Learn more about the three candidates in the 2024 Arizona Legislative District 2 House race, in one of the state’s most competitive districts, encompassing north Phoenix.
Justin Wilmeth
Party: Republican
Website: justinwilmethaz.com
Wilmeth is a former campaign manager and policy advisor who first won election to the Arizona House of Representatives in 2020. As a self-described “space geek,” he drew attention, including from KJZZ, for successfully sponsoring a bill last session which designated Pluto as Arizona’s official state planet.
During the last legislative session, Wilmeth was also one of a handful of Republicans in the state House to vote with Democrats in favor of repealing a near-total abortion ban from Arizona’s territorial era. He lives in north Phoenix.
Ari Bradshaw
Party: Republican
Website: ari.republican
Bradshaw is a first-time candidate running on a slate with incumbent Republicans. If elected, he would be the youngest lawmaker in the Legislature at 26. Bradshaw leads a youth activist organization and says he benefited from Arizona’s “school choice” program, as he attended private school on a scholarship.
Bradshaw’s campaign site lists water, education, housing, opioids, border security and homelessness as his political priorities.
Stephanie Simacek
Party: Democrat
Website: simacekforaz.com
Simacek is running for a seat in the state Legislature for the first time on a ticket with the current Legislative District 2 Democratic Rep. Judy Schwiebert. Both Simcek and Schwiebert are former teachers and Simacek serves on the Deer Valley Unified School District Governing Board.
She lists her priorities as education, housing, water and reproductive rights. In the highly competitive district, Simacek is the only Democrat competing for a spot in the House and will face off against two Republicans.
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Every two years, Arizonans cast their votes in primary and general elections. And every two years, critics complain it takes too many days for all the votes to be counted. Through KJZZ’s Q&AZ project, a listener asked: Why does the vote counting process take so long?
