Danielle Sterbinsky
Elections and appointments
Personal
Contact
Danielle Sterbinsky (Democratic Party) (also known as Dani) is running for election to the U.S. House to represent Arizona's 9th Congressional District. She declared candidacy for the Democratic primary scheduled on August 4, 2026.[source]
Sterbinsky completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Danielle Sterbinsky was born in Austin, Texas. She has served in the U.S. Navy since 2015. Sterbinsky earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Hawaii, West Oahu in 2019 and a graduate degree from Grand Canyon University in 2023. Her career experience includes working as an academic advisor. As of 2025, Sterbinsky was affiliated with the Society for Human Resource Management.[1]
Elections
2026
See also: Arizona's 9th Congressional District election, 2026
General election
The primary will occur on August 4, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. General election candidates will be added here following the primary.
Democratic primary election
Republican primary election
Endorsements
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2026
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Danielle Sterbinsky completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Sterbinsky's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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I’m Dani Sterbinsky, a Navy veteran, certified HR professional, and mother running to represent Arizona’s 9th Congressional District. My background in Industrial-Organizational Psychology has allowed me to build a career helping people and organizations succeed. Unlike career politicians, I’m a problem solver committed to fighting for affordable healthcare, a robust economy, strong schools, and accountability in Washington.
- Accountability:
I believe in term limits for members of Congress and getting big money out of politics so government serves people instead of special interests.
- Education:
Arizona’s kids deserve fully funded schools, smaller class sizes, and modern classrooms that prepare them for the future.
- Economy:
I’ll fight for small businesses and support companies that commit to creating jobs and opportunities in our rural communities.
I'm passionate about getting big money out of politics and ensuring accountability through term limits so government works for people, not special interests. She is equally committed to strengthening public education by fully funding schools, reducing class sizes, and modernizing classrooms to give every Arizona student the tools to succeed.
For me, the most important qualities in an elected official are integrity, accountability, and a commitment to service. Voters should be able to trust that their representatives are honest, transparent, and willing to stand up to powerful interests. I also believe humility matters; remembering that the job isn’t about personal gain, it’s about serving the people who put you there.
Finally, an elected official needs persistence and courage, because solving tough problems requires both.
Every member of Congress should legislate with purpose, represent with integrity, oversee government with rigor, and serve their constituents with transparency. That means writing and voting on laws that meet the real needs of the people, not special interests. It means being a true voice for their district, holding the executive branch accountable, and making sure taxpayer dollars are spent wisely. And it means never forgetting that one of the most important responsibilities is helping constituents, whether it’s cutting through red tape or making sure families can access the resources they’ve earned. At its core, the job is service, and every member of Congress should approach it that way.
September 11, 2001. I was nine years old. I remember the sudden quiet at school, teachers whispering, parents lining the hallway, and that night’s news replaying the same images over and over. It was the first time I felt both fear and a deep sense of unity and it shaped my understanding of service and responsibility.
The U.S. House of Representatives is unique because it’s the chamber closest to the people. With two-year terms and smaller districts than the Senate, members of the House are held directly accountable to their communities and must stay responsive to changing needs. The House also holds the “power of the purse,” controlling federal spending and taxation, which gives it a critical role in shaping how resources are invested. Its design ensures that the voices of everyday Americans, not just states or special interests, have a seat at the table.
Previous experience in government can be helpful, but it’s not the only path to being an effective representative. What matters most is integrity, accountability, and the ability to listen and solve problems. In fact, bringing in people with backgrounds outside of politics, like military service, education, business, or healthcare, can add fresh perspectives and help Congress stay connected to the real challenges Americans face. I believe a healthy mix of experienced lawmakers and new voices is what makes our democracy stronger.
The greatest challenge our nation faces over the next decade is how we adapt our systems, such as government, education, and the workplace, to rapid change. We’re seeing widening inequality, distrust in institutions, and a workforce stretched by automation, rising costs, and burnout. If we don’t address these pressures, we risk not just economic instability but social fragmentation.
The solutions aren’t just about passing new laws. They are about building environments where people can thrive. That means making education consistent and accessible, investing in skills training for the jobs of tomorrow, and ensuring workplaces and policies are designed around people, not just profit. To me, the challenge is really about alignment: aligning our resources, our values, and our leadership with the needs of everyday Americans so we can remain resilient in the face of change.
Two-year terms keep representatives closely tied to the people they serve, which is valuable for accountability. At the same time, it often forces members of Congress to spend more time campaigning than governing. I believe the two-year term length can work, but only if paired with real reforms, like term limits and getting big money out of politics, so representatives can focus on delivering results instead of fundraising.
I believe term limits are essential for accountability in Congress. No one should make a career out of holding onto power. Our government works best when there’s fresh leadership and new ideas at the table. That’s why I’ve signed the pledge supporting congressional term limits. It’s a commitment to put people over politics and to ensure elected officials never forget who they work for: the voters.
Two representatives I admire are Kim Schrier and Melanie Stansbury.
Dr. Schrier has shown how a professional background outside of politics, in her case, medicine-can bring fresh expertise and real-world perspective to Congress.
Melanie Stansbury’s focus on science, sustainability, and community-centered policy is a model for evidence-based leadership. Like them, I want to bring my own background—in the Navy and Industrial-Organizational Psychology—to make Congress more responsive, people-focused, and solutions-driven. One story that’s stayed with me is of an elderly couple in our district who purchase their cancer medication from Canada because it’s far cheaper than here in the U.S. I’ve also met families who buy their insulin from Mexico for the same reason. These are hardworking Arizonans who should never have to look outside our country just to afford the medicine they need. Stories like these are why I’m committed to lowering prescription drug costs and making healthcare affordable at home because no one should have to choose between their health and financial security
Yes, compromise is both necessary and desirable in policymaking, as long as it doesn’t mean sacrificing core values. In Congress, no one gets everything they want, and progress often comes from finding common ground. But compromise should never come at the expense of people’s basic rights, dignity, or safety. My approach is to stay rooted in principles, listen with respect, and look for solutions that move us forward together.
The Constitution gives the House the unique responsibility to originate all bills that raise revenue, and I see that as a powerful tool for accountability. If elected, I would use this responsibility to make sure taxpayer dollars are invested wisely in priorities like fully funding our schools, lowering healthcare costs, and strengthening infrastructure. It also means standing firm against giveaways to special interests or corporations that don’t serve our communities. For me, this power is about ensuring that every dollar collected from hardworking Arizonans is returned in the form of opportunity, security, and fairness.
The House’s investigative powers should be used to hold government and corporations accountable, not to score political points. Oversight is one of Congress’s most important responsibilities, and it should focus on protecting taxpayers, rooting out corruption, and ensuring laws are carried out fairly. Investigations should be fact-driven, transparent, and aimed at strengthening public trust in our institutions. Used responsibly, these powers are a check on abuse and a safeguard for our democracy.
The U.S. government has a critical role to play in the development and use of artificial intelligence. AI can be a powerful tool for innovation, but without clear regulations and safeguards, it also carries real risks from job displacement to privacy violations and bias in decision-making. Government should set standards that ensure AI is safe, ethical, and transparent, while still encouraging responsible innovation. Our priority must be protecting people, not just advancing technology.
I would support legislation to strengthen election security and access by requiring paper ballots, transparent audits, and protecting election workers. I also believe in expanding voter access with automatic registration, secure early voting, and mail-in ballots because every eligible American should be able to cast their vote safely and fairly.
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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See also
External links
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on August 29, 2025
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