33°26′53″N 112°5′45″W / 33.44806°N 112.09583°W / 33.44806; -112.09583

The Arizona State Senate is part of the Arizona Legislature, the state legislature of the US state of Arizona. The Senate consists of 30 members each representing an average of 219,859 constituents (2009 figures). Members serve two-year terms with term limits that limit Senators to a maximum four consecutive terms (eight years) before requiring a one-term respite prior to running again. Members of the Republican Party are currently the majority in the Senate. There are currently 16 women serving in the Senate after Raquel Terán was appointed, making it the first time a majority of the body was composed of female members.

As with the Arizona House of Representatives, members to the Senate are elected from the same legislative districts as House members, however one Senator represents the constituency, while for the House there are two Representatives per district. This districting system is similar to those of the Idaho and Washington State Senate. In political science, this type of legislative district is called a multi-member district.

Like other upper houses of state and territorial legislatures and the federal U.S. Senate, the Senate can confirm or reject gubernatorial appointments to the state cabinet, commissions and boards.

The Senate convenes in the adjacent legislative chambers at the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix.

Leadership

Arizona, along with Oregon, Maine, New Hampshire and Wyoming, is one of the five U.S. states to have abolished the Office of the Lieutenant Governor, the nominal senate president in many states. As a result, the Senate elects its own presiding officer, the President of the Senate, who presides over the body, appoints members to all of the Senate's committees and to joint committees, and may create other committees and subcommittees if desired. The Senate President also appoints a President pro tempore, who serves for the duration of a session of the legislature, to preside in their absence, and may appoint a temporary President pro tempore in the absence of the President and President pro tempore.[1]

The current President of the Senate is Republican Warren Petersen of District 14, the Senate Majority Leader is Sonny Borrelli of District 30. The current Minority Leader is Mitzi Epstein of District 12 with Juan Mendez of District 8 as the Assistant Minority Leader.[2]

Leadership information

PositionNamePartyResidenceDistrict
President of the SenateWarren PetersenRepublicanGilbertDistrict 14
President Pro TemporeT. J. ShopeRepublicanCoolidgeDistrict 16
Majority LeaderSonny BorrelliRepublicanLake Havasu CityDistrict 30
Majority WhipSine KerrRepublicanBuckeyeDistrict 25
Minority Caucus ChairLela AlstonDemocraticPhoenixDistrict 5
Minority LeaderMitzi EpsteinDemocraticChandlerDistrict 12
Assistant Minority LeaderJuan MendezDemocraticTempeDistrict 8
Minority WhipEva BurchDemocraticMesaDistrict 9

Current composition

↓
1416
DemocraticRepublican
AffiliationParty
(Shading indicates majority caucus)
Total
RepublicanDemocraticVacant
2011–12219291
2013–141713300
Begin 20151713300
End 20161812
2017–181713300
2019–201713300
2021–221614300
Begin 20231614300
March 2, 2023[3]13291
May 8, 2023[4]14300
June 16, 2023[5]15291
July 19, 2023[6]16300
Latest voting share53.3%46.7%

Current members, 2023–2025

Main article: List of representatives and senators of Arizona Legislature by districts (2023–2033)
DistrictImageSenatorPartyResidenceAssumed office onElected
1Ken BennettRepPrescott20232022
2Shawnna BolickRepPhoenix20232023†
3John KavanaghRepScottsdale20232022
4Christine MarshDemPhoenix20232020
5Lela AlstonDemPhoenix20232018
6Theresa HatathlieDemCoal Mine Mesa20232022
7Wendy RogersRepTempe[7]20232020
8Juan MendezDemTempe20232016
9Eva BurchDemMesa20232022
10Dave FarnsworthRepMesa20232022
11Catherine MirandaDemPhoenix20232022
12Mitzi EpsteinDemChandler20232022
13J. D. MesnardRepChandler20232018
14Warren PetersenRepGilbert20232020
15Jake HoffmanRepQueen Creek20232022
16T. J. ShopeRepCoolidge20232020
17Justine WadsackRepTucson20232022
18Priya SundareshanDemTucson20232022
19David GowanRepSierra Vista20232018
20Sally Ann GonzalesDemTucson20232018
21Rosanna GabaldónDemSahuarita20232022
22Eva DiazDemTolleson20232022
23Brian FernandezDemYuma20232022
24Anna HernandezDemPhoenix20232022
25Sine KerrRepBuckeye20232018†
26Flavio BravoDemPhoenix20232023†
27Anthony KernRepGlendale20232022
28Frank CarrollRepSurprise20232022
29Janae ShampRepSurprise20232022
30Sonny BorrelliRepLake Havasu City20232016

† Member was originally appointed.

Committees

The current standing committees of the Arizona Senate are as follows:

CommitteeChairVice Chair
AppropriationsJohn KavanaghJake Hoffman
CommerceSteve KaiserFrank Carroll
Director NominationsJake HoffmanSine Kerr
EducationKen BennettJustine Wadsack
ElectionsWendy RogersKen Bennett
FinanceJ. D. MesnardSteve Kaiser
GovernmentJake HoffmanWendy Rogers
Health & Human ServicesT. J. ShopeJanae Shamp
JudiciaryAnthony KernJohn Kavanagh
Military Affairs, Public Safety & Border SecurityDavid GowanDavid Farnsworth
Natural Resources, Energy & WaterSine KerrT. J. Shope
RulesWarren PetersenSonny Borrelli
Transportation & TechnologyDavid FarnsworthFrank Carroll

Past composition of the Senate

Main article: Political party strength in Arizona

See also

References

  1. ^ "Senate Rule 2: The President". Archived from the original on November 9, 2018. Retrieved March 5, 2009.
  2. ^ "Member Roster". Archived from the original on November 16, 2017. Retrieved February 24, 2019.
  3. ^ Democrat Raquel Terán (District 26) resigns [1]
  4. ^ Democrat Flavio Bravo appointed to succeed Terán. [2]
  5. ^ Republican Steve Kaiser (District 2) resigns [3]
  6. ^ Republican Shawnna Bolick appointed to succeed Kaiser [4]
  7. ^ "Open Letter Raises Questions About Wendy Rogers Candidacy – Arizona Daily Independent". May 25, 2020.

External links

source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arizona_Senate