Cara Vicini

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Cara Vicini

Republican Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 5, 2024

Education

High school

Cooper City High School

Personal

Birthplace

New York, N.Y.

Profession

Information technology professional

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

Campaign Instagram

Personal Facebook

Cara Vicini (Republican Party) ran for election to the Arizona State Senate to represent District 12. She lost in the general election on November 5, 2024.

Vicini completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Cara Vicini was born in New York, New York. She earned a high school diploma from Cooper City High School. Her career experience includes working as an information technology professional.

Elections

2024

See also: Arizona State Senate elections, 2024

General election

General election for Arizona State Senate District 12

Incumbent Denise Epstein defeated Cara Vicini in the general election for Arizona State Senate District 12 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Denise Epstein (D)	58.1	70,499
		Cara Vicini (R)	41.9	50,796

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 121,295
= 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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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Arizona State Senate District 12

Incumbent Denise Epstein advanced from the Democratic primary for Arizona State Senate District 12 on July 30, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Denise Epstein	100.0	20,221

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 20,221
= 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.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Arizona State Senate District 12

Cara Vicini advanced from the Republican primary for Arizona State Senate District 12 on July 30, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Cara Vicini	100.0	17,187

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 17,187
= 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.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Vicini in this election.

Pledges

Vicini signed the following pledges.

• U.S. Term Limits

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Cara Vicini completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Vicini's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I have lived in Ahwatukee for 20 years. I was born in New York and grew up in South Florida.

My professional experience building an infrastructure system of checks and balances and managing million-dollar budgets provide me the expertise needed to keep government spending in check.

For 13 years, I coordinated events with my skateboarding dog Astro for The Ronald McDonald house and other charities in the valley.

I am a master crafter who loves nature and gardening. I’ve operated entrepreneurial small businesses making pocketbook purses, artisan soaps and all natural products.

I am running for office to bring back the voice of the people and ensure we restore faith and trust in our elections.

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?

• Restore trust in our elections.
• Control our border.
• Rebuild our economy.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Restoring trust in our elections is a number one priority for me if I am elected as senator.

K-12 is ranked 50th in the nation. We should be laser focused on helping our students become successful adults. Arizona has failed our students by not providing the proper infrastructure for learning.

Controlling our border and allowing the state the legal right to protect it's citizens should not be politicized. A uncontrolled border is a national security concern. Lives are being lost due to drug trafficking, human smuggling and fentanyl poisoning.

Toxic chemicals are in the air, ground and water supply. I will draft a bill to ban them and I will spotlight their harmful effects on humans and pets.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

My mom. She is a beautiful spirit with a golden heart. She will always help a stranger and anyone in need. She is my best friend.

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

Effective communication skills, negotiation, good steward of taxpayers dollars, visionary, uncompromising integrity, high moral standards and ethics. A duty to serve and protect.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Honesty, truth, integrity, true grit, perseverance, dynamic interpersonal skills, wise negotiator and a compromising collaborator.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Draft, introduce and vote on legislation, set levels for state spending, listen to the voice of the people and represent their issues and concerns.

What legacy would you like to leave?

Ban the chemical glyphosate from all foods that harm humans or pets.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

200 year birthday celebration for the United States. I was with my family on a boat watching a firework display over the Hudson River.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

Store merchandise sales girl for a sporting goods store in Oceanside, NY. I worked during the summer for 3 months.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

When We Were Young - Adele

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Past relationships.

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

Compromise and cooperative collaboration working together for the good of the people.

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

Border security, inflation, crime and a dwindling economy. High rents, low wages, unemployment and homelessness. Raising the grade for K-12 is increasingly more difficult because the education system is focused on social engineering and indoctrination not core studies and academic excellence.

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

I don't have previous experience in politics because this is not required although it can be beneficial. What is also beneficial is the ability to listen to your constituents and being their voice. Doing what's moral and right. Protecting our children and our families and drafting laws to that effect.

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

Yes, I believe building relationships with other legislators should be a #1 priority. One of the most important roles as a senator is the ability to foster and maintain good working relationships.

Are you interested in running for a different political office (for example, the U.S. Congress or governor) in the future?

No, I only plan on running for office in local district races.

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?

A struggling mother with one income and three children, one with autism. She is fighting high inflation and an out of control economy, living beyond her means - with no end in sight and no resources to help get her back on her feet. Arizona can do better to help by initiating more programs that will aid and assist US citizens, veterans and their families not migrants who trespass into our state illegally.

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

No, there should be no need or justification to oversee or grant the use of emergency powers.

What is the first bill you would introduce if elected?

I would introduce a bill to ban toxic chemicals like glyphosate.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

FarSuperior Politics’ Board, Suzanne Sharer - Board Chair, Jim O’Connor - Board & Political Advisor

What committees interest you?

Senate Elections Committee - Finance Committee - Senate Judiciary Committee

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

There should be an infrastructure used by state governments that allow transactions to be reflected on a website in real time. Government oversight is one of the main reasons I am running for office. We most hold our elected officials accountable for reckless spending and a lack of oversight. Safety and security protocols must be tested, implemented and followed. If a system of checks and balances is in effect, then we will maintain transparency and accountability.

Do you support or oppose changes to the current state ballot initiative process? If so, what kind of changes would you consider?

I would consider making it fair for all parties that choose to run for office using an identical criteria for requesting petition signatures.

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.

Campaign finance summary

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Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

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Cara Vicini campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2024*	Arizona State Senate District 12	Lost general	$595	$55,664
Grand total			$595	$55,664
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete

See also

2024 Elections

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External links

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Candidate

Arizona State Senate District 12

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Footnotes

[show]

Current members of the Arizona State Senate

Leadership

Senate President:Warren Petersen

Majority Leader:Janae Shamp

Minority Leader:Priya Sundareshan

Senators

District 1

Mark Finchem (R)

District 2

Shawnna Bolick (R)

District 3

John Kavanagh (R)

District 4

Carine Werner (R)

District 5

Lela Alston (D)

District 6

Theresa Hatathlie (D)

District 7

Wendy Rogers (R)

District 8

Lauren Kuby (D)

District 9

Kiana Sears (D)

District 10

David Farnsworth (R)

District 11

Catherine Miranda (D)

District 12

Denise Epstein (D)

District 13

Javan Mesnard (R)

District 14

Warren Petersen (R)

District 15

Jake Hoffman (R)

District 16

Thomas Shope (R)

District 17

Vince Leach (R)

District 18

Priya Sundareshan (D)

District 19

David Gowan (R)

District 20

Sally Gonzales (D)

District 21

Rosanna Gabaldón (D)

District 22

Eva Diaz (D)

District 23

Brian Fernandez (D)

District 24

Analise Ortiz (D)

District 25

Tim Dunn (R)

District 26

Flavio Bravo (D)

District 27

Kevin Payne (R)

District 28

Frank Carroll (R)

District 29

Janae Shamp (R)

District 30

Hildy Angius (R)

Republican Party (17)

Democratic Party (13)