Week Thirteen: Fifty-Fifth Legislature — Second Regular Session
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Story of the Week: Meet Your Battleground Candidates
Monday, the filling period to run for the Arizona Legislature ended, and all of our candidates have now qualified for the ballot!
The Arizona Legislature adjourned for much of the week, as they prepare to head into budget season. Going forward, floor agendas will be lighter, until budget negotiations end and they finally begin the budget process.
This week we want to highlight the biographies of our Battleground candidates that includes educators, business leaders, nurses, and other community leaders:
Rep. Judy Schwiebert (D-LD2) running for House
Rep. Schwiebert has spent her life in our community as a mom, teacher, and community leader. She grew up in the West Valley where her mom was a writer and her dad went from shop teacher to principal of the first vocational high school in Phoenix. Both her parents instilled in her the importance of education, hard work, integrity and treating people with caring and respect.
Jeanne Casteen (D-LD2) running for Senate
Jeanne is a parent, educator, and former school board president running for state senator in Legislative District 2. She believes in strong public schools, fair wages, and affordable housing. Every Arizonan deserves access to opportunities, and Jeanne wants to serve all Arizonans, not just a privileged few.
Sen. Christine Marsh (D-LD4) running for Senate
Sen. Christine Marsh is a proud Phoenician, a graduate of Arizona public schools, and a current state senator. After 23 years in the classroom, she was named Arizona’s 2016 Teacher of the Year.
After attending UCLA on a track scholarship, she decided to come back home to Phoenix, where she raised her two sons and foster children. She is currently in her fourth decade of teaching.
While her experiences as a mother and teacher have helped her make the decision to file for the state senate, what truly motivates her is the need for more balance at the Capitol.
Laura Terech (D-LD4) running for House
Laura has lived in Arizona since she was two years old, and can't imagine living anywhere besides the desert. After a career as an elementary school teacher in the Pendergast Elementary School District, Laura turned to community organizing, knowing we must make structural changes to how and when Arizona invests in its public schools. She's spent the last several years as a leader in her community working to advocate for public education and voting rights.
Laura is ready to take her voice and her experience to get to work at the Capitol.
Eva Burch (D-LD9) running for Senate
Eva Burch was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, and attended valley public schools from kindergarten through high school, eventually graduating from Camelback High in 1998. Following her mother's example, she studied nursing at Pima Medical Institute in Mesa, Arizona, and began a career in emergency nursing in 2012. Eva went on to earn her master's degree and her nurse practitioner credentials.
She became dedicated to improving the lives of Arizonans through compassionate and comprehensive healthcare. Eva is a nurse at heart and believes in the values that nursing shares within the profession. Altruism, autonomy, human dignity, integrity, honesty, and social justice.
Lorena Austin (D-LD9) running for House
Lorena Austin is a 5th generation Arizonan. Whose family’s lifelong love for advocacy and leadership has been rooted in Mesa for almost a century. Austin has experience working in the public, private and non-profit sectors. As a project manager at the Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD), she designed the Maricopa Student Senate developed to enhance the voice of students from each of the ten individual colleges and placed a student on the MCCCD Governing Board for the first time in the District’s history. She also served as an Advisor for Anytown Arizona Leadership Camp.
Seth Blattman (D-LD9) running for House
Seth Blattman's family moved to Arizona when he was ten years old. He went to the University of Arizona and completed his bachelor's degree in Political Science at Arizona State University. He worked at his father’s furniture manufacturing shop while taking business courses. Like so many families, his business was hit hard by the Great Recession.
His family needed him to come home and help out. It was tough, but when times are so, you do what's required to keep your family safe. He came home and took a leadership role in their business. That meant making some hard choices. They were the right ones, and they rebuilt their business stronger than before.
Rep. Jennifer Pawlik (D-LD13) running for House
Representative Jennifer Pawlik is an Arizonan who is proud to have grown up, worked, and raised a family in our beautiful State. She has been a teacher in the classroom for over 20 years. Elected in 2018 as the first Democrat and the first woman to represent Chandler in the legislature, she enjoys being the voice for all LD13’s constituents.
Rep. Jennifer Pawlik is a passionate advocate for public education, protecting voter rights, and our environment, especially our water. Her other priorities include preventing gun violence, encouraging workforce development, and creation of jobs.
Taylor Kerby (D-LD16) running for Senate
Taylor Kerby is a full-time educator living in the Casa Grande area. A native of Arizona, he graduated from ASU and is a Ph.D. student at Grand Canyon University, where he studies cognitive learning processes and how to increase student achievement. He is an advocate for Arizona schools, and it has been his privilege to serve on the Casa Grande Union High School Governing Board starting in 2020. Taylor is passionate about preserving our right to vote, funding public schools, and improving the lives of all Arizonans.
Keith Seaman (D-LD16) running for House
Keith Seaman spent nearly 40 years in Arizona classrooms as an educator. When he retired, he decided he needed to further serve his community by running for the Coolidge Unified School Board. With his decades of experience, he is running in LD16 to ensure all Arizona students have access to high-quality education.