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Rene Lopez
Rene Lopez (Republican Party) is a member of the Arizona Corporation Commission. He assumed office on January 6, 2025. His current term ends on January 1, 2029.
Lopez (Republican Party) ran for election to the Arizona Corporation Commission. He won in the general election on November 5, 2024.
Lopez completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Rene Lopez was born in Mesa, Arizona, and now lives in Chandler, Arizona. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1995 to 2000. Lopez earned a high school diploma from Dobson High School and a bachelor's degree from the University of Arizona in 1995. He has experience working as a project manager and in telecommunications, oil and gas, and IT. Lopez has been affiliated with the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, the NRA, and Cece's Hope Center.[1][2]
Elections
2024
See also: Arizona Corporation Commission election, 2024
General election
General election for Arizona Corporation Commission (3 seats)
The following candidates ran in the general election for Arizona Corporation Commission on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Rachel Walden (R)  | 17.9 | 1,525,622 |
| ✔ |  | Rene Lopez (R) | 17.4 | 1,481,992 |
| ✔ |  | Lea Marquez Peterson (R) | 16.9 | 1,440,681 |
 | Ylenia Aguilar (D) | 15.7 | 1,336,868 | |
 | Jonathon Hill (D) | 15.3 | 1,301,904 | |
 | Joshua Polacheck (D) | 14.4 | 1,230,440 | |
 | Nina Luxenberg (G) | 1.3 | 110,486 | |
 | Mike Cease (G) | 1.2 | 101,473 | |
 | Frank Bertone (D) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 144 | |
| Total votes: 8,529,610 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Arizona Corporation Commission (3 seats)
Ylenia Aguilar, Jonathon Hill, and Joshua Polacheck advanced from the Democratic primary for Arizona Corporation Commission on July 30, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Ylenia Aguilar | 35.9 | 414,130 |
| ✔ | | Jonathon Hill | 32.8 | 378,014 |
| ✔ | | Joshua Polacheck | 31.3 | 360,835 |
| Total votes: 1,152,979 | |||
| = 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 Corporation Commission (3 seats)
Rachel Walden, Rene Lopez, and incumbent Lea Marquez Peterson advanced from the Republican primary for Arizona Corporation Commission on July 30, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Rachel Walden | 36.8 | 512,104 |
| ✔ | | Rene Lopez | 32.4 | 450,479 |
| ✔ | | Lea Marquez Peterson | 30.9 | 429,820 |
| Total votes: 1,392,403 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Christy Kelly (R)
Green primary election
Green primary for Arizona Corporation Commission (3 seats)
Mike Cease and Nina Luxenberg advanced from the Green primary for Arizona Corporation Commission on July 30, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Mike Cease (Write-in) | 50.4 | 179 |
| ✔ | | Nina Luxenberg (Write-in) | 49.6 | 176 |
| Total votes: 355 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Campaign finance
Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Lopez in this election.
2022
See also: Arizona's 4th Congressional District election, 2022
General election
General election for U.S. House Arizona District 4
Incumbent Greg Stanton defeated Kelly Cooper and Stephan Jones in the general election for U.S. House Arizona District 4 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Greg Stanton (D) | 56.1 | 148,941 |
 | Kelly Cooper (R) | 43.9 | 116,521 | |
| Stephan Jones (Independent) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 36 | ||
| Total votes: 265,498 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. House Arizona District 4
Incumbent Greg Stanton advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Arizona District 4 on August 2, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Greg Stanton | 100.0 | 61,319 |
| Total votes: 61,319 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Matthew Daniel (D)
- Judy Stahl (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. House Arizona District 4
Kelly Cooper defeated Tanya Wheeless, Dave Giles, Rene Lopez, and Jerone Davison in the Republican primary for U.S. House Arizona District 4 on August 2, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Kelly Cooper | 28.4 | 20,281 |
 | Tanya Wheeless | 25.4 | 18,166 | |
 | Dave Giles | 18.7 | 13,348 | |
| Rene Lopez | 14.2 | 10,149 | |
 | Jerone Davison | 13.3 | 9,502 | |
| Total votes: 71,446 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Brandon DeHart (R)
- Alex Stovall (R)
2018
See also: Municipal elections in Chandler, Arizona (2018)
Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for Chandler City Council At-large (3 seats)
The following candidates ran in the primary for Chandler City Council At-large on August 28, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Rene Lopez (Nonpartisan) | 20.6 | 20,391 |
| ✔ |  | Terry Roe (Nonpartisan) | 19.7 | 19,542 |
| ✔ |  | Matt Orlando (Nonpartisan) | 18.0 | 17,847 |
 | Matt Eberle (Nonpartisan) | 17.4 | 17,219 | |
| William Crawford (Nonpartisan) | 14.0 | 13,899 | ||
 | Aaron Harris Sr. (Nonpartisan) | 10.0 | 9,949 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.3 | 290 | ||
| Total votes: 99,137 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
2014
- See also: Chandler, Arizona municipal elections, 2014.
Elections for the city council of Chandler, Arizona were scheduled for November 4, 2014. A primary took place on August 26, 2014. Three council seats were up for election. Because three candidates received a majority of the total votes in the primary election, the general election was called off. Incumbent Kevin Hartke, Rene Lopez and Terry Roe defeated Jon Beydler, Chelle Daly and Sam Huang.[3][4]
| Chandler City Council, 2014 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
 Kevin Hartke Incumbent |
24.5% | 17,254 | |
| Rene Lopez |
17.4% | 12,261 | |
| Terry Roe |
21.1% | 14,850 | |
| Jon Beydler | 8.2% | 5,736 | |
| Chelle Daly | 14.3% | 10,027 | |
| Sam Huang | 14.5% | 10,193 | |
| Total Votes | 60,128 | ||
| Source: Maricopa County Records - 2014 Official Election Results | |||
Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Rene Lopez completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Lopez'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 am a third generation Arizona native, graduating from the University of Arizona with a B.S. in Nuclear Engineering and minor in Direct Energy Conversion. I am also a third generation U.S. Navy Veteran serving as a Naval Officer aboard submarines, honorably separating in 2000 as a Lieutenant. In 2017 I co-founded Cece’s Hope Center that improves the lives and future of victims of human trafficking and sexual exploitation by bridging the gap of services and providing holistic support. I have an extensive 23-year career in Project Management working in Telecommunications, Energy, and Information Technology.
My wife Jessica, of 27 years, and I have two children: Brianna, 24, a Ph. D Candidate at John’s Hopkins and Andrew, at U of A working towards a B.S. in Criminal Justice and will follow in My footsteps to becoming a Naval Officer.- ADDRESSING INFLATION: Recently, the current federal administration’s policy is causing increased cost of coal and natural gas resulting in major increases in the utility rates we are paying across the country. Along with the wasteful use of Colorado River water by California, we have lost approximately 40% of our hydro generating capacity from Hoover Dam. I will work to ensure that only necessary costs of operations, maintenance and cost-effective reliable sources of energy are passed onto the rate payers.
- ENERGY RELIABILITY: I believe that a diverse energy portfolio is in the best interests of stability and cost effectiveness for Arizona’s long-term future. All forms of energy production should be on the table for use. Some specifics are: hydro, nuclear, coal, and natural gas, and in that order of priority for baseload.
- SECURING ARIZONA’S FUTURE: For variable energy production, which is used to meet peaking and supplemental energy demands, I see natural gas and solar as the two main viable options in the immediate term. For long term, Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) or other forms (i.e. batteries, GeoThermal, etc.) could be utilized once they have been proven safe, cost effective, and reliable.
- George Washington; Letter to Alexander Hamilton (28 August 1788)
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
Lopez’s campaign website stated the following:
| “ |
ADDRESSING INFLATION Recently, the current federal administration’s policy is causing increased cost of coal and natural gas that has caused major increases in the utility rates we are paying across the country. Along with the wasteful use of Colorado River water by California, we have lost approximately 40% of our hydro generating capacity from Hoover Dam. I will work to ensure that only necessary costs of operations, maintenance and cost-effective reliable sources of energy are passed onto the rate payers.
I believe that a diverse energy portfolio is in the best interests of stability and cost effectiveness for Arizona’s long-term future. All forms of energy production should be on the table for use. Some specifics are: hydro, nuclear, coal, and natural gas, and in that order of priority for baseload.
For variable energy production, which is used to meet peaking and supplemental energy demands, I see natural gas and solar as the two main viable options in the immediate term. For long term, Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) or other forms (i.e. batteries, GeoThermal, etc.) could be utilized once they have been proven safe, cost effective, and reliable. [5] |
” |
| —Rene Lopez’s campaign website (2024)[6] | ||
2022
Rene Lopez completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Lopez's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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Rene is a third-generation Arizonan born and raised in Mesa (in District) growing up in a traditional working family. His father worked as a miner and heavy mechanic welder. Rene graduated from Dobson High School and went on to graduate with a B.S. in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Arizona, the first in his extended family to graduate college. U.S. NAVY: Rene earned a Commission through ROTC for the U.S. Navy in 1995 and served as a Cryptologic Naval Officer stationed at Ft. Meade, MD. Rene is a third-generation Navy veteran, with his father serving in Vietnam, and his maternal grandfather serving in WWII. SERVING OUR COMMUNITY Upon moving back to the East Valley in 2007, he became involved with the Republican Party, working up to Legislative District Chairman and Second Vice Chair of the County Executive Guidance Committee. After serving on Chandler Parks and Recreation committee, he was elected to the City Council in 2014, re-elected in 2018 and has served as Vice Mayor of Chandler, twice. GIVING BACK In 2017, Rene co-founded Cece’s Hope Center, where he serves as Chairman. Cece’s Hope Center is a non-profit based in Chandler that helps young women rescued from sex-trafficking. FAMILY Rene lives in Chandler with his wife, Jessica, of 25 years. Their daughter, Brianna, is a graduate of Arizona State University, now working towards her PhD at Johns Hopkins University. Their son, Andrew, currently attends the University of Arizona.
- ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & JOB CREATION My top priority is to empower job creators and create an environment where small businesses can grow and thrive. We achieve that goal by keeping government out of the private sector and reducing burdensome regulations and obstacles to entrepreneurship.
- BORDER SECURITY & IMMIGRATION We need to get serious about the crisis at our Border. The Biden/Harris administration and the Democrats in Congress have neglected border security entirely and put our country at risk. While I support legal immigration and encourage those who are coming to the United States to pursue the American Dream, we cannot ignore the security of our border to accomplish that mission.
- FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY & ACCOUNTABILITY The most important aspect about being a local leader and government official is that I’m a steward of taxpayer dollars. It’s not the government’s money we allocate to budgets, it’s your hard-earned tax dollars. We owe it to our constituents to use that money wisely and as conservatively as possible.
We have been prosecuting the Global War on Terror for over 20 years, with significant effects on our Veterans. We must provide our Veterans with the resources to have a successful transition from military to civilian life. They deserve a healthcare system that addresses the numerous injuries, physical and mental, that occur on and off the battlefield. We need to ensure that former service members have the resources in place to secure gainful employment following their separation from military service. As a Veteran Naval Officer, I owe it to my brothers and sisters to ensure we honor their sacrifice and support them when they need it most.
1. Is this action being taken within my role? Is it constitutional and defined within our scope? If, not, we should not take action.
2. Is the proposed action arrived at addressing the root cause of the issue? Will this action deal with the problem at hand and is it measurable to determine said action was correct and appropriate?
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
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.
See also
| Arizona | State Executive Elections | News and Analysis |
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External links
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Candidate Arizona Corporation Commission |
Officeholder Arizona Corporation Commission |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on June 19, 2022
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on April 15, 2024
- ↑ Maricopa County, "2014 Election Calendar," accessed May 14, 2014
- ↑ Maricopa County Recorder, "Unofficial 2014 Election Results," accessed August 26, 2014
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Rene Lopez, “Issues,” accessed June 21, 2024
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