Arizona Senate

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

Arizona State Senate
Arizona Legislature

Type
Type	Upper house
Term limits	4 terms (8 years)
Leadership
President of the Senate	Andy Biggs (R)
President pro Tempore	Sylvia Allen (R)
Majority Leader	John McComish (R)
Minority Leader	Anna Tovar (D)
Structure
Seats	30

Political groups	Governing party Republican (17) Opposition party Democrat (13)
Length of term	2 years
Authority	Article 4, Arizona Constitution
Salary	$24,000/year + per diem
Elections
Last election	November 4, 2014 (30 seats)
Next election	November 8, 2016 (30 seats)
Redistricting	Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission
Meeting place

State Senate Chamber Arizona State Capitol Phoenix, Arizona
Website
Arizona State Senate

The Arizona Senate is part of the Arizona Legislature, the state legislature of the US state of Arizona. The Senate consists of 30 members with each representing an average of 219,859 constituents (2009 figures). Members serve two-year terms with term limits that limit Senators to four terms for a total of eight years. Members of the Republican Party are currently in 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 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 of the Senate

Arizona, along with Oregon, Maine and Wyoming, is one of the four 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 his 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 Andy Biggs of District 12, The Senate Majority Leader is John McComish of District 18, The Senate Minority Leader is Anna Tovar of District 19.

Leadership information

Position	Name	Party	Residence	District
President of the Senate	Andy Biggs	Republican	Gilbert	District 12
President pro tempore	Gail Griffin	Republican	Hereford	District 14
Majority Leader	John McComish	Republican	Phoenix	District 18
Majority Whip	Adam Driggs	Republican	Phoenix	District 28
Minority Leader	Anna Tovar	Democratic	Tolleson	District 19
Assistant Minority Leader	Lynne Pancrazi	Democratic	Yuma	District 4
Minority Whip	Steve Gallardo	Democratic	Phoenix	District 29

Current composition

Affiliation	Party (Shading indicates majority caucus)		Total

	Republican	Democratic		Vacant
End of previous legislature	21	9	30	1

Begin	17	13	30	0
July 12, 2013^[2]	12	29	1
July 31, 2013^[3]	13	30	0
August 20, 2013^[4]		16	29	1
September 11, 2013^[5]		17	30	0
January 13, 2014^[6]	12		29	1
January 21, 2014^[7]	13		30	0
End of previous legislature	13		30	0

Begin	17	13	30	0
Latest voting share	7001567000000000000♠56.7%	7001433000000000000♠43.3%

Current members, 2015–2017

District	Senator	Party	Residence	Assumed office on
1	Steve Pierce	Rep	Prescott	2009
2	Andrea Dalessandro	Dem	Green Valley	2014†
3	Olivia Cajero Bedford	Dem	Tucson	2011
4	Lynne Pancrazi	Dem	Yuma	2012
5	Kelli Ward	Rep	Lake Havasu City	2013
6	Sylvia Allen	Rep	Heber	2015†
7	Carlyle Begay	Dem	Ganado	2013†
8	Barbara McGuire	Dem	Kearny	2013
9	Steve Farley	Dem	Tucson	2013
10	David Bradley	Dem	Tucson	2013
11	Steve Smith	Rep	Maricopa	2011
12	Andy Biggs	Rep	Gilbert	2011
13	Don Shooter	Rep	Yuma	2011
14	Gail Griffin	Rep	Hereford	2011
15	Nancy Barto	Rep	Phoenix	2011
16	Dave Farnsworth	Rep	Mesa	2013†
17	Steve Yarbrough	Rep	Chandler	2011
18	Jeff Dial	Rep	Chander	2011
19	Lupe Contreras	Dem	Cashion	2015
20	Kimberly Yee	Rep	Phoenix	2013
21	Debbie Lesko	Rep	Peoria	2009
22	Judy Burges	Rep	Sun City West	2012
23	John Kavanagh	Rep	Fountain Hills	2007
24	Katie Hobbs	Dem	Phoenix	2013
25	Bob Worsley	Rep	Mesa	2013
26	Ed Ableser	Dem	Tempe	2013
27	Catherine Miranda	Dem	Phoenix	2006
28	Adam Driggs	Rep	Phoenix	2011
29	Martin Quezada	Dem	Phoenix	2012
30	Robert Meza	Dem	Phoenix	2011

† Member was originally appointed.

Committees

Current committees include:^[8]

Senate Ethics
Appropriations
Government and Environment
Health and Human Services
Judiciary
Commerce, Energy and Military
Education

Elections
Transportation
Public Safety
Rules
Natural Resources and Rural Affairs
Finance

References

↑ Senate Rule 2: The President
↑ Democrat Jack Jackson, Jr. (District 7) resigned to take a job in the Obama administration.
↑ Democrat Carlyle Begay appointed to succeed Jackson
↑ Republican Rich Crandall resigned to become Director of Education in Wyoming.
↑ Republican Dave Farnsworth appointed to succeed Crandall
↑ Democrat Linda J. Lopez (District 2) resigned to focus on running a private foundation.
↑ Democrat Andrea Dalessandro appointed to succeed Lopez.
↑ "Arizona Senate Committees". Open States. Sunlight Foundation. 2014-04-09. Retrieved 2014-04-09.

External links

Arizona State Senate official government website
Billhop – Arizona legislative wiki
Project Vote Smart – State Senate of Arizona

Members of the Arizona State Senate

52nd Legislature (2015–2017)

President of the Senate: Andy Biggs (R)
President Pro Tempore: Sylvia Allen (R)
Majority Leader: John McComish (R)
Minority Leader: Anna Tovar (D)

Steve Pierce (R)
Andrea Dalessandro (D)
Olivia Cajero Bedford (D)
Lynne Pancrazi (D)
Kelli Ward (R)
Sylvia Allen (R)
Carlyle Begay (D)
Barbara McGuire (D)

Steve Farley (D)
David Bradley (D)
Steve Smith (R)
Andy Biggs (R)
Don Shooter (R)
Gail Griffin (R)
Nancy Barto (R)
Dave Farnsworth (R)

Steve Yarbrough (R)
Jeff Dial (R)
Lupe Contreras (D)
Kimberly Yee (R)
Debbie Lesko (R)
Judy Burges (R)
John Kavanagh (R)
Katie Hobbs (D)

Bob Worsley (R)
Ed Ableser (D)
Catherine Miranda (D)
Adam Driggs (R)
Martín Quezada (D)
Robert Meza (D)

Legislatures of the United States

United States Congress	United States House of Representatives United States Senate

State legislatures	Alabama (H, S) Alaska (H, S) Arizona (H, S) Arkansas (H, S) California (A, S) Colorado (H, S) Connecticut (H, S) Delaware (H, S) Florida (H, S) Georgia (H, S) Hawaii (H, S) Idaho (H, S) Illinois (H, S) Indiana (H, S) Iowa (H, S) Kansas (H, S) Kentucky (H, S) Louisiana (H, S) Maine (H, S) Maryland (H, S) Massachusetts (H, S) Michigan (H, S) Minnesota (H, S) Mississippi (H, S) Missouri (H, S) Montana (H, S) Nebraska Nevada (A, S) New Hampshire (H, S) New Jersey (GA, S) New Mexico (H, S) New York (A, S) North Carolina (H, S) North Dakota (H, S) Ohio (H, S) Oklahoma (H, S) Oregon (H, S) Pennsylvania (H, S) Rhode Island (H, S) South Carolina (H, S) South Dakota (H, S) Tennessee (H, S) Texas (H, S) Utah (H, S) Vermont (H, S) Virginia (H, S) Washington (H, S) West Virginia (H, S) Wisconsin (A, S) Wyoming (H, S)

Other legislatures	District of Columbia American Samoa (H, S) Guam Northern Mariana Islands (H, S) Puerto Rico (H, S) U.S. Virgin Islands