Judy Burges

Judy Burges (Republican Party) was a member of the Arizona House of Representatives, representing District 1. She assumed office on January 11, 2021. She left office on January 9, 2023.

Burges (Republican Party) ran for re-election to the Arizona House of Representatives to represent District 1. She lost in the Republican primary on August 2, 2022.

Burges served in the Arizona House of Representatives, representing District 4 from 2005 to 2013. She served in the state Senate from 2013 to 2019.

Biography

Judy Burges earned a bachelor’s degree in management and an M.B.A. from the University of Phoenix.^[1]

Committee assignments

Note: This membership information was last updated in September 2023. Ballotpedia completes biannual updates of committee membership. If you would like to send us an update, email us at: editor@ballotpedia.org.

2021-2022

Burges was assigned to the following committees:

2017 legislative session

At the beginning of the 2017 legislative session, this legislator served on the following committees:

Arizona committee assignments, 2017
• Judiciary, Chair
• Natural Resources, Energy and Water

2015 legislative session

At the beginning of the 2015 legislative session, Burges served on the following committees:

Arizona committee assignments, 2015
• Federalism, Mandates and Fiscal Responsibility, Chair
• Government
• Public Safety, Military and Technology
• Transportation, Vice chair
• Water and Energy

2013-2014

At the beginning of the 2013 legislative session, Burges served on the following committees:

Arizona committee assignments, 2013
• Government and Environment, Vice Chair
• Health and Human Services
• Transportation
• Audit

2011-2012 (Senate)

In the 2011-2012 legislative session, Burges served on the following committees while a member of the Arizona State Senate:

Arizona committee assignments, 2012
• Border Security, Federalism and States Sovereignty
• Government Reform
• Judiciary
• Water, Land Use and Rural Development

2011-2012 (House)

In the 2011-2012 legislative session, Burges served on these committees while a member of the Arizona House of Representatives:

Arizona committee assignments, 2011
• Government, Chair
• Transportation

2009-2010

In the 2009-2010 legislative session, Burges served on these committees:

Arizona committee assignments, 2009
• Public Employees, Retirement and Entitlement Reform, Vice Chair
• Transportation and Infrastructure

Issues

Medicaid expansion lawsuit

See also: Can Arizona conservatives beat the clock to block Medicaid expansion from taking effect Jan. 1?

Judy Burges was one of the 36 Republican members of the Arizona State Legislature who signed onto a lawsuit brought by the Goldwater Institute in September 2013 against Arizona Governor Jan Brewer (R) over the expansion of Medicaid in Arizona under provisions of the Affordable Care Act.^[2] Brewer announced her support for Medicaid expansion in Arizona in 2013, and by June of that year the legislature passed a bill expanding Medicaid in the state .^[3] In September 2013, the Goldwater Institute, a conservative think tank, filed a lawsuit seeking to block the law's implementation. They argued that the law contained a tax, and its implementation under the control of the executive branch violated state laws enforcing the separation of powers.^[2] In 2015, a Maricopa County Superior Court judge ruled against the 36 Republican lawmakers and the Goldwater Institute, saying that the law contained an assessment, not a tax. The Arizona Court of Appeals upheld the Superior Court's 2015 ruling on March 16, 2017.^[4]

Elections

2022

General election

General election for Arizona House of Representatives District 1 (2 seats)

Incumbent Quang Nguyen and Selina Bliss defeated Cathy Ransom and Neil Sinclair in the general election for Arizona House of Representatives District 1 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Quang Nguyen (R)	33.2	75,106
✔		Selina Bliss (R)	33.0	74,731
	Submit photo	Cathy Ransom (D)	17.5	39,665
		Neil Sinclair (D)	16.3	36,867

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 226,369
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Arizona House of Representatives District 1 (2 seats)

Cathy Ransom and Neil Sinclair advanced from the Democratic primary for Arizona House of Representatives District 1 on August 2, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Cathy Ransom	54.3	19,105
✔		Neil Sinclair	45.7	16,103

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 35,208
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Arizona House of Representatives District 1 (2 seats)

Incumbent Quang Nguyen and Selina Bliss defeated incumbent Judy Burges and Ryan Cadigan in the Republican primary for Arizona House of Representatives District 1 on August 2, 2022.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Quang Nguyen	40.8	36,832
✔	Selina Bliss	26.8	24,161
	Judy Burges	23.0	20,732
	Ryan Cadigan	9.4	8,450

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 90,175
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Steve Gesell (R)

Campaign finance