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John Nelson, Arizona Senator
| John Nelson | ||
 | ||
| Arizona State Senate District 12 | ||
| Incumbent | ||
| In office | ||
| 2009-January 10, 2013 | ||
| Years in position | 4 | |
| Party | Republican | |
| Compensation | ||
| Base salary | $24,000/year | |
| Per diem | $35/day for the first 120 days of regular session and for special sessions and $10/day thereafter. | |
| Elections and appointments | ||
| Last election | November 2, 2010 | |
| First elected | 2008 | |
| Term limits | Four consecutive terms | |
| Prior offices | ||
| Arizona State House of Representatives | ||
| 2001-2008 | ||
| Mayor, City of Phoenix | ||
| Education | ||
| Bachelor's | Indiana Institute of Technology, 1959-1962 | |
| Master's | Arizona State University, 1975 | |
| Personal | ||
| Birthday | January 12, 1936 | |
| Place of birth | Antigo, WI | |
| Religion | Lutheran | |
| Websites | ||
| Office website | ||
 | ||
Contents |
Nelson was listed on the 2012 candidate list as having withdrawn late.[1][2] Nelson's name still appeared on the ballot. His name also appeared on the official list of withdrawn candidates.[3]
Nelson earned his BS in Civil Engineering from the Indiana Institute of Technology in 1962. He went on to receive his MPA in Public Administration from Arizona State University in 1975.
Nelson is a registered professional engineer in Arizona and California as well as a registered land surveyor in Arizona. He served in the U.S. Army from 1955 to 1957 and attained the rank of Corporal. In 1962, he worked as a civil engineer and supervisor for Tyson Engineering Service. Nelson was employed as a civil engineer by the City of Phoenix from 1965 to 1972. He then worked as a civil engineer for as well as presiden of Coe and Van Loo Consultants Incorporated and worked there until 2000.
Nelson's political career began with being elected as vice mayor and subsequently mayor of the City of Phoenix. He was also a member of the Cartwright School Board in 1997. From the years of 1983 to 2000, he served as a city council member for the City of Phoenix. He then became a representative in the Arizona State House of Representatives in 2001. He served in that position until 2008 when he was elected as a senator. He currently represents the 12th district on the Arizona State Senate.
Committee assignments
2011-2012
In the 2011-2012 legislative session, Nelson served on these committees:
- Healthcare and Medical Liability Reform Committee, Arizona Senate
- Natural Resources and Transportation Committee, Arizona Senate, Chair
- Veterans and Military Affairs Committee, Arizona Senate, Vice Chair
2009-2010
In the 2009-2010 legislative session, Nelson served on these committees:
- Healthcare and Medical Liability Reform Committee, Arizona Senate
- Natural Resources, Infrastructure and Public Debt Committee, Arizona Senate Chairperson
- Veterans and Military Affairs Committee, Arizona Senate Vice Chairperson
Elections
2012
- See also: Arizona State Senate elections, 2012
Nelson ran for re-election in the 2012 election for Arizona State Senate District 13. He was running against incumbent Don Shooter in the August 28, 2012, Republican primary. The general election took place on November 6, 2012.[4]
Nelson is listed on the candidate list as having withdrawn late.[5][6] Nelson's name will still appear on the ballot. His name appears on the official list of withdrawn candidates.[7]
2010
Nelson won re-election to the 12th district seat of the Arizona State Senate in 2010. He defeated Clark Silver and Eve Nunez in the August 24 primary. He then defeated Democrat Tyler Kissell and Libertarian Michael White in the November 2 general election.[8][9]
| Arizona State Senate, District 12 General Election (2010) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | |||
 John Nelson (R)
|
41,379 | |||
| Tyler Kissell (D) | 27,559 | |||
| Michael White (L) | 3,769 | |||
| Arizona State Senate, District 12 Republican Primary (2010) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | |||
| John Nelson (R)
|
11,545 | |||
| Clark Silver (R) | 5,251 | |||
| Eve Nunez (R) | 3,592 | |||
2008
In 2008 Nelson was elected to the Arizona State Senate, District 12. He finished with 52,552 votes while his opponent Angela Cotera finished with 47,562.[10] Nelson raised $46,521 for his campaign fund.
| Arizona State Senate, District 12 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | |||
| John Nelson (R)
|
52,552 | |||
| Angela Cotera (D) | 47,562 | |||
Campaign donors
2010
In 2010, Nelson raised $78,005 in contributions. [11]
His two largest contributors were:
| Donor | Amount |
|---|---|
| Phoenix Fire Fighters Local 493 | $1,600 |
| Salt River Project | $1,000 |
2008
In 2008 Nelson raised $47,562 in campaign donations. His top five donors are listed below.[12]
| Donor | Amount |
|---|---|
| Friends of John Nelson 2006 | $40,631 |
| Cox Communications | $1,000 |
| Arizona Association of Realtors | $1,000 |
| Phillip C. McCormac | $780 |
| Arizona Medical Association | $700 |
Scorecards
Goldwater Institute
The Goldwater Institute releases its "Legislative Report Card" annually for all Arizona legislators. This report card tracks how legislators voted on key votes and assigns them a letter grade based on how closely their votes agree with the Institute's positions. The primary values emphasized in the ratings are whether votes expand or restrict liberty.[13]
2012
Nelson received a score of 60 out of 100 in the 2012 report card for a grade of B- according to the Goldwater Institute’s grading scale. This score was 3 lower than his score on the 2011 report card. Nelson’s 60 in 2012 was tied for the 18th highest grade among all 30 Arizona State Senators.[13]
Recent news
This section displays the most recent stories in a google news search for the term ""John + Nelson" + Arizona + Senate"
John Nelson News Feed
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Sponsored Legislation
See John Nelson's official website for a list of sponsored legislation.
Personal
John and his wife Monica have three children.
External links
- Senate website
- Project Vote Smart legislative profile
- Project Vote Smart biography of Senator John Nelson
- Campaign Contributions: 2010, 2008 2006 2004 2002 2000
References
- ↑ AZ Secretary of State "Full listing" Accessed July 31, 2012
- ↑ Yuma Sun "Shooter unopposed in bid for state senate seat" Accessed July 31, 2012
- ↑ AZ Secretary of State "Withdrawn Removed Candidates" Accessed July 31, 2012
- ↑ Arizona Secretary of State - Primary candidate list
- ↑ AZ Secretary of State "Full listing" Accessed July 31, 2012
- ↑ Yuma Sun "Shooter unopposed in bid for state senate seat" Accessed July 31, 2012
- ↑ AZ Secretary of State "Withdrawn Removed Candidates" Accessed July 31, 2012
- ↑ Primary results
- ↑ General election results
- ↑ Arizona State Senate official elections results
- ↑ 2010 contributions
- ↑ Campaign donors
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Goldwater Institute "2012 Legislative Report Card for Arizona's 50th Legislature, First Regular Session," August 15, 2012
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by - |
Arizona State Senate District 12 2009–2013 |
Succeeded by Andy Biggs (R) |
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