Since Arizona became a U.S. state in 1912, [1] it has sent congressional delegations to the United States Senate and United States House of Representatives, beginning with the 63rd United States Congress in 1913. [2] Before becoming a state, the Arizona Territory elected a non-voting delegate at-large to Congress from 1864 to 1912. [2] Each state elects two senators to serve for six years, and varying numbers of members of the House, depending on state population, to two-year terms. [3] Arizona has sent nine members to the House in each delegation since the 2010 United States Census. [4]
A total of 57 people have served Arizona in the House and 14 have served Arizona in the Senate. The first woman to serve Arizona in the House was Isabella Greenway. [5] Seven women have served Arizona in the House, including Kyrsten Sinema and Martha McSally, who also served Arizona in the Senate, the only women to do so. [6]
The current dean, or longest serving member, of the Arizona delegation is Representative Raul Grijalva of the 7th district , who has served in the House since 2003. [7] Carl Hayden was Arizona's longest-serving senator, and his 56 years as a senator is the sixth-longest tenure in American history. [6]
Arizona
| Class I senator | Class III senator | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Kyrsten Sinema (Senior senator) (Phoenix) | Mark Kelly (Junior senator) (Tucson) | |||
Party | Independent | Democratic | ||
Incumbent since [10] | January 3, 2019 | December 2, 2020 |
Arizona's current congressional delegation in the 118th Congress consists of its two senators, one Democrat and one independent, [8] and its nine representatives, six Republicans and three Democrats. [11]
The current dean, or longest-serving member, of the Arizona delegation is Democratic Representative Raúl Grijalva of the 7th district , who has served in the House since 2003. [7]
As of 2022, the Cook Partisan Voting Index, a measure of how strongly partisan a state is, [12] ranked Arizona's 1st, 5th, 8th, and 9th districts as leaning Republican, and the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 6th, and 7th districts as leaning Democratic. [13] As a state, Arizona is ranked as leaning Republican, with a score of R+2. [14]
District | Member (Residence) [16] | Party | Incumbent since | CPVI (2022) [13] | District map |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1st | David Schweikert (Fountain Hills) | Republican | January 3, 2011 [17] | R+2 | |
2nd | Eli Crane (Oro Valley) | Republican | January 3, 2023 [18] | R+6 | |
3rd | Ruben Gallego (Phoenix) | Democratic | January 6, 2015 [19] | D+24 | |
4th | Greg Stanton (Phoenix) | Democratic | January 3, 2019 [20] | D+2 | |
5th | Andy Biggs (Gilbert) | Republican | January 3, 2017 [21] | R+11 | |
6th | Juan Ciscomani (Tucson) | Republican | January 3, 2023 [22] | R+3 | |
7th | Raúl Grijalva (Tucson) | Democratic | January 3, 2003 [23] | D+15 | |
8th | Debbie Lesko (Peoria) | Republican | May 7, 2018 [24] | R+10 | |
9th | Paul Gosar (Bullhead City) | Republican | January 3, 2011 [25] | R+16 |
Since it became a state in 1912, [1] 14 people have served as a U.S. senator from Arizona. Of those, Martha McSally and Kyrsten Sinema have been the only women. [6] Sinema is also the first openly bisexual member of Congress. [26] Both senators Barry Goldwater and John McCain have been nominated as the Republican candidate for president, in 1964 and 2008 respectively. [27] [28]
Sometimes considered a swing state, [29] elections in Arizona are considered critical for party control of the Senate. [30] Senators are elected every six years depending on their class, with each senator serving a six-year term, and elections for senators occurring every two years, rotating through each class such that in each election, around one-third of the seats in the Senate are up for election. [31] Arizona's senators are elected in classes I and III. [32] Currently, Arizona is represented in the Senate by Kyrsten Sinema and Mark Kelly. [33]
Democratic (D) Independent (I) Republican (R)
Class I senator | Congress | Class III senator | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Henry F. Ashurst (D) | 62nd (1912–1913) | Marcus A. Smith (D) | ||
63rd (1913–1915) | ||||
64th (1915–1917) | ||||
65th (1917–1919) | ||||
66th (1919–1921) | ||||
67th (1921–1923) | Ralph H. Cameron (R) | |||
68th (1923–1925) | ||||
69th (1925–1927) | ||||
70th (1927–1929) | Carl Hayden (D) | |||
71st (1929–1931) | ||||
72nd (1931–1933) | ||||
73rd (1933–1935) | ||||
74th (1935–1937) | ||||
75th (1937–1939) | ||||
76th (1939–1941) | ||||
Ernest McFarland (D) | 77th (1941–1943) | |||
78th (1943–1945) | ||||
79th (1945–1947) | ||||
80th (1947–1949) | ||||
81st (1949–1951) | ||||
82nd (1951–1953) | ||||
Barry Goldwater (R) | 83rd (1953–1955) | |||
84th (1955–1957) | ||||
85th (1957–1959) | ||||
86th (1959–1961) | ||||
87th (1961–1963) | ||||
88th (1963–1965) | ||||
Paul Fannin (R) | 89th (1965–1967) | |||
90th (1967–1969) | ||||
91st (1969–1971) | Barry Goldwater (R) | |||
92nd (1971–1973) | ||||
93rd (1973–1975) | ||||
94th (1975–1977) | ||||
Dennis DeConcini (D) | 95th (1977–1979) | |||
96th (1979–1981) | ||||
97th (1981–1983) | ||||
98th (1983–1985) | ||||
99th (1985–1987) | ||||
100th (1987–1989) | John McCain (R) [lower-alpha 1] | |||
101st (1989–1991) | ||||
102nd (1991–1993) | ||||
103rd (1993–1995) | ||||
Jon Kyl (R) | 104th (1995–1997) | |||
105th (1997–1999) | ||||
106th (1999–2001) | ||||
107th (2001–2003) | ||||
108th (2003–2005) | ||||
109th (2005–2007) | ||||
110th (2007–2009) | ||||
111th (2009–2011) | ||||
112th (2011–2013) | ||||
Jeff Flake (R) | 113th (2013–2015) | |||
114th (2015–2017) | ||||
115th (2017–2019) | ||||
Jon Kyl (R) [lower-alpha 2] | ||||
Kyrsten Sinema (D) | 116th (2019–2021) | Martha McSally (R) | ||
Mark Kelly (D) | ||||
117th (2021–2023) | ||||
Kyrsten Sinema (I) [lower-alpha 3] | ||||
118th (2023–2025) | ||||
Arizona has had numerous notable representatives in Congress, including Stewart Udall, who resigned to serve as the Secretary of the Interior in the Kennedy administration, [38] his brother, Mo Udall, who came in second in the 1976 Democratic Party presidential primaries, [39] and John Jacob Rhodes, who served as House Minority Leader for the Republican Party during the Watergate scandal. [40]
Each district uses a popular vote to elect a member of Arizona's delegation in the House of Representatives. [41] Districts are redrawn every ten years, after data from the US Census is collected. [42] From 1863 to 1912, Arizona sent a non-voting delegate to the House of Representatives; when it became a state in 1912, it had one seat in the House. [2] Since then, its representation in the House has grown along with its population. Since 2013, Arizona has had nine congressional districts drawn according to the results of the 2010 United States Census. [43]
Starting on December 5, 1864, Arizona Territory sent a non-voting delegate to the House. [2]
Democratic (D) Independent (I) Republican (R) Unionist (U)
Congress | Delegate from Territory's at-large district |
---|---|
38th (1863–1865) | Charles Debrille Poston (R) |
39th (1865–1867) | John N. Goodwin (R) |
40th (1867–1869) | Coles Bashford (I) |
41st (1869–1871) | Richard C. McCormick (U) |
42nd (1871–1873) | |
43rd (1873–1875) | |
44th (1875–1877) | Hiram Sanford Stevens (D) |
45th (1877–1879) | |
46th (1879–1881) | John G. Campbell (D) |
47th (1881–1883) | G. H. Oury (D) |
48th (1883–1885) | |
49th (1885–1887) | Curtis Coe Bean (R) |
50th (1887–1889) | Marcus A. Smith (D) |
51st (1889–1891) | |
52nd (1891–1893) | |
53rd (1893–1895) | |
54th (1895–1897) | Oakes Murphy (R) |
55th (1897–1899) | Marcus A. Smith (D) |
56th (1899–1901) | John Frank Wilson (D) |
57th (1901–1903) | Marcus A. Smith (D) |
58th (1903–1905) | John Frank Wilson (D) |
59th (1905–1907) | Marcus A. Smith (D) |
60th (1907–1909) | |
61st (1909–1911) | Ralph H. Cameron (R) |
62nd (1911–1912) |
Following statehood on February 14, 1912, [1] Arizona had one seat in the House. [46]
Democratic (D)
Congress | At-large district |
---|---|
62nd (1912–1913) | Carl Hayden (D) |
63rd (1913–1915) | |
64th (1915–1917) | |
65th (1917–1919) | |
66th (1919–1921) | |
67th (1921–1923) | |
68th (1923–1925) | |
69th (1925–1927) | |
70th (1927–1929) | Lewis Douglas (D) [lower-alpha 4] |
71st (1929–1931) | |
72nd (1931–1933) | |
73rd (1933–1935) | Isabella Greenway (D) |
74th (1935–1937) | |
75th (1937–1939) | John R. Murdock (D) |
76th (1939–1941) | |
77th (1941–1943) |
Following the 1940 census, Arizona was apportioned two seats. [46] For six years, the seats were elected statewide on a general ticket. In 1949, districts were used. [48]
Democratic (D) Republican (R)
Congress | 2 seats elected on a general ticket | |
---|---|---|
1st seat | 2nd seat | |
78th (1943–1945) | John R. Murdock (D) | Richard F. Harless (D) |
79th (1945–1947) | ||
80th (1947–1949) | ||
Congress | 1st district | 2nd district |
81st (1949–1951) | John R. Murdock (D) | Harold Patten (D) |
82nd (1951–1953) | ||
83rd (1953–1955) | John Jacob Rhodes (R) | |
84th (1955–1957) | Stewart Udall (D) [lower-alpha 5] | |
85th (1957–1959) | ||
86th (1959–1961) | ||
87th (1961–1963) | ||
Mo Udall (D) |
Following the 1960 census, Arizona was apportioned three seats. [46]
Democratic (D) Republican (R)
Congress | District | ||
---|---|---|---|
1st | 2nd | 3rd | |
88th (1963–1965) | John Jacob Rhodes (R) | Mo Udall (D) | George F. Senner Jr. (D) |
89th (1965–1967) | |||
90th (1967–1969) | Sam Steiger (R) | ||
91st (1969–1971) | |||
92nd (1971–1973) |
Following the 1970 census, Arizona was apportioned four seats. [46]
Democratic (D) Republican (R)
Congress | District | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | |
93rd (1973–1975) | John Jacob Rhodes (R) | Mo Udall (D) | Sam Steiger (R) | John Conlan (R) |
94th (1975–1977) | ||||
95th (1977–1979) | Bob Stump (D) | Eldon Rudd (R) | ||
96th (1979–1981) | ||||
97th (1981–1983) | ||||
Bob Stump (R) |
Following the 1980 census, Arizona was apportioned five seats. [46]
Democratic (D) Republican (R)
Congress | District | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | |
98th (1983–1985) | John McCain (R) | Mo Udall (D) [lower-alpha 6] | Bob Stump (R) | Eldon Rudd (R) | Jim McNulty (D) |
99th (1985–1987) | Jim Kolbe (R) | ||||
100th (1987–1989) | Jay Rhodes (R) | Jon Kyl (R) | |||
101st (1989–1991) | |||||
102nd (1991–1993) | |||||
Ed Pastor (D) |
Following the 1990 census, Arizona was apportioned six seats. [46]
Democratic (D) Republican (R)
Congress | District | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | |
103rd (1993–1995) | Sam Coppersmith (D) | Ed Pastor (D) | Bob Stump (R) | Jon Kyl (R) | Jim Kolbe (R) | Karan English (D) |
104th (1995–1997) | Matt Salmon (R) | John Shadegg (R) | J. D. Hayworth (R) | |||
105th (1997–1999) | ||||||
106th (1999–2001) | ||||||
107th (2001–2003) | Jeff Flake (R) |
Following the 2000 census, Arizona was apportioned eight seats. [46]
Democratic (D) Republican (R)
Congress | District | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | |
108th (2003–2005) | Rick Renzi (R) | Trent Franks (R) | John Shadegg (R) | Ed Pastor (D) | J. D. Hayworth (R) | Jeff Flake (R) | Raúl Grijalva (D) | Jim Kolbe (R) |
109th (2005–2007) | ||||||||
110th (2007–2009) | Harry Mitchell (D) | Gabby Giffords (D) [lower-alpha 7] | ||||||
111th (2009–2011) | Ann Kirkpatrick (D) | |||||||
112th (2011–2013) | Paul Gosar (R) | Ben Quayle (R) | David Schweikert (R) | |||||
Ron Barber (D) |
Since the 2010 census, Arizona has been apportioned nine seats. [46]
Democratic (D) Republican (R)
Congress | District | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | |
113th (2013–2015) | Ann Kirkpatrick (D) | Ron Barber (D) | Raúl Grijalva (D) | Paul Gosar (R) | Matt Salmon (R) | David Schweikert (R) | Ed Pastor (D) | Trent Franks (R) [lower-alpha 8] | Kyrsten Sinema (D) |
114th (2015–2017) | Martha McSally (R) | Ruben Gallego (D) | |||||||
115th (2017–2019) | Tom O'Halleran (D) | Andy Biggs (R) | |||||||
Debbie Lesko (R) | |||||||||
116th (2019–2021) | Ann Kirkpatrick (D) | Greg Stanton (D) | |||||||
117th (2021–2023) | |||||||||
118th (2023–2025) | David Schweikert (R) | Eli Crane (R) | Ruben Gallego (D) | Greg Stanton (D) | Juan Ciscomani (R) | Raúl Grijalva (D) | Paul Gosar (R) |
Mark Emery Udall is an American politician who served as a United States Senator from Colorado from 2009 to 2015. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served in the United States House of Representatives, representing Colorado's 2nd congressional district. Prior to being elected to Congress, he represented parts of Boulder, Colorado in the Colorado House of Representatives.
Thomas Stewart Udall is an American diplomat, lawyer, and politician serving as the United States Ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa since 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as a United States senator from New Mexico from 2009 to 2021. Udall also served as the U.S. representative for New Mexico's 3rd congressional district from 1999 to 2009 and New Mexico Attorney General from 1991 to 1999. Born in Tucson, Arizona to the Udall family, he is the son of former U.S. Representative and Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall and the nephew of former U.S. Representative Mo Udall. His cousin is Mark Udall, who concurrently served alongside him in the Senate representing the neighboring state of Colorado.
Since Colorado became a U.S. state in 1876, it has sent congressional delegations to the United States Senate and United States House of Representatives, beginning with the 44th United States Congress. Prior to statehood, the Colorado Territory sent non-voting delegates to the House of Representatives from 1861 to 1876. Each state elects two senators to serve for six years, and members of the House to two-year terms. Each state elects two senators to serve for six years in general elections, with their re-election staggered. Prior to the ratification of the Seventeenth Amendment in 1913, senators were elected by the Colorado General Assembly. Each state elects a varying number of, but at least one, member of the House, depending on population, to two-year terms. Colorado has sent eight members to the House in each congressional delegation since the 2020 United States Census.
In U.S. politics, an independent Democrat is an individual who loosely identifies with the ideals of the Democratic Party but chooses not to be a formal member of the party or is denied the Democratic nomination in a caucus or primary election. Independent Democrat is not a political party. Several elected officials, including members of Congress, have identified as independent Democrats.
Party divisions of United States Congresses have played a central role on the organization and operations of both chambers of the United States Congress—the Senate and the House of Representatives—since its establishment as the bicameral legislature of the Federal government of the United States in 1789. Political parties had not been anticipated when the U.S. Constitution was drafted in 1787, nor did they exist at the time the first Senate elections and House elections occurred in 1788 and 1789. Organized political parties developed in the U.S. in the 1790s, but political factions—from which organized parties evolved—began to appear almost immediately after the 1st Congress convened. Those who supported the Washington administration were referred to as "pro-administration" and would eventually form the Federalist Party, while those in opposition joined the emerging Democratic-Republican Party. Heidi’s
Kyrsten Lea Sinema is an American politician and former social worker serving as the senior United States senator from Arizona, a seat she has held since 2019. A former member of the Democratic Party, Sinema became an independent in December 2022.
The 1994 United States Senate election in Arizona was held November 8, 1994. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Dennis DeConcini decided to retire instead of seeking a fourth term. Republican nominee Jon Kyl won the open seat, becoming the first Republican to win Arizona's Class 1 Senate seat since Paul Fannin in 1970. Democrats would not win this seat again, or any Senate race in the state, until Kyrsten Sinema's victory in 2018.
Rubén Marinelarena Gallego is an American politician and U.S. Marine Corps veteran serving as the U.S. representative for Arizona's 3rd congressional district. Gallego served and deployed as a USMCR corporal in the US invasion of Iraq. He is a member of the Democratic Party.
The 1988 United States Senate election in Arizona took place on November 8, 1988. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Dennis DeConcini was reelected to a third term. This would be the last victory by a Democrat in a Senate race in Arizona until Kyrsten Sinema's victory in the 2018 election to this same seat. Even as Incumbent Republican Vice President George H. W Bush won the state for president on the same ballot.
Gregory John Stanton is an American lawyer and politician who is the U.S. representative from Arizona's 4th congressional district, serving since 2019. A Democrat, he was previously mayor of Phoenix from 2012 to 2018, and was on the Phoenix City Council from 2000 until 2009.
The 2014 United States House of Representatives elections in Arizona were held on Tuesday, November 4, 2014, to elect the nine U.S. representatives from the state of Arizona, one from each of the state's nine congressional districts, with Democratic and Republican primaries taking place on August 26. The elections coincided with the elections of other federal and state offices, including governor of Arizona.
The 2016 United States House of Representatives elections in Arizona were held on November 8, 2016, to elect the nine U.S. representatives from the state of Arizona, one from each of the state's nine congressional districts. The elections coincided with the 2016 U.S. presidential election, as well as other elections to the House of Representatives, elections to the United States Senate and various state and local elections. The primaries were held on August 30.
The 2018 United States Senate election in Arizona took place on November 6, 2018. Incumbent Republican Senator Jeff Flake did not seek reelection to a second term. The election was held concurrently with a gubernatorial election, other elections to the U.S. Senate, elections to the U.S. House of Representatives, and various other state and local elections.
The 2018 United States House of Representatives elections in Arizona were held on November 6, 2018, to elect the nine U.S. representatives from the State of Arizona, one from each of the state's nine congressional districts. The elections coincided with the 2018 Arizona gubernatorial election, as well as other elections to the U.S. House of Representatives, elections to the United States Senate and various state and local elections. The 2018 general elections saw the Democratic party gain the 2nd congressional district, thus flipping the state from a 5–4 Republican advantage to a 5–4 Democratic advantage, the first time since the 2012 election in which Democrats held more House seats in Arizona than the Republicans.
A special election for Arizona's 8th congressional district was held in 2018 subsequent to the resignation of Republican U.S. Representative Trent Franks. Governor Doug Ducey called a special primary election for Tuesday, February 27, 2018, and a special general election for the balance of Franks' eighth term for Tuesday, April 24, 2018.
The 2020 United States Senate special election in Arizona was held on November 3, 2020, following the death in office of incumbent Republican U.S. Senator John McCain on August 25, 2018. Governor Doug Ducey was required by Arizona law to appoint a Republican to fill the vacant seat until a special election winner could be sworn in. On September 5, 2018, Ducey appointed former U.S. Senator Jon Kyl to fill McCain's seat. However, Kyl announced he would resign on December 31, 2018.
The 2024 United States Senate election in Arizona will be held on November 5, 2024, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the state of Arizona. Democratic congressman Ruben Gallego and Republican former TV news anchor Kari Lake are seeking their first term in office. The winner will succeed independent incumbent Kyrsten Sinema, who is not seeking re-election after one term. The election is considered essential for Democrats' chances to retain the Senate majority in 2024.
The 2002 Arizona House of Representatives election took place on Tuesday, November 5, 2002, with the primary election held on Tuesday, September 10, 2002. Arizona voters elected all 60 members of the Arizona House of Representatives in multi-member districts to serve two-year terms.