports the expansion of free trade Opposes abortion Supports embryonic stem cell research Supports fuel efficiency standards and the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions Supports same-sex marriage Supports the creation of a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants Senate Committee on Armed Services Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Senate Committee on Indian Affairs Senate Select Committee on Intelligence John McCain (R) Votes: 1,359,267 Percent: 53.7% Ann Kirkpatrick (D) Votes: 1,031,245 Percent: 40.7% Sources: National Journal Almanac, 2016; Ballotpedia, 2016.

3 Senator Jeff Flake A fifth-generation Arizonan, Jeff Flake is a Mormon who was born and raised on a ranch in Snowflake, a town named after his great-great-grandfather. He was elected Arizona s junior senator in 2012 to replace retiring GOP Sen. Jon Kyl. Prior to being elected to the Senate, Flake served six terms in the House. Ideologically, he is a faithful adherent to the libertarian-leaning conservative principles of former Arizona Sen. Barry Goldwater, even if it sometimes means alienating his GOP colleagues. Flake s beliefs on occasion have led him to support Democratic measures that many Republicans abhorred. For example, he supported a 2007 bill to prohibit workplace discrimination against gays, although he said in 2010 that he wouldn t support a revised version because of its expansion to include transgender rights. He also joined Democrats in calling for an end to the 1962 trade embargo with Cuba, a blockade that many staunchly anti-communist Republicans support. When GOP Sen. Jon Kyl decided against seeking a fourth term, Flake joined the race for the Senate. In the general election, Flake faced Democrat Richard Carmona, a former U.S. surgeon general. Carmona stressed doing more to assist veterans and took the middle ground on many issues, such as immigration and health care. Flake, meanwhile, emphasized his fiscal conservatism. Flake won the endorsement of The Arizona Republic, which wrote, With the exception of Rep. Paul Ryan, perhaps no candidate for federal office in this election cycle is more committed to forcing sanity back into the nation s finances. Currently: Senator, AZ Elected: 2012 Education: Brigham Young U., B.A., 1986, M.A., 1987 Religion: Mormon Family: Married (Cheryl), 5 children Contact: (202) Russell Senate Office Washington, DC Strongly opposes the Affordable Care Act Supports a tax reform that lowers rates, decreases the number of tax brackets, eliminates tax earmarks and reduces the complexity of the code Opposes a cap and trade program for energy, in favor of an energy policy that allows all energy sources to compete on an even playing field Believes that immigration reform should center around border security, encouraging economic growth, a temporary worker program that provides for future labor needs, and strengthened employment verification standards Senate Committee on Aging Senate Committee on Foreign Relations Senate Committee on Energy & Natural Resources Senate Committee on Judiciary 2012 General Jeff Flake (R) Votes: 1,104,457 Percent: 49.2% Richard Carmona (D) Votes: 1,036,542 Percent: 46.2% Sources: National Journal Almanac, Ballotpedia 2016.

4 Congressman Tom O Halleran Tom O Halleran was born in 1946 in Chicago, IL and grew up on a dairy farm. His mother worked intermittently as a secretary and his father worked both as a factory worker and later a janitor. O Halleran joined the police department in 1966 and served as an officer and later a sergeant in a special operations unit. He received three department commendations and other awards. In 1979, O Halleran became a government bond trader and served two terms on the Chicago Board of Trade s executive board of directors as chair and vice-chair of the finance, floor operations and planning committees. In 1994, he consulted on design and integration of tech for financial trading floors. O Halleran retired and moved to Arizona where he became involved in local politics. He was an advocate for Yavapai County in the state legislature and focused on natural resources preservation. He was elected to the Arizona House of Representatives in 2001, serving three terms, and later became a state senator in O Halleran served as vice-chair and chair of the Natural Resources and Agriculture Committee in the Arizona House of Representatives, and was a member of Education K-12; Ways and Means; Transportation, Counties and Municipalities; and Environment. In the state Senate, O Halleran served as vice-chair and chair of the Higher Education Committee. In 2014, he changed his registration from Republican to Independent, blaming the party s inability to legislate on education, water and child-welfare problems. In August, O Halleran won the Democratic primary for the open seat of Ann Kirkpatrick (D). He went on to win Arizona s 1st district in the general election. 01 Elected: 2016 Education: Lewis U., 1966; DePaul U., 1992 Religion: Catholic Family: Married (Pat), 3 children, 3 grandchildren Contact: (202) Cannon House Office Favors federal role in clean air and water Opposes privatization of Social Security Supports investment and improvement of veteran care and benefits Supports immigration reform and the DREAM act House Committee on Agriculture House Committee on Armed Services Tom O Halleran (D) Votes: 142,219 Percent: 50.7% Paul Babeu (R) Votes: 121,745 Percent: 43.4% Sources: Ballotpedia, 2016; National Journal Almanac 2017.

5 Congresswoman Martha McSally Republican Martha McSally, elected in 2014, made history by being the first woman to fly and command an Air Force squadron in combat. Two years after narrowly losing to Democratic Rep. Ron Barber, she campaigned on her extensive military background to score a win in a rematch that wasn't officially decided for more than six weeks, becoming the final House race of A Rhode Island native, McSally came to Arizona in the early 1990s when she was assigned to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson. She graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1988 with a biology degree. Two years later, she received a master's in public policy from Harvard University. In 1999, McSally was selected for a Washington, D.C.-based fellowship program. Through the program, she served as a national security adviser to Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz. McSally retired as a colonel in the Air Force with more than 2,600 flight hours. She served multiple tours in the Middle East and supervised the execution of an air campaign in Saudi Arabia for Operation Iraqi Freedom. She drew national attention after she filed and won a 2001 lawsuit against the Defense Department to overturn a policy that required U.S. servicewomen based in Saudi Arabia to wear a body-covering Muslim abaya and headscarf. In 2014 McSally ran against incumbent Ron Barber, a former aide to Rep. Garbielle Giffords who won the 2012 special election. Just over a week after the election, McSally held a lead of fewer than 200 votes and declared victory. 02 Elected: 2014 Education: U.S. Air Force Academy, B.S., 1988; Harvard U., M.P.P., 1990 Religion: Christian Family: Single Contact: (202) Cannon House Office Voted in favor of prohibiting abortions after 20 weeks Voted in favor of the Iran nuclear deal Voted in favor of export-import bank reform House Committee on Homeland Security House Committee on Armed Services Martha McSally (R) Votes: 179,806 Percent: 57% Matt Heinz (D) Votes: 135,873 Percent: 43% Sources: National Journal Almanac, 2017, Ballotpedia, 2017.

6 Congressman Raúl Grijalva Raúl Grijalva is one of the House s most liberal members. He took over in 2015 as ranking Democrat on the Natural Resources Committee, which gives him a platform for his progressive environmental views. Grijalva grew up in Tucson, the son of a bracero, or guest worker, who emigrated from Mexico in He graduated from the University of Arizona and has lived in the city all of his life; he has deep roots in the immigrant community on the city s southwest side. In the House, Grijalva s voting record is strongly liberal. Much of his effort has been focused on immigration policy. Grijalva declined an opportunity in 2008 to serve on the lofty Ways and Means Committee because it would have meant giving up a Natural Resources subcommittee chairmanship. Grijalva was widely mentioned in 2008 as a possible nominee for interior secretary and was supported by several national Hispanic organizations and by then-natural Resources Committee Chairman Nick Rahall (D-WV). But in December, Obama announced then-sen. Ken Salazar, D-Colo., as his choice. In 2007, Grijalva joined 22 other Democrats in the move to impeach Vice President Dick Cheney. He was elected a year later as co-chair of the 75-member Progressive Caucus. 03 Elected: 2002 Education: U. of AZ, B.A., 1985 Religion: Roman Catholic Family: Married (Ramona), 3 children Contact: (202) Longworth House Office Supports pro-choice legislation Supports reduced defense spending Opposes capital punishment Opposes mandatory minimum sentences for non-violent drug offenders Supports federal education standards Opposes Keystone XL pipeline Supports government funding for renewable energy Supports federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions House Committee on Natural Resources House Committee on Education & the Workforce Raúl Grijalva (D) Votes: 148,973 Percent: 98.6% Write-in Votes: 2,062 Percent: 1.4% Sources: Ballotpedia, 2017; National Journal Research, 2017; Vote Smart, 2017; National Journal Almanac, 2017.

7 Congressman Paul Gosar Republican Paul Gosar unseated one-term 1st District Democratic Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick in 2010 with the backing of national GOP figureheads, including former vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin. After switching to the more Republican-friendly 4th District, he overcame a fierce primary challenge on the right to prevail again in The first of 10 children, Gosar grew up in Pinedale, Wyo., a town of fewer than 2,000 residents near the headwaters of the Green River. Gosar s father was often away working on rigs, and so his uncle acted as a role model. After college, Gosar intended to return home to go into dental practice with his uncle, but his father advised him to seek a more vibrant economy. Gosar therefore moved to Flagstaff, Ariz., where he married an antiques dealer and had three children. In 2010, Gosar said he was motivated to run for Congress by his contempt for the health care overhaul carried out by the Democratic Congress. His opponent, Democrat Ann Kirkpatrick, had been in office for one term, having won the seat in 2008 after scandal-plagued Republican Rep. Rick Renzi resigned. In his successful campaign, Gosar sharply criticized her votes for President Barack Obama s agenda in Congress, including the health care bill. He also took a hard line on immigration and received an endorsement from Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio. In Washington, Gosar immediately made clear his contempt for Washington s typical ways. He was given a seat on the Oversight and Government Reform Committee and became one of the first House members to call on Attorney General Eric Holder to resign in 2011 because of the failed Operation Fast and Furious. 04 Elected: 2010 Education: Creighton U., B.S., 1981, D.D.S., 1985 Religion: Roman Catholic Family: Married (Maude), 3 children Contact: (202) Rayburn House Office Supported Trump in 2016 general election Opposes amnesty for illegal immigrants Opposes gay marriage Pro-life House Committee on Natural Resources House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Paul Gosar (R) Votes: 203,487 Percent: 71.5% Mikel Weisser (D) Votes: 81,296 Percent: 28.5% Sources: National Journal Almanac, Ballotpedia 2016.

8 Congressman Andy Biggs Andy Biggs was born on November 7, 1958 in Tucson, Arizona. He graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in Asian studies and later received a master s degree in political science from Arizona State University and a JD from University of Arizona. After graduating from ASU, Biggs went on to practice law in Phoenix and then moved back to Gilbert in After practicing general law, he decided to get involved in politics by running for the Arizona House of Representatives in 2002 where he served four terms as representative for district 22. After serving his time in the Arizona State House, Biggs ran and won State Senate district 12 in 2010 and was reelected in He served as State Senate majority leader from and became president of the Senate in After hearing Rep. Matt Salmon was retiring, he decided to run for the open seat. In the primary, Biggs managed to beat three other opponents with 29.5% of the vote, edging out one his opponent by 27 votes. In the general, he went on to beat Democratic candidate Talia Fuentes. Andy Biggs was labelled a Champion of the Taxpayer by Americans for Prosperity Arizona Chapter, a Friend of Liberty by the Goldwater Institute and received the Conservative Excellence Award from the American Conservative Union. 05 Elected: 2016 Education: Brigham Young U., B.S.; Arizona St. U., M.A.; U. of AZ, J.D. Religion: Mormon Family: Married (Cindy), 6 children Contact: (202) Longworth House Office Against expanding Obamacare Strongly pro-life A rating by the NRA Favors simplified tax code and paying down national debt by cutting spending Supports school vouchers House Committee on Science, Space & Technology House Committee on Judiciary Andy Biggs (R) Votes: 205,184 Percent: 64.1% Talia Fuentes (D) Votes: 114,940 Percent: 35.9% Sources: Ballotpedia, Andy Biggs, 2017; Arizona State Legislature, Andy Biggs, 2016; Andy Biggs for Congress, 2016; WGA, Legislator profile Andy Biggs, President of Arizona State Senate, February 1, 2013; National Journal Almanac 2017.

9 Congressman David Schweikert Schweikert was born in a Catholic home for unwed mothers in LA; he was adopted and raised by a family in Arizona. Schweikert is a wonkish fiscal conservative. As an undergraduate at Arizona State, Schweikert focused on finance and real estate. He acquired a real estate license at the age of 18 and worked full-time while taking classes at night. At 26 he lost a bid to represent the Scottsdale area in the Arizona House. Two years later, he was elected to an open seat, and at the end of his freshman term, he became one of the youngest majority whips in state history. He worked to pass legislation that laid the foundation for tax cuts, tort reform, and charter schools, as well as a bill shortening the legislative session from 170 to 98 days. He next ran for Maricopa County treasurer and won. He managed a $4 billion budget, created a program to help low-income seniors pay their property taxes, and corrected thousands of deed errors. Schweikert defeated two-term 5th District Democratic Rep. Harry Mitchell in 2010 and won reelection in 2012 after beating fellow incumbent GOP freshman Ben Quayle in one of the election season s nastiest primaries. Schweikert positioned himself as a conservative reformer fighting against the GOP establishment. In December 2012, House Republican leaders took the rare step of booting Schweikert off the Financial Services Committee. He won reelection with 61.6% of the vote in the 2016 general election. 06 Elected: 2010 Education: AZ St. U., B.A., 1986, M.B.A., 2005 Religion: Roman Catholic Family: Married (Joyce), 1 child Contact: (202) Rayburn House Office Opposes increasing the debt limit Supports optimizing traditional energy reserves, while also expanding into renewable energy resources Opposes gun control measures Supports expanding access to emerging markets and selling more Americanmade goods and services globally Joint Economic Committee House Committee on Ways and Means House Committee on Financial Services David Schweikert (R) Votes: 201,578 Percent: 62% John Williamson (D) Votes: 122,866 Percent: 38% Sources: National Journal Almanac, 2017.

10 Congressman Ruben Gallego Democrat Ruben Gallego, a first-generation American, was the first in his family to go to college. He was elected in 2014 to represent Arizona's 7th District and he did it without having to fend off a Republican opponent, beating Libertarian Joe Cobb. Gallego's biography is made for a political candidate, including a hardscrabble upbringing, a Harvard degree and military service in Iraq. It was his experience in Iraq and as a veteran, he has said, that led him to get involved in politics and to help veterans. Gallego was elected to the Arizona Senate in 2010, rising to the role of assistant minority leader in Gallego = founded Citizens for Professional Law Enforcement, which has the goal of recalling Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio. When longtime Democratic Rep. Ed Pastor decided to retire, Gallego left the legislature to run. Since the ultrablue district (it went 72 percent for President Obama in 2012) was considered a shoo-in for the Democratic candidate, the true contest for Gallego came in the August primary. His closest competition was Mary Rose Wilcox, who is also Hispanic and, as Maricopa County supervisor, had high name recognition. Gallego pledged to work on veterans' issues, education and income inequality. 07 Elected: 2014 Education: Harvard U., B.A., 2004 Religion: Catholic Family: Married (Kate) Contact: (202) Longworth House Office Opposes the display of the Confederate flag at national cemeteries Supports gun control Opposes SB 1070, the Arizona law requiring police officers in some circumstances to determine the immigration status of arrested or detained persons House Committee on Armed Services House Committee on Natural Resources Ruben Gallego (D) Votes: 119,465 Percent: 75.2% Eve Nunez (R) Votes: 39,286 Percent: 24.7% Sources: National Journal Almanac, Ballotpedia 2016.

11 Congresswoman Kyrsten Sinema Democrat Kyrsten Sinema grew up in Tucson, Arizona. As a child, her family lived in an abandoned gas station without running water or electricity; they eventually moved into a home but remained poor. Sinema graduated as her high school s valedictorian and went on to earn a bachelor s degree in social work, followed by a master s degree in social work, a law degree, and a doctorate in justice studies all while working full-time. Before her election to Congress she worked as a social worker, a lawyer, an adjunct professor at Arizona State, and an instructor at the Center for Progressive Leadership, a Washington-based institute that trains activists in progressive policies. Sinema was elected to the state Senate in 2010, and she was known in the legislature for her liberal politics. She sponsored several bills aimed at reining in the efforts of Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, known nationally for his antipathy to illegal immigration. But she also earned a reputation as someone willing to work with Republicans to pass legislation on human trafficking and other issues. Sinema, who is openly bisexual, also was active on gay rights issues. Saying she was frustrated with the partisan divide in Congress, Sinema quit the state Senate to run for the 9th District U.S. House seat in January 2012, winning 49%-45%. 09 Elected: 2012 Education: Brigham Young U., B.A., 1995; Arizona St. U., M.A., 1999, J.D., 2004, Ph.D., 2012 Religion: None Family: Single Contact: (202) Longworth House Office Supports pro-choice legislation Supports increased federal spending Supports federal education standards Opposes the Keystone XL pipeline Supports government funding for renewable energy Supports federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions Supports gun-control legislation House Committee on Financial Services Sources: Ballotpedia, 2017; National Journal Research, 2017; Vote Smart, 2017; National Journal Almanac, Kyrsten Sinema (D) Votes: 169,055 Percent: 60.9% Dave Giles (R) Votes: 108,350 Percent: 39%