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

Arizona Senate
56th Arizona Legislature
Coat of arms or logo
Type
Type
Term limits
4 terms (8 years)
History
New session started
January 9, 2023
Leadership
President
Warren Petersen (R)
since January 9, 2023
President pro tempore
T. J. Shope (R)
since January 9, 2023
Majority Leader
Janae Shamp (R)
since January 13, 2025
Minority Leader
Priya Sundareshan (D)
since January 13, 2025
Structure
Seats30 senators
Political groups
Majority
  •   Republican (17)

Minority

Length of term
2 years
AuthorityArticle 4, Arizona Constitution
Salary$24,000/year + per diem
Elections
Last election
November 5, 2024
(30 seats)
Next election
November 4, 2026
(30 seats)
RedistrictingArizona Independent Redistricting Commission
Meeting place
State Senate Chamber
Arizona State Capitol
1700 W. Washington St.
Phoenix, Arizona • 85007
Website
Arizona State Senate
Rules
Senate Rules

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.

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 United States 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

edit

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 Janae Shamp of district 29. The current minority leader is Priya Sundareshan of district 18 with Flavio Bravo of district 26 as the assistant minority leader.[2]

Leadership information

edit
Position Name Party Residence District
President of the Senate Warren Petersen Republican Gilbert District 14
President pro tempore T. J. Shope Republican Coolidge District 16
Majority leader Janae Shamp Republican Surprise District 29
Majority whip Frank Carroll Republican Surprise District 28
Minority caucus chair Lela Alston Democratic Phoenix District 5
Minority leader Priya Sundareshan Democratic Tucson District 18
Assistant minority leader Flavio Bravo Democratic Phoenix District 26
Minority whip Rosanna Gabaldón Democratic Sahuarita District 21

Current composition

edit
13 17
Democratic Republican
Affiliation Party
(shading indicates majority caucus)
Total
Republican Democratic Vacant
2011–12 21 9 29 1
2013–14 17 13 30 0
Begin 2015 17 13 30 0
End 2016 18 12
2017–18 17 13 30 0
2019–20 17 13 30 0
2021–22 16 14 30 0
Begin 2023 16 14 30 0
March 2, 2023[3] 13 29 1
May 8, 2023[4] 14 30 0
June 16, 2023[5] 15 29 1
July 19, 2023[6] 16 30 0
Begin 2025 17 13 30 0
Latest voting share 56.7% 43.3%

Current members, 2023–2025

edit
District Image Senator Party Residence Assumed office on Elected
1   Mark Finchem Rep Prescott 2025 2024
2   Shawnna Bolick Rep Phoenix 2023 2023†
3   John Kavanagh Rep Scottsdale 2023 2022
4   Carine Werner Rep Scottsdale 2025 2024
5   Lela Alston Dem Phoenix 2023 2018
6   Theresa Hatathlie Dem Coal Mine Mesa 2023 2022
7   Wendy Rogers Rep Tempe[7] 2023 2020
8   Lauren Kuby Dem Tempe 2025 2024
9   Eva Burch Dem Mesa 2023 2022
10   Dave Farnsworth Rep Mesa 2023 2022
11   Catherine Miranda Dem Phoenix 2023 2022
12   Mitzi Epstein Dem Chandler 2023 2022
13   J. D. Mesnard Rep Chandler 2023 2018
14   Warren Petersen Rep Gilbert 2023 2020
15   Jake Hoffman Rep Queen Creek 2023 2022
16   T. J. Shope Rep Coolidge 2023 2020
17   Vince Leach Rep Tucson 2025 2024
18   Priya Sundareshan Dem Tucson 2023 2022
19   David Gowan Rep Sierra Vista 2023 2018
20   Sally Ann Gonzales Dem Tucson 2023 2018
21   Rosanna Gabaldón Dem Sahuarita 2023 2022
22   Eva Diaz Dem Tolleson 2023 2022
23   Brian Fernandez Dem Yuma 2023 2022
24   Analise Ortiz Dem Phoenix 2025 2024
25   Tim Dunn Rep Yuma 2025 2024
26   Flavio Bravo Dem Phoenix 2023 2023†
27   Kevin Payne Rep Sun City 2025 2024
28   Frank Carroll Rep Surprise 2023 2022
29   Janae Shamp Rep Surprise 2023 2022
30   Hildy Angius Rep Bullhead City 2025 2024

† Member was originally appointed.

Committees

edit

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

Committee Chair Vice Chair
Appropriations John Kavanagh Jake Hoffman
Commerce Steve Kaiser Frank Carroll
Director Nominations Jake Hoffman Sine Kerr
Education Ken Bennett Justine Wadsack
Elections Wendy Rogers Ken Bennett
Finance J. D. Mesnard Steve Kaiser
Government Jake Hoffman Wendy Rogers
Health & Human Services T. J. Shope Janae Shamp
Judiciary Anthony Kern John Kavanagh
Military Affairs, Public Safety & Border Security David Gowan David Farnsworth
Natural Resources, Energy & Water Sine Kerr T. J. Shope
Rules Warren Petersen Sonny Borrelli
Transportation & Technology David Farnsworth Frank Carroll

Past composition of the Senate

edit

See also

edit

References

edit
  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.
edit