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Don Shooter
Don Shooter (Republican Party) was a member of the Arizona House of Representatives, representing District 13. Shooter assumed office on January 9, 2017. Shooter left office on February 1, 2018.
Shooter (Republican Party) ran for election to the Arizona State Senate to represent District 13. Shooter lost in the Republican primary on August 28, 2018.
On February 1, 2018, Shooter was expelled from the House by his colleagues over sexual misconduct allegations.[1] Prior to his expulsion, Shooter was removed from his committee assignments due to the allegations. To read more, click here.
Shooter previously served as the chair of the Yuma Tea Party and as a Republican member of the Arizona State Senate, representing District 24 from 2011 to 2013 and District 13 from 2013 to 2017.
Biography
Shooter earned his B.S. in history/business from the University of Southern California. His professional experience includes working as a farmer and commercial developer since 1981.
Committee assignments
2017 legislative session
Shooter was removed as chairman of the House Appropriations Committee in November 2017 due to sexual misconduct allegations. After a report was released in January 2018 finding that he likely violated the chamber's sexual harassment policies, he was removed from the rest of his committee assignments. To read more click here.
At the beginning of the 2017 legislative session, this legislator served on the following committees:
| Arizona committee assignments, 2017 |
|---|
| • Appropriations, Chair |
| • Education |
2015 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2015 legislative session, Shooter served on the following committees:
| Arizona committee assignments, 2015 |
|---|
| • Appropriations, Chair |
| • Natural Resources, Vice chair |
| • Rural Affairs and Environment |
2013-2014
At the beginning of the 2013 legislative session, Shooter served on the following committees:
| Arizona committee assignments, 2013 |
|---|
| • Appropriations, Chair |
| • Natural Resources and Rural Affairs |
| • Public Safety |
| • Budget |
| • Capital Review, 2013 Chair |
| • Homeland Security |
| • K-12 School District Receivership Study |
2011-2012
In the 2011-2012 legislative session, Shooter served on these committees:
| Arizona committee assignments, 2011 |
|---|
| • Appropriations |
| • Natural Resources and Transportation |
| • Veterans and Military Affairs |
| • Water, Land Use and Rural Development, Vice Chair |
Sponsored legislation
The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.
Elections
2018
- See also: Arizona State Senate elections, 2018
General election
General election for Arizona State Senate District 13
Incumbent Sine Kerr defeated Michelle Harris in the general election for Arizona State Senate District 13 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Sine Kerr (R) | 62.5 | 50,432 |
 | Michelle Harris (D)  | 37.5 | 30,215 | |
| Total votes: 80,647 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Arizona State Senate District 13
Michelle Harris advanced from the Democratic primary for Arizona State Senate District 13 on August 28, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Michelle Harris | 100.0 | 11,267 |
| Total votes: 11,267 (100.00% precincts reporting) | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Arizona State Senate District 13
Incumbent Sine Kerr defeated Brent Backus and Don Shooter in the Republican primary for Arizona State Senate District 13 on August 28, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Sine Kerr | 50.1 | 12,824 |
 | Brent Backus | 29.8 | 7,634 | |
 | Don Shooter | 20.0 | 5,121 | |
| Total votes: 25,579 (100.00% precincts reporting) | |||
| = 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. | ||||
2016
Elections for the Arizona House of Representatives took place in 2016. The primary election took place on August 30, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was June 1, 2016.[2] Incumbent Steve Montenegro (R) did not seek re-election.
Don Shooter and incumbent Darin Mitchell defeated Iisha Graves in the Arizona House of Representatives District 13 general election.[3][4]
| Arizona House of Representatives, District 13 General Election, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Don Shooter |
39.15% | 47,748 | |
| Republican | Darin Mitchell Incumbent |
37.47% | 45,699 | |
| Democratic | Iisha Graves | 23.37% | 28,500 | |
| Total Votes | 121,947 | |||
| Source: Arizona Secretary of State | ||||
Iisha Graves ran unopposed in the Arizona House of Representatives District 13 Democratic Primary.[5]
| Arizona House of Representatives, District 13 Democratic Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | |
| Democratic | Iisha Graves (unopposed) | |
Incumbent Darin Mitchell and Don Shooter defeated Ray Kouns in the Arizona House of Representatives District 13 Republican Primary.[6]
| Arizona House of Representatives, District 13 Republican Primary, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Darin Mitchell Incumbent |
39.65% | 12,684 | |
| Republican | Don Shooter |
44.93% | 14,374 | |
| Republican | Ray Kouns | 15.41% | 4,931 | |
| Total Votes | 31,989 | |||
2014
- See also: Arizona State Senate elections, 2014
Elections for the Arizona State Senate took place in 2014. A primary election took place on August 26, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was May 28, 2014. Terri Woodmansee was unopposed in the Democratic primary. Incumbent Don Shooter defeated Toby Farmer in the Republican primary. Shooter defeated Woodmansee in the general election. Farmer's candidacy was challenged before the Republican primary.[7][8][9][10][11]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Don Shooter Incumbent |
64.3% | 28,645 | |
| Democratic | Terri Woodmansee | 35.7% | 15,874 | |
| Total Votes | 44,519 | |||
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
|---|---|---|
|
Don Shooter Incumbent |
64.7% | 11,794 |
| Toby Farmer | 35.3% | 6,446 |
| Total Votes | 18,240 | |
2012
- See also: Arizona State Senate elections, 2012
After redistricting, Shooter's district was split into the new 4th and 13th Districts; he won re-election in the 13th District, avoiding a potential showdown with Representative Lynne Pancrazi in the 4th.[12][13] The general election was on November 6. He won election against John Nelson in the Republican primary on August 28, 2012. He won the general election on November 6, 2012.[14][15]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Don Shooter Incumbent |
100% | 48,132 | |
| Total Votes | 48,132 | |||
2010
- See also: Arizona State Senate elections, 2010
Shooter was a write-in candidate in the August 24 primary and won with no opposition. He then defeated incumbent Democrat Amanda Aguirre and Libertarian Jack Kretzer in the November 2 general election.[16]
| Arizona State Senate, District 24 General Election (2010) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | |||
| Don Shooter (R)
|
18,334 | |||
| Amanda Aguirre (D) | 16,140 | |||
| Jack Kretzer (L) | 1,510 | |||
Campaign themes
2014
Shooter's campaign website highlighted the following issues:[17]
Education
- Excerpt: "I strongly believe that parents -- not bureaucrats in Washington or Phoenix -- know what is best for their children and should have the freedom to make educational decisions for their kids."
Jobs and the Economy
- Excerpt: "As the only member of the majority who actually comes from Yuma, it is my responsibility to ensure that no one is forgotten just because of their distance from the State Capitol."
Fiscal Responsibility
- Excerpt: "Along with several other conservatives, I stood up for the taxpayers, and insisted on cutting spending and produced a truly structurally balanced budget, meaning we spent less than we took in. In these tough times, every Arizona family has had to do this, and our government needed to do the same."
Secure Borders
- Excerpt: "The first step to solving illegal immigration is to enforce existing laws. We have to end sanctuary city policies, end catch-and-release by law enforcement, and start enforcing proper identification standards for obtaining drivers’ licenses, bank accounts, and social services – all of which can be addressed with our existing laws. We need to demand enforcement of those laws by our local, state and federal government – and we need to stop looking the other way."
Supporting our Military
- Excerpt: "We must care for those who have made such great sacrifices for our freedom. Our nation owes them an enormous debt of gratitude for their service, and we need to ensure they have the support they need, including healthcare, education benefits and vocational training. I remain dedicated to issues related to our servicemen and women. We live in the land of the free, because of the brave."
Campaign finance summary
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.
Scorecards
A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.
Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.
Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of Arizona scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.
2020
In 2020, the Arizona State Legislature was in session from January 13 to May 26.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to economic issues.
- Legislators are scored on their stances on animal issues.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.
- Legislators are scored on their stances on secular policy.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.
2019
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2019, click [show]. |
|---|
|
In 2019, the Arizona State Legislature was in session from January 14 through May 28.
|
2018
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2018, click [show]. |
|---|
|
In 2018, the 54th Arizona State Legislature was in session from January 8 through May 4.
|
2017
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2017, click [show]. |
|---|
|
In 2017, the 53rd Arizona State Legislature was in session from January 9 through May 4.
|
Noteworthy events
Expulsion from House following violation of sexual harassment policy (2018)
On February 1, 2018, the Arizona House of Representatives voted to expel Shooter after House Speaker J.D. Mesnard (R) released a report on sexual harassment that concluded there was evidence that Shooter violated the House's sexual harassment policy.[1] The state House voted 56-3 to expel Shooter.[18] In January 2019, Shooter filed suit in Maricopa County Superior Court, alleging that his expulsion from the House violated his due process rights. He sought unspecified damages in recompense.[19]
After the vote, Shooter said, " I've had two, three months to think about this. I did wrong, I deserve a censure. But I'll tell you this. I was sent here by the people of District 13. And to the best of my knowledge, I've never betrayed that trust, never, never. Not for monkey business, not for contributions, not for influence, not for power, not for anything."[20]
The day prior to the expulsion, Mesnard permanently removed Shooter from his committee positions and said he would introduce a resolution of censure against him. Shooter released a statement saying that he looked forward to rebuilding his relationships and continuing to serve as a representative.[21] Shooter then sent a letter to members of the state House saying that the report had ignored allegations against another member of the chamber who he did not name. After Shooter sent the letter, Speaker Mesnard addressed the chamber and moved for Shooter's expulsion. He said the letter "represents a clear act of retaliation and intimidation, and yet another violation of the House's harassment policy."
In November 2017, Shooter was removed as the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee after at least seven women—three legislators, three lobbyists, and a newspaper publisher—claimed he had harassed them.[22] House Speaker J.D. Mesnard (R) appointed a panel of House staffers to investigate the allegations.
On January 9, the second day of the 2018 Arizona legislative session, Shooter apologized for the actions that led to allegations of sexual misconduct against him. He said, "I am sorry for the distraction and strain that this matter and the subsequent investigation have caused all of you. I don't want to go one more day without apologizing and honoring all of you by not only saying, 'I'm sorry,' but by doing better." He said the first allegation against him was not true, but that the later allegations were. He said, "[the first] complaint was followed by a number of additional complaints, the majority of which were sincere and which exposed me to the knowledge that my actions were not always received as intended, and that worse still, they caused genuine discomfort or pain."[23]
Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Shooter and his wife, Susan, have three children.
See also
- State legislative elections, 2018
- Arizona State Senate elections, 2018
- Arizona State Senate
- Arizona House of Representatives
- Arizona House of Representatives District 13
- Arizona State Legislature
External links
- Search Google News for this topic
- Arizona State Senate
- Campaign website
- Profile from Open States
- Campaign contributions via OpenSecrets
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Los Angeles Times, "Arizona House votes to expel lawmaker over sexual misconduct," February 1, 2018
- ↑ Arizona Secretary of State, "Elections Calendar & Upcoming Events," accessed January 11, 2016
- ↑ Arizona Secretary of State, "General election ," accessed September 9, 2016
- ↑ Arizona Secretary of State, "2016 official general election results," accessed November 11, 2016
- ↑ Arizona Secretary of State, "2016 Election Information - Primary Candidate List," accessed June 3, 2016
- ↑ Arizona Secretary of State, "2016 Election Information - Primary Candidate List," accessed June 3, 2016
- ↑ arizonadailyindependent.com, "Candidate challenges," June 12, 2014
- ↑ Arizona Secretary of State, "Official primary election results," accessed August 27, 2014
- ↑ Arizona Secretary of State, "2014 Primary Election," May 28, 2014
- ↑ Arizona Secretary of State, "Official general election candidate list," accessed September 11, 2014
- ↑ Arizona Secretary of State, "Official general election results," accessed August 3, 2015
- ↑ Yuma Sun, "Rep. Pancrazi announces Senate bid," accessed May 21, 2012 (dead link)
- ↑ Yuma Sun, "Sen. Shooter will move to Republican-leaning district," accessed May 21, 2012 (dead link)
- ↑ Arizona Secretary of State, "Primary candidate list," accessed December 11, 2013
- ↑ C-SPAN/Associated Press, "August 28, 2012 Primary Results - Arizona," accessed August 28, 2012
- ↑ ClarityElections.com, "General election results," accessed December 11, 2013
- ↑ Official campaign website, "Issues," accessed July 28, 2014
- ↑ Arizona House of Representatives, "HR 2003," accessed February 1, 2018
- ↑ The Verde Independent, "Shooter sues state over his removal from Arizona House of Representatives," January 31, 2019
- ↑ Los Angeles Times, "Arizona House votes to expel lawmaker over sexual misconduct," February 1, 2018
- ↑ ABC 15, "Investigative report released on sexual harassment at State House," January 30, 2018
- ↑ Tucson.com, "Arizona Rep. Shooter suspended from powerful role as sex-harassment claims grow," November 10, 2017
- ↑ Arizona Central, "Arizona Rep. Don Shooter apologizes for his behavior following sexual-harassment claims," January 9, 2018
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Steve Montenegro (R) |
Arizona House of Representatives District 13 2017-2018 |
Succeeded by Tim Dunn (R) |
| Preceded by Steve Gallardo (D) |
Arizona State Senate District 13 2013–2017 |
Succeeded by Steve Montenegro (R) |
| Preceded by Amanda Aguirre |
Arizona State Senate District 24 2011–2013 |
Succeeded by Katie Hobbs (D) |
