Arizona State Senate District 22 candidate surveys, 2022

Elections in Arizona, 2022

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On the ballot: U.S. Senate • U.S. House • Governor • State executive offices • State Senate • State House • Supreme court • Appellate courts • Local judges • State ballot measures • Local ballot measures • School boards • Municipal

This article shows responses from candidates in the 2022 election for Arizona State Senate District 22 who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey.

• Click here to see candidates and election results.
• Click here to see Candidate Connection survey responses.

Candidates and election results

General election

General election for Arizona State Senate District 22

The following candidates ran in the general election for Arizona State Senate District 22 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Eva Diaz (D) (Write-in)	59.0	6,629
		Steven Robinson (R) (Write-in)	33.1	3,722
		Steven Chapman (D) (Write-in)	4.8	545
		Stephen Diehl (Independent) (Write-in)	0.9	100
	Submit photo	Ryan Benson (R) (Write-in)	0.8	94
	Submit photo	Jeffrey Norwood (R) (Write-in)	0.7	76
	Submit photo	Kenya Raymond (D) (Write-in)	0.5	59
	Submit photo	Paul Valach (D) (Write-in)	0.1	7
	Submit photo	Richard Weed (R) (Write-in)	0.0	5
	Submit photo	Justin Crawford (D) (Write-in)	0.0	4

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 11,241
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Diego Espinoza (D)
• Bryan Kilgore (D)
• Deniece Platt (R)

Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses

Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. The section below shows responses from candidates in this race who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Survey responses from candidates in this race

Click on a candidate's name to visit their Ballotpedia page.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

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Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Stephen Diehl (Independent)

Proper infrastructure is key to sustainable growth.

Schools need to work with parents, not against them.

Homelessness is not solved by money alone, or the creation of new ghettos.

Steven Robinson (R)

When elected to Arizona Senate LD22, I want to strengthen our families by working to increase job opportunities, improve the failing school system and reduce taxes.

Rising inflation = Rising Crime LD-22 has seen rising crime rates and homelessness. Businesses are closing in our communities and forcing families to travel further from the district for work. Stopping the influx of dangerous illegal drugs into our streets from our southern border. 10 People a day overdose on Fentanyl most of which are kids and young adults from our neighborhoods.

Arizona families are paying enough! We must cut through the bureaucrat red tape and lower the cost of government services. When times are tough in our households, WE CUT OUR SPENDING. Our government MUST do the same.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Stephen Diehl (Independent)

I care about the mental health problems affecting our youth. The fact that the suicide rate is so high in our children is disturbing. This is a direct reflection on the world we built. The economy is the biggest concern for most working Americans than any other issue. Government policy effects the free market, and we need to protect the markets to avoid planned and protectionist policies from grinding hard working Americans into the ground.

Steven Robinson (R)

Safer Communities

Better Schools

Reduced Taxes

Pro Individual Liberties

Pro 2nd Amendment

Pro-Life

Pro Election Integrity

Pro Medical and Religious Freedom

Pro Free Speech

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Stephen Diehl (Independent)

An elected official is different from traditional statesmen, who are typically born into their titles. Being elected means the vetting process has to pass through the eligible voting public while maintaining a vetted status throughout the duration of the term. It is important to reserve a calm, and plebian stature. It is important to never presume importance over other people, and to admit humility when ignorant of topics. This however is the 21st century, not the 19th. I have not a clue as to how a modern politician should behave, or if principles are even necessary.

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and state legislature?

Stephen Diehl (Independent)

The legislator is the voice of the will of the people, and the governor is the chief guardian of the republic. We are all civil servants acting in the best interests of all, but not every interest is a viable option.

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

Stephen Diehl (Independent)

Infrastructure. In all likelihood the next few years will either define our greatness, or be a lesson in future warnings. We must be able to have safe and reliable means of providing if we are to maintain any growth in our communities.

What are the benefits and drawbacks of a unicameral state legislature, in your opinion?

Stephen Diehl (Independent)

Having a single representative council system streamlines the passing of future laws, but it can to easily resemble a soviet in which an oligarchy merely dictates policy, rather than a check on the efficacy of the proposal. Two (or multiple) assemblies that represent two (or multiple) separate fraternities of people in which a proposal must pass each assembly is a much slower method of passing laws, however (at least in theory) a more viable proposal is then submitted to the executive.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

Stephen Diehl (Independent)

It is only beneficial so long as the experience isn't in the form of maintaining their titles, but actually serving in the interests of their people.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

Stephen Diehl (Independent)

Its important to be able to work with other legislators, especially when attempting to create a proposal that is non bi-partisan.

If you are not a current legislator, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

Stephen Diehl (Independent)

No preference.

Both sitting legislators and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

Stephen Diehl (Independent)

When our government shut down the markets for covid, I heard several small business owners who complied with the lockdown were forced to close their doors. One in particular ran a restaurant and he and his family lost everything, and foreclosure on his home was ongoing. This sort of bad government practice is why we are in the position that we are in today.

Should the legislature oversee or grant the use of emergency powers?

Stephen Diehl (Independent)

No.

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

Stephen Diehl (Independent)

Leadership means working as a team to accomplish a goal, but that does not mean it requires half measures that provide no solutions. I will not vote on an issue I know only compromises our children's future for the sake of political convenience today.

See also

More about these elections:

• Arizona State Senate elections, 2022

Select a district below to read responses from candidates in those races:

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