Meet the candidates for the 2024 Arizona Legislative District 13 Senate race: Republican J.D. Mesnard and Democrat Sharon Lee Winters.
LD13 is a slightly conservative leaning district considered competitive encompassing the East Valley and centered on Chandler. The Senate seat has been in Republican hands for some time, but Democrats hope to take control.
Sharon Lee Winters
Party: Democrat
Website: sharonforaz.com
Winters is a former teacher and author running for the first time in the East Valley district. She is on a slate with other Democrats challenging incumbent Republicans. On Winters’ campaign website, she lists “reproductive freedom,” education and voting rights are her top three priorities.
As of the most recent campaign finance reports from before the primary election, Mesnard was outspending Winters by more than double.
J.D. Mesnard
Party: Republican
Website: jdmesnard.com
Mesnard is a longtime incumbent Republican representing the East Valley. He was first elected to the state House in 2010 and later served as speaker for two years. While leading the House, Mesnard supposed a private school voucher expansion which was referred to voters and rejected. However, universal “school choice” legislation passed not long after, allowing private school and homeschool vouchers for all Arizona children. Mesnard has served in the state Senate since 2019 and chairs the finance committee. He also teaches courses in political science.
This year, Mesnard authored a measure, appearing on ballots as Proposition 136, that would allow any citizen to challenge the constitutionality of a citizen initiative before it is voted on.
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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?
