January Contreras

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January Contreras

Democratic Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 6, 2018

Contact

Campaign website

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January Contreras (Democratic Party) ran for election for Attorney General of Arizona. She lost in the general election on November 6, 2018.

Contreras completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2018. Click here to read the survey answers.

Elections

2018

See also: Arizona Attorney General election, 2018

See also: Arizona Attorney General election, 2018 (August 28 Democratic primary)

General election

General election for Attorney General of Arizona

Incumbent Mark Brnovich defeated January Contreras in the general election for Attorney General of Arizona on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mark Brnovich (R)	51.7	1,201,398
		January Contreras (D)	48.3	1,120,726

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 2,322,124
= 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 Attorney General of Arizona

January Contreras advanced from the Democratic primary for Attorney General of Arizona on August 28, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		January Contreras	100.0	464,510

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 464,510 (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.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Attorney General of Arizona

Incumbent Mark Brnovich advanced from the Republican primary for Attorney General of Arizona on August 28, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mark Brnovich	100.0	561,370

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 561,370 (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.

Libertarian primary election

No Libertarian candidates ran in the primary.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Michael Kielsky (L)

Campaign themes

2018

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

January Contreras completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Contreras' responses.

What would be your top three priorities, if elected?

1. Lead with purpose. Collaborate with local community members and law enforcement to tackle big issues like crimes against children, elder abuse and exploitation, opioid and heroin abuse, and how we can create the gold standard for kids in the foster care system. 2. Bring accountability and transparency back to Arizona so we can stop corruption in government and elections. My opponent has entered into litigation to help political insiders including secret donors to the Koch Brothers network, and ExxonMobil. Powerful political insiders should not have free reign use of our Attorney General's Office. I'll work to make them play by the same rules as everyone else. 3. Guard the constitutional rights and interests of all Arizonans. Too often, my opponent's litigation is driven by partisan or special interest agendas. We need to get back to protecting the people of Arizona, not special interests. My opponent is suing to eliminate protections for people with preexisting health conditions. I will remove Arizona from this lawsuit, and fight to preserve these health care protections.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Before running for Attorney General, I founded a legal aid organization for kids and young adults who were impacted by the foster care system, abuse and human trafficking. I believe that as the agency charged with protecting all children in the foster care system, the Attorney General should place a high priority on the safety and well-being of our children -- both in and out of the foster care system. We must lead to stop family abuse and human trafficking in Arizona.

What qualities does this office possess that makes it a unique and important part of the state government and legal system?

For voters who want to bring checks and balances back to government, there is no more important place to elect an independent voice than as Attorney General. The Attorney General has the power to keep everyone else honest by upholding our Constitution and laws. We need an Attorney General who has experience prosecuting crimes and who isn't beholden to special interests or big donors. We don't have that right now, but we can change that in November.

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

I was raised by parents and grandparents who taught me the value of hard work and fighting for others. My mother's high school counselor told her she wasn't college material, so naturally, she proved them wrong. She's a fighter through and through. I'm running for all the parents like mine who work their tails off all day or night, and still manage to read a book or attend a ball game with their kid. In addition, I worked for Janet Napolitano as an Assistant Attorney General, and then as an Advisor to her in the Governor's Office and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security during the Obama administration. As part of her staff, we were trained to spend every day thinking about what we learned today and how we would use it tomorrow to better serve the people. I have carried that training throughout my career as a lawyer and will do so as the next Attorney General.

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

Honesty, integrity and a commitment to putting people first every day.

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

I've spent my entire career using the law to defend people's safety and rights, and I never back down. I once had a case where a human trafficker called me to intimidate me so I'd drop a case -- but I wouldn't be intimidated. I sought justice for my client. As the next Attorney General of Arizona, I won't let anything stand in the way of doing what's best for the people of my state.

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

The core job of the Attorney General is to hold people and institutions accountable by enforcing the law, and to protect the safety, rights, and economic security of Arizonans. The Office of the Attorney General has the responsibility to provide sound legal advice to the State of Arizona government; issue formal opinions, protect the safety of children in the foster care system, prosecute crimes within our scope; enforce consumer protection, environmental and civil rights laws, and investigate, litigate, and prosecute violators of these laws for the safety, financial security, and well-being of Arizonans. In addition, the Attorney General has a duty to be the champion for transparency through responsibilities for interpreting and enforcing laws related to open meetings, public records, and corruption in government and elections.

What is your favorite holiday? Why?

My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving. It's a time with family and a time to be thankful for our blessings. Thanksgiving is a reflective time for me every year, and that's always good for my soul.

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 website

Contreras' campaign website stated the following:

“	January Conteras has a long history of fighting for Arizonans January was a county and state prosecutor before founding a legal aid organization to protect Arizona's women, children, and families. She envisions an Arizona where every one of us feels safe, where our constitutional and civil rights are protected without fail, and where the powerful no longer get away with playing by their own set of rules. January has worked to keep our streets safe January put public safety first when she was a Deputy County Attorney for the Maricopa County Attorney's Office, and an Assistant Attorney General. As a criminal prosecutor, she made sure victims were heard, and earned a reputation for being tough and fair. January has battled against cuts to health care for Arizona's working families January fought against special interests to fend off cuts to health care insurance when she worked as a policy advisor to Governor Napolitano, and an Assistant Director at the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS). January has protected seniors from abuse and exploitation January prosecuted crimes as an Assistant Attorney General for the Office of the Attorney General, the department which she is now running to lead. She brought justice to victims and their families in elder abuse and exploitation crimes across the State. January has stopped fraud against small businesses and the government January was an Assistant Attorney General in the Fraud and Public Corruption Section of the Office of the Attorney General, where she prosecuted fraud, waste, and abuse in our health care system to protect small businesses and taxpayer money. January protected children who were abused and neglected January founded a not-for-profit, Arizona Legal Women and Youth Services (ALWAYS), so kids and young adults who have survived trauma, homelessness, and the foster care system have access to lawyers who will fight for them. In this work, January has seen first-hand the consequences of our state's opioid and heroin epidemic, and she's committed to fighting for prevention and accountability to end it. January has taken on human traffickers At ALWAYS, January has served Arizonans, including survivors of human trafficking. She has a passion for fighting for trafficking victims, and she will work to put a stop to these horrible crimes of greed and abuse from ever happening in Arizona again. January combatted violence against women At the Department of Homeland Security, January led the charge to establish the Council on Combating Violence Against Women. She has served on the White House Council on Women and Girls, contributed to the development of the U.S. National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security, and volunteered on the Board of Directors of the Arizona Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence. At ALWAYS, she regularly represented victims of domestic violence who would otherwise have no lawyer. January is a proud Arizonan who cares about family - hers and yours January is a proud Arizonan. She is a fourth-generation Arizonan and the daughter of postal workers. She attended the same school as her mother, Ann Ott Elementary School in Phoenix, before moving to Mesa and graduating from Westwood High School. She went on to earn her undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Arizona in Tucson. January recently celebrated her 23rd wedding anniversary, and is the proud mother of two teenage sons. As a parent, there is nothing more important to her than ensuring the safety and well-being of her children. She will work with all families and communities in Arizona to ensure the same for our kids, parents, and grandparents every day.	”
—January for Attorney General

See also

• Attorney General of Arizona
• Arizona Attorney General election, 2018

External links

• Search Google News for this topic
• Campaign website
• Campaign Facebook page
• Campaign Twitter feed
• Arizona Attorney General