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Arizona State Senate

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Arizona State Senate
SLP-Infobox Image-Color.png
General Information
Party control:  Republican
Session start:  January 12, 2026
Session end:  April 25, 2026
Term length:  2 years
Term limits:  4 terms (8 years)
Redistricting:  Commission
Salary:  $24,000/year + per diem
Members
Total:  30
Democrats:  9
Republicans:  9
Other:  0
Vacancies:  0
Leadership
President:  Warren Petersen (R)
Maj. Leader:  John Kavanagh (R)
Min. Leader:  Priya Sundareshan (D)
Elections
Last election:  November 5, 2024
Next election:  November 3, 2026


The Arizona State Senate is the upper chamber of the Arizona State Legislature. Alongside the Arizona House of Representatives, it forms the legislative branch of the Arizona state government and works alongside the governor of Arizona to create laws and establish a state budget. Legislative authority and responsibilities of the Arizona State Senate include passing bills on public policy matters, setting levels for state spending, raising and lowering taxes, and voting to uphold or override gubernatorial vetoes.

The Arizona State Senate meets in the state capitol complex in Phoenix, Arizona.

  • All 30 seats in the Arizona State Senate were up for election in 2020. Click to read more »
  • In the 2018 elections, the chamber's Republican majority did not change, remaining at 17-13.
  • Arizona has a Republican state government trifecta. A trifecta exists when one political party simultaneously holds the governor’s office and majorities in both state legislative chambers. As of January 30, 2026, there are 23 Republican trifectas, 14 Democratic trifectas, and 13 divided governments where neither party holds trifecta control. In the 2020 election, Republicans had a net gain of two trifectas and two states under divided government became trifectas. Prior to that election, Arizona had a Republican trifecta. There were 21 Republican trifectas, 15 Democratic trifectas, and 14 divided governments.

    • This page contains the following information on the Arizona State Senate.

    Party control

    Current partisan control

    The table below shows the partisan breakdown of the Arizona State Senate as of January 2026:

    Partisan composition, Arizona State Senate
    As of January 2026
    PartyMembers
    Democratic13
    Republican17
    Other0
    Vacancies0
    Total30

    Members

    Leadership

    The president of the Senate serves as presiding officer and is chosen from the Senate membership.[1]

    Current leadership and members


    Office Name Party Date assumed office
    Arizona State Senate District 1 Mark Finchem Republican January 13, 2025
    Arizona State Senate District 2 Shawnna Bolick Republican July 23, 2023
    Arizona State Senate District 3 John Kavanagh Republican January 9, 2023
    Arizona State Senate District 4 Carine Werner Republican January 13, 2025
    Arizona State Senate District 5 Lela Alston Democratic January 9, 2023
    Arizona State Senate District 6 Theresa Hatathlie Democratic January 9, 2023
    Arizona State Senate District 7 Wendy Rogers Republican January 9, 2023
    Arizona State Senate District 8 Lauren Kuby Democratic January 13, 2025
    Arizona State Senate District 9 Kiana Sears Democratic March 31, 2025
    Arizona State Senate District 10 David Farnsworth Republican January 9, 2023
    Arizona State Senate District 11 Catherine H. Miranda Democratic January 9, 2023
    Arizona State Senate District 12 Denise Epstein Democratic January 9, 2023
    Arizona State Senate District 13 Javan Daniel Mesnard Republican January 9, 2023
    Arizona State Senate District 14 Warren Petersen Republican January 9, 2023
    Arizona State Senate District 15 Jake Hoffman Republican January 9, 2023
    Arizona State Senate District 16 Thomas Shope Republican January 9, 2023
    Arizona State Senate District 17 Vince Leach Republican January 13, 2025
    Arizona State Senate District 18 Priya Sundareshan Democratic January 9, 2023
    Arizona State Senate District 19 David Gowan Republican January 9, 2023
    Arizona State Senate District 20 Sally Ann Gonzales Democratic January 9, 2023
    Arizona State Senate District 21 Rosanna Gabaldón Democratic January 9, 2023
    Arizona State Senate District 22 Eva Diaz Democratic January 9, 2023
    Arizona State Senate District 23 Brian Fernandez Democratic January 9, 2023
    Arizona State Senate District 24 Analise Ortiz Democratic January 13, 2025
    Arizona State Senate District 25 Tim Dunn Republican January 13, 2025
    Arizona State Senate District 26 Flavio Bravo Democratic May 8, 2023
    Arizona State Senate District 27 Kevin Payne Republican January 13, 2025
    Arizona State Senate District 28 Frank Carroll Republican January 9, 2023
    Arizona State Senate District 29 Janae Shamp Republican January 9, 2023
    Arizona State Senate District 30 Hildy Angius Republican January 13, 2025


    Salaries

    See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
    State legislative salaries, 2025[2]
    SalaryPer diem
    $24,000/yearFor legislators residing within Maricopa County: $35/day. For legislators residing outside of Maricopa County: $269.33.

    Swearing in dates

    See also: When state legislators assume office after a general election

    Arizona legislators assume office on the first day of the session after they are elected. Each regular session begins on the second Monday in January.

    Membership qualifications

    See also: State legislature candidate requirements by state

    Article 4, Part 2, Section 2 of the Arizona Constitution states: "No person shall be a member of the Legislature unless he shall be a citizen of the United States at the time of his election, nor unless he shall be at least twenty-five years of age, and shall have been a resident of Arizona at least three years and of the county from which he is elected at least one year before his election."

    Historical party control

    Republicans won control of the Arizona State Senate in 2002. In 2024, they won a 17-13 majority.

    The table below shows the partisan history of the Arizona Senate following every general election from 1992 to 2022. All data from 2006 or earlier comes from Michael Dubin's Party Affiliations in the State Legislatures (McFarland Press, 2007). Data after 2006 was compiled by Ballotpedia staff.

    Arizona State Senate election results: 1992-2024

    Year '92 '94 '96 '98 '00 '02 '04 '06 '08 '10 '12 '14 '16 '18 '20 '22 '24
    Democrats 12 11 12 14 15* 13 12 13 12 9 13 13 13 13 14 14 13
    Republicans 18 19 18 16 15* 17 18 17 18 21 17 17 17 17 16 16 17
    * The 15-15 split led to a power-sharing agreement between the parties.

    Before 1992

    Arizona achieved statehood in 1912. From 1912 to 1966, Democrats controlled the state Senate after nearly every election. Starting in 1966, Republicans began winning narrow majorities in the chamber, with Democrats winning control in three elections: 1974, 1976, and 1990.


    Trifecta history

    A state government trifecta is a term that describes single party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government. Republicans in Arizona gained a state government trifecta following the 2008 elections. From 1992 to 2017, Republicans held trifecta status for 17 years, from 1993 to 2001 and from 2009 to 2017. The table below shows state government trifectas in Arizona from 1992 to 2019.

    Arizona Party Control: 1992-2026
    No Democratic trifectas  •  Twenty-two years of Republican trifectas
    Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

    Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26
    Governor R R R R R R R R R R R D D D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R D D D D
    Senate R R R R R R R R R S S R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
    House R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R

    Elections

    Elections by year

    Arizona state senators serve two-year terms, with all seats up for election every two years. Arizona holds elections for its legislature in even years.

    2026

    See also: Arizona State Senate elections, 2026

    Elections for the Arizona State Senate will take place in 2026. The general election is on November 3, 2026. The primary is August 4, 2026. The filing deadline is April 6, 2026.

    2024

    See also: Arizona State Senate elections, 2024

    Elections for the Arizona State Senate took place in 2024. The general election was on November 5, 2024. The primary was July 30, 2024. The filing deadline was April 1, 2024.

    In the 2024 elections, Republicans increased their majority in the Arizona State Senate by one seat, shifting the balance from 16-14 to 17-13.

    Arizona State Senate
    Party As of November 5, 2024 After November 6, 2024
         Democratic Party 14 13
         Republican Party 16 17
    Total 30 30

    2022

    See also: Arizona State Senate elections, 2022

    Elections for the Arizona State Senate took place in 2022. The general election was on November 8, 2022. A primary was scheduled for August 2, 2022. The filing deadline was April 4, 2022.

    In the 2022 elections, Republicans maintained their 16-14 majority

    Arizona State Senate
    Party As of November 8, 2022 After November 9, 2022
         Democratic Party 14 14
         Republican Party 16 16
    Total 30 30

    2020

    See also: Arizona State Senate elections, 2020

    Elections for the office of Arizona State Senate took place in 2020. The general election was held on November 3, 2020. A primary was scheduled for August 4, 2020. The filing deadline was April 6, 2020.

    Heading into the election, Republicans held a 17-13 majority. Republicans lost one seat in the election, giving them a 16-14 majority.

    Arizona State Senate
    Party As of November 3, 2020 After November 4, 2020
         Democratic Party 13 14
         Republican Party 17 16
    Total 40 40

    2018

    See also: Arizona State Senate elections, 2018

    Elections for the Arizona State Senate took place in 2018. A hybrid primary election took place on August 28, 2018.[3] The general election was held on November 6, 2018. The filing deadline for candidates wishing to appear on the primary ballot was May 30, 2018. The filing deadline for write-in primary candidates was July 19, 2018. The filing deadline for write-in general election candidates was September 27, 2018.[4]

    In the 2018 elections, there was no changed in the partisan balance of the Arizona State Senate.

    Arizona State Senate
    Party As of November 6, 2018 After November 7, 2018
         Democratic Party 13 13
         Republican Party 17 17
    Total 30 30

    2016

    See also: Arizona State Senate elections, 2016

    Elections for the Arizona State Senate 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. All 30 seats in the Arizona State Senate were up for election in 2016.

    Heading into the election, Republicans held an 18-12 majority. Republicans lost one seat in the election, giving them a 17-13 majority.

    Arizona State Senate
    Party As of November 7, 2016 After November 8, 2016
         Democratic Party 12 13
         Republican Party 18 17
    Total 30 30


    Term limits

    See also: State legislatures with term limits

    The Arizona legislature is one of 15 state legislatures with term limits. Voters enacted the Arizona Term Limits Act in 1992. That initiative said that Arizona senators are subject to term limits of no more than four two-year terms, or a total of eight years.

    The first year that the term limits enacted in 1992 impacted the ability of incumbents to run for office was in 2000.[11]

    Vacancies

    See also: How vacancies are filled in state legislatures

    If there is a vacancy in the Arizona State Legislature, the board of county supervisors must select a replacement. The secretary of state is required to contact the state party chairperson to give notice of the vacancy. The state chairperson must give notice of a meeting to fill the seat within three business days of receiving notice.[12] The political party committee is involved in the appointment process only if the legislative district has thirty or more elected precinct committeemen.[12]

    If the legislative district has 30 or more elected precinct committeemen:

    • The precinct committeemen must nominate three qualified electors as replacements. If the Legislature is in session, this must occur within five days. If the Legislature is out of session, the committeemen have 21 days to nominate potential replacements. Each elector must receive a majority of the committeemen's vote to earn a nomination. The chair then forwards the three nominees to the board of supervisors. The board of supervisors appoints a nominee from the three names. If the committeemen do not submit a list of names within the allotted timeframe, the board of supervisors proceeds with the vacancy as if the district had fewer than 30 elected precinct committeemen.[12]

    If the legislative district has fewer than 30 elected precinct committeemen:

    • The board of supervisors appoints a panel of citizen supervisors within seven business days of a vacancy occurring. The citizen panel must submit the name of three qualified electors of the same political party as the previous incumbent to the board of supervisors. If the Legislature is in session, this must occur within five days. If the Legislature is out of session, the committeemen have 21 days to nominate potential replacements. The board of supervisors must select a replacement by a majority vote.[13]
    • The person selected to fill the seat serves the remainder of the unfilled term.[13]

    DocumentIcon.jpg See sources: Arizona Rev. Stat. Ann. §41-1202

    District map

    See also: Arizona state legislative districts

    The state of Arizona has 30 legislative districts. Senators are elected from the same legislative districts as are members of the Arizona House of Representatives. Each district elects two representatives but only one senator.

    Use the interactive map below to find your district.

    Redistricting

    See also: Redistricting in Arizona

    The Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission is responsible for drawing both congressional and state legislative district lines. The commission is composed of five members. Of these, four are selected by the majority and minority leaders of each chamber of the state legislature from a list of 25 candidates nominated by the state commission on appellate court appointments. These 25 nominees comprise 10 Democrats, 10 Republicans, and 5 unaffiliated citizens. The four commission members appointed by legislative leaders then select the fifth member to round out the commission. The fifth member of the commission must belong to a different political party than the other commissioners. The governor, with a two-thirds vote in the Arizona State Senate, may remove a commissioner "for substantial neglect of duty, gross misconduct in office, or inability to discharge the duties of office." The Arizona State Legislature may make recommendations to the commission, but ultimate authority is vested with the commission.[14][15][16]

    The Arizona Constitution requires that both congressional and state legislative districts be "contiguous, geographically compact, and respect communities of interest–all to the extent practicable." The state constitution further mandates that district lines "should [follow] visible geographic features, city, town, and county boundaries, and undivided census tracts." In addition, the constitution requires that "competitive districts be favored where doing so would not significantly detract from the goals above."[16]

    2020

    See also: Redistricting in Arizona after the 2020 census

    Upon completion of the 2020 census, Arizona will draft and enact new district maps. The candidate filing period for the 2022 election cycle in Arizona began on March 5, 2022, and ended on April 4, 2022. It was inferred that redistricting would be completed before then.[17]

    Once the commission approves a final map, it begins a 26-day review process during which time counties can submit administrative and technical requests. At the end of that period, the commission holds a final vote.[18]

    Sessions

    Legislation

    The legislation tracker below displays all legislation that the Arizona State Senate has approved in its most recent legislative session—this includes legislation that has been sent from the Senate to the House and legislation that has already been approved by both chambers and signed by the governor. Information on legislation provided below includes the bill number, its name, progress, most recent action date, and sponsor. The tracker is fully interactive. Scroll up and down and side to side to see more. Click the bill number to read its text in full and see its voting history. You can click the headings to sort the content in the column. You can also rearrange the order of the headings by clicking and dragging them. Finally, in the bottom-left corner of the tracker is a magnifying glass, which, when clicked, will allow you to search for specific terms. The legislation tracker is maintained and updated by BillTrack50.

    Dates of legislative sessions in Arizona by year

    2025

    See also: 2025 Arizona legislative session and Dates of 2025 state legislative sessions

    In 2025, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 13, 2025, and adjourn on June 27, 2025.



    About legislative sessions in Arizona

    The Tenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution declares that any power not already given to the federal government is reserved to the states and the people.[33] State governments across the country use this authority to hold legislative sessions where a state's elected representatives meet for a period of time to draft and vote on legislation and set state policies on issues such as taxation, education, and government spending. The different types of legislation passed by a legislature may include resolutions, legislatively referred constitutional amendments, and bills that become law.

    Article IV of the Arizona Constitution establishes when the Arizona State Legislature, of which the Senate is a part, is to be in session. Section 3 of the Second Part of the Article contains the relevant provisions. It states that sessions are to convene on the second Monday of January of each year.

    Section 3 also allows the Governor of Arizona to call special sessions of the Legislature.

    Legislative roles and procedures

    Every state legislature throughout the country features its own internal procedures that it uses to govern itself and how it interacts with other parts of state government. Ballotpedia's coverage of internal state legislative procedures includes veto overrides, the role of the legislature in the state budget, term limits, procedures for filling membership vacancies, and redistricting.

    Veto overrides

    Veto Override Graphic-No party.png

    See also: Veto overrides in state legislatures

    State legislatures can override governors' vetoes. Depending on the state, this can be done during the regular legislative session, in a special session following the adjournment of the regular session, or during the next legislative session. The rules for legislative overrides of gubernatorial vetoes in Arizona are listed below.

    How many legislators are required to vote for an override? Two-thirds of members in both chambers.

    Two-thirds of members in both chambers must vote to override a veto, which is 40 of the 60 members in the Arizona House of Representatives and 20 of the 30 members in the Arizona State Senate. Arizona is one of 36 states that requires a two-thirds vote from both of its legislative chambers to override a veto.

    Are there other special rules?

    If the governor vetoes an emergency measure, three-fourths of the members in both chambers are required to override the veto, which is 45 of the 60 state representatives and 23 of the 30 state senators.[34]

    Authority: Article 5, Section 7 of the Arizona Constitution.

    "Every bill passed by the legislature, before it becomes a law, shall be presented to the governor. If he approve, he shall sign it, and it shall become a law as provided in this constitution. But if he disapprove, he shall return it, with his objections, to the house in which it originated, which shall enter the objections at large on the journal. If after reconsideration it again passes both houses by an aye and nay vote on roll call of two-thirds of the members elected to each house, it shall become a law as provided in this constitution, notwithstanding the governor's objections. "

    Role in state budget

    See also: Arizona state budget and finances
    Arizona on Public Policy Logo-one line-on Ballotpedia.png
    Check out Ballotpedia articles about policy in your state on:
    Budgets • Civil liberties • Education • Elections • Energy • Environment • Healthcare • Pensions

    Arizona operates on an annual budget cycle, with each fiscal year beginning on July 1. The sequence of key events in the budget process is as follows:[35]

    1. Budget instructions are sent to state agencies in July.
    2. State agencies submit their budget requests to the governor by September 1.
    3. The governor submits his or her proposed budget to the state legislature five days after the legislature convenes. The legislature convenes on the second Monday in January.
    4. There is no official deadline for passing the budget. A simple majority is required to pass a budget.

    Arizona is one of 44 states in which the governor has line item veto authority.[35][36]

    The governor is required to submit a balanced budget to the legislature but the legislature is not required to pass a balanced budget.[35]

    Committees

    See also: List of committees in Arizona state government

    Every state legislature and state legislative chamber in the country contains several legislative committees. These committees are responsible for studying, amending, and voting on legislation before it reaches the floor of a chamber for a full vote. The different types of committees include standing committees, select or special, and joint.

    • Standing committees are generally permanent committees, the names of which sometimes change from session to session.
    • Select or special committees are temporary committees formed to deal with specific issues such as recent legislation, major public policy or proposals, or investigations.
    • Joint committees are committees that feature members of both chambers of a legislature.

    Ballotpedia covers standing and joint committees. The Arizona State Senate has ten standing committees:

    See also

    Elections Arizona State Government State Legislatures State Politics
    Ballotpedia Elections Badge-VOTE-no shadow-Square.jpg
    Arizona State Flag-Close Up.jpg
    State Houses-Tile image.png
    State Courts-Tile image.png

    Footnotes

    1. ↑ Arizona State Senate, "Senate Rules," accessed February 25, 2015
    2. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2025 Legislator Compensation," December 2, 2025
    3. ↑ Arizona State Legislature, "Arizona Election Laws & Publications," accessed June 7, 2017
    4. ↑ Arizona Secretary of State, "Running for Legislative Office," accessed October 13, 2017
    5. ↑ Follow the Money, "Arizona 2010 Senate Campaign Contributions," accessed April 23, 2015
    6. ↑ Follow the Money, "Arizona 2008 Candidates," accessed April 10, 2013
    7. ↑ Follow the Money, "Arizona 2006 Candidates," accessed April 10, 2013
    8. ↑ Follow the Money, "Arizona 2004 Candidates," accessed April 10, 2013
    9. ↑ Follow the Money, "Arizona 2002 Candidates," accessed April 10, 2013
    10. ↑ Follow the Money, "Arizona 2000 Candidates," accessed April 10, 2013
    11. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named limits
    12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Arizona Legislature, "Arizona Revised Statutes," accessed February 8, 2021 (Statute 41.1202 (A), Arizona Revised Statutes)
    13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Arizona Legislature, "Arizona Revised Statutes," accessed February 8, 2021 (Statute 41.1202 (B), Arizona Revised Statutes)
    14. ↑ Supreme Court of the United States, "Arizona State Legislature v. Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission, et al. - Appellant's Jurisdictional Statement," accessed March 6, 2015
    15. ↑ Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission, "Home page," accessed March 6, 2015
    16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 All About Redistricting, "Arizona," accessed April 17, 2015
    17. ↑ Arizona Secretary of State, "Elections Calendar & Upcoming Events," accessed Nov. 22, 2021
    18. ↑ YouTube, "Independent Redistricting Commission Live Stream," Dec. 22, 2021 - start at the 3 hour 18 minute mark
    19. ↑ Arizona Republic, "Questions hang over the budget, major bills as Arizona Legislature makes quick exit," March 24, 2020
    20. ↑ KNAU, "Arizona Lawmakers Recess But Continue Receiving Per Diem Pay," April 13, 2020
    21. ↑ AZ Central, "Arizona House of Representatives reconvenes, but Senate's absence raises a question: Will this matter?" May 19, 2020
    22. ↑ MultiState, "2020 Legislative Session Dates," accessed May 26, 2020
    23. ↑ Arizona State Legislature, "Statement from Senator Driggs on education funding plan," accessed October 30, 2015
    24. ↑ AZ Ed News, "Arizona legislators on the budget, education funding and standards," December 1, 2014
    25. ↑ news.azpm.org, "Education, CPS Issues Expected to Top 2014 Legislative Session," January 13, 2014
    26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 KSWT.com, "Arizona Legislature rejected controversial bills," April 28, 2014
    27. ↑ Cronkite News, "Brewer, top legislators: Education, businesses priorities for session," January 11, 2013
    28. ↑ ncsl.org, "Session schedules," accessed April 30, 2012
    29. ↑ tucsonnewsnow.com, "Arizona Legislature ends session after an all-nighter," accessed April 21, 2015
    30. ↑ tucsonnewsnow.com, "Arizona governor calls special session on economy," accessed April 21, 2015
    31. ↑ Bloomberg Businessweek, "Ariz. Gov won't seek session without bill backing," June 15, 2011
    32. ↑ Stateline.org, "States balance budgets with cuts, not taxes," June 15, 2011(Archived)
    33. ↑ Find Law, "Tenth Amendment - U.S. Constitution," accessed May 20, 2017
    34. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "The Veto Process," accessed June 22, 2017
    35. ↑ 35.0 35.1 35.2 National Association of State Budget Officers, "Budget Processes in the States, Spring 2021," accessed January 24, 2023
    36. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Separation of Powers: Executive Veto Powers," accessed January 26, 2024
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