The Copper Courier Voter Guide: Arizona’s 12th Legislative District

Travis Grantham, R-Gilbert

Key Issues

Economy

• Believes mass shutdowns were an overreaction, and that we could have adequately slowed the spread of the virus without obliterating American small businesses and jobs
• Supports ending the mass shutdowns so that our economic recovery can begin, and believes we can do this while implementing reasonable, voluntary safety measures that keep our most vulnerable safe, and our hospitals from being overwhelmed
• Believes the government should seriously evaluate their tax and regulation suspensions enacted to help during the emergency

Health Care

• Says the goal for shutting down the economy during the COVID-19 pandemic was to slow its spread so our healthcare system would not get overwhelmed with more patients than it could handle at any one time
• Supports keeping our economy as open as possible while making sure our healthcare system does not get overwhelmed
• Believes we must focus our attention on the population most vulnerable to the virus and make sure they are implementing the necessary steps to stay safe and healthy

Government Spending and Fiscal Policy

• Opposes raising taxes to close the budget shortfall
• Believes that, during economic downturns, people have no choice but to tighten their belts and learn to live on a leaner budget so the government should do the same
• Believes that by trimming government waste and letting the economy get back to work, we can grow the economy and restore government revenues without raising taxes

Bio

Travis was born and raised in Scottsdale, AZ. A third generation Arizonan, Travis has always had a strong sense of service to his state and country. Travis attended Arizona State University and it was during this time that he enlisted in the United States Air Force / Arizona Air National Guard’s 161st Air Refueling Wing which was founded by Barry Goldwater in 1946. Growing up, Travis learned the value of a hard day’s work whether on his family’s cattle ranch or helping out wherever he could in his father’s aviation business.

Travis completed basic training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, TX and was ultimately trained and served as an aircraft maintenance technician on the KC-135E Stratotanker achieving the rank of Staff Sergeant. Upon graduation from college, Travis was selected for Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training at Laughlin Air Force Base in Del Rio, TX. Following Officer Training School and after being commissioned as a Second Lieutenant, Travis attended the 1 year course and earned his wings in August of 2003. Travis currently holds the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and is serving as an Aircraft Commander and Instructor Pilot in the Arizona Air National Guard with over 3000 hours in the KC135E/R.

As a part time traditional guardsmen or “citizen soldier”, Travis has deployed to numerous forward operating locations throughout the world in support of the ongoing war on terror. He has also flown over 50 combat missions and has flown in support of numerous homeland defense and humanitarian relief missions.

Utilizing the skills he learned growing up in Arizona and through his experiences in the military, Travis joined International Air Response Inc. (IAR) in 2003 as the Vice President in charge of Operations and decided to purchase the company with his brother in 2009. Travis sold his interest in 2017 and International Air Response has grown into the world’s largest provider of specialized aerial services with its fleet of 5 Lockheed C-130’s and a newly formed FAA PART 145 maintenance, repair and overhaul facility at the Phoenix Mesa Gateway Airport in Mesa, AZ. Travis’s unique background relating to aviation, world events, and sound conservative business policy contributed greatly to IAR’s dynamic customer base and ongoing growth and success.

Travis is currently serving his second term in the Arizona House of Representatives in Arizona’s 12th legislative district which encompasses Gilbert and Queen Creek Arizona and is seeking reelection to serve a third term.

Travis holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Agribusiness from Arizona State University. Travis and his wife Patricia reside in Gilbert, AZ with their two daughters Katelyn and Kristyn.

Kristin Clark, D-Gilbert

(Write-in Candidate)

Key Issues

Education

• Believes a strong public school system is an essential part of the foundation of a community and a nation
• Says public education is so important that it is in Article 11 of the Arizona State Constitution, which instructs the legislature to create laws to establish and maintain a “general and uniform public school system”
• Promises to bring Arizona back in agreement with its founding document since the current legislature is not fulfilling this requirement

Economy

• Believes government is entrusted with the community’s money, and it is their responsibility to use it wisely
• Has personally been responsible for the administration of millions of dollars of public funds during her time working at Maricopa County
• Believes the benefit of each expenditure must be considered against the cost
• Promises to let fiscal responsibility continue to lead her decisions in the State Legislature

Bio

My name is Kristin Clark. I am a mom, volunteer, and a former LD12 Democratic Party board member. With more than 12-years of government experience, I am YOUR choice for State House!
 
I am running because YOU deserve a choice in who represents us. The two Republican candidates do not  represent our whole community. Frighteningly, one candidate runs a company and a PAC that spread disinformation about COVID, our elections, and, sadly, our neighbors. We have the power to reject divisiveness and elect someone who will work to bring us together and represent ALL of LD12.

Kristin Clark is a suburban mom, activist, and believer in good government who is running for State House in LD12 as a write-in candidate. Kristin believes the voters of LD12 deserve to be able to vote for a candidate who reflects their values.

Jake Hoffman, R-Gilbert

Key Issues

• Excellence in Education
• Fiscal Responsibility and Less Debt
• Opportunity for all
• Protecting Families and Religious Liberty
• Border Security and Immigration

(specific details were not available)

Bio

Christian, Husband, Dad of 5, Small Business Owner, MBA, Candidate for State Representative in Gilbert & Queen Creek, Columnist at Townhall.com, #QueenCreek Town Councilman, Conservative, Candidate for AZ State Representative in LD12.

Warren Peterson, R-Gilbert

Key Issues

Jobs

• Has supported legislation that provides certainty to businesses so that they have the confidence to invest in Arizona
• Believes government should not take the credit for our economic gains
• Has worked to pass legislation to remove arbitrary paperwork, permits and licenses that do not promote the general welfare or serve a meaningful purpose

Economy

• Believes we need to run the state the same way a good business or home is run
• Ran legislation to implement zero-based budgeting at the state level
• Promises to continue to push for obsolete and inefficient government programs to be eliminated

Education

• Believes we should make sure we are always providing useful and relevant education so that Arizona citizens will be hired for high-paying jobs
• Wants to make sure that more money makes it to our children and their teachers in the classroom
• Believes the best teachers and educators should be rewarded for their hard work, dedication and effective teaching practices

Bio

Warren was elected to the Arizona House of Representatives in 2012. He is the House Majority Leader and has served as Commerce Chair and on the Appropriations, Finance, Ethics, Elections, and Government and Higher Education Committee.

Warren is a 3rd generation Gilbert resident and feels it is the best place to raise his family. Warren has worked in the real estate industry for 18 years, primarily in new home construction and has owned a real estate brokerage for over a decade.

As an honor student and proud graduate of Gilbert High School he received various academic scholarships. He holds a Bachelors degree from ASU and law degree from ASU Law.

As a young man participating in the Boy Scouts of America he became an Eagle Scout. As an adult awards have included the Silver Beaver, Boy Scout and Commissioner Hall of Fame.

Warren has sponsored many bills that have been signed into law by the governor including one that eliminated pensions for politicians. He has also been honored to carry priority legislation for the Governor that has improved the business climate in Arizona.

Lynsey Robinson, D-Gilbert

Key Issues

Economy

• Believes the best way to grow the Arizona economy is by properly funding state higher education and allowing in-state tuition for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients
• Promises to support legislation that allows start-ups and small local businesses to obtain the capital they need to grow their business infrastructure because it is vital for the economic growth of our communities
• Believes that lowering taxes can, in the right circumstance, provide many benefits to local communities

Equality

• Believes in equal pay for equal work
• Wants the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) amendment (first introduced in Congress in 1923) to be ratified by 38 of the 50 states in order for the amendment to be added to the Constitution

Environment

• Believes climate change is real and our legislators must champion laws that protect our state
• Promises to fight to keep big businesses from polluting our water since we are facing a drought in Arizona and the public has been kept in the dark and improperly educated about how they can do their part to use water responsibly

Education

• Education is an economic issue when we know countries that out-educate us today will out-compete us tomorrow
• Promises that funding for our public schools will be her first priority
• Believes that, in today’s climate, both our state and country face serious challenges that prevent teachers from thriving
• Believes the expansion of Education Savings Accounts (ESA) vouchers will cause the collapse of the public education system

Bio

Lynsey Robinson was the 2018 Democratic front-runner nominee. Her performance in the General election exceeded expectations and surpassed previous party results in her district. Ms. Robinson, who is the former Second Vice-Chair of the Maricopa County Democratic Party, has decided to run for State Senate for Legislative District 12. She supports and promotes Fairness, Justice and The Common Good.

Lynsey was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. She believes that immigrants are part of the fabric of America. Specifically, Haiti has a long history with the U.S., dating back to the Revolutionary war where Haiti fought alongside America to help it gain independence from Great Britain. Lynsey came to America at the age of eight and grew up in New York.

Lynsey has strong family values and believes that we need to put Arizona families first. She is married to DeVaughn and they have three beautiful children; Michael, Andrew, and Lauren. She and her family attend Central Christian Church in Gilbert, Arizona.

Lynsey has a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Philosophy from University of Albany, a Master’s degree in Secondary Education from the University of Phoenix, and a Juris Doctorate from Arizona Summit Law School, formerly known as Phoenix School of Law.

While in law school, Lynsey participated in one of the largest immigration fairs in Phoenix, Arizona to help DREAMers complete and file deferred action petitions. She completed an externship with Catholic Charities to assist immigrants in her community and later volunteered in order to further serve her community. After law school, Lynsey worked for Southern Arizona Legal Aid (SALA) where she helped under served members of the community with various legal matters. Many of the individuals she represented experienced heartbreaking situations that convinced her there was more she could do to help the community at large.

Now, Lynsey seeks her first term as state senator because she believes we need better servant leadership. She believes servant leaders put people ahead of politics. Lynsey recognizes that civility is not weakness. She knows that caring for the elderly, our youth and the vulnerable in our society makes us humane and makes our society stronger as a whole.

As a former teacher, Lynsey believes that public schools are underfunded and teachers are underpaid. As a result, teachers are leaving the field of education to pursue other career options. She believes charter schools have a place in our communities, but transparency and accountability are essential to protect our children and the community. Lynsey believes that if Arizona families are to succeed, our public schools must receive appropriate funding to deal with the demands of our growing demographics.

Lynsey is committed to serving the people in her district. Lynsey believes that in order to effectuate change, we as a people must elect those who act with honesty, integrity, and accountability. We must elect leaders that recognize, appreciate, and adequately address all the issues that have both a direct and indirect impact on the things that matter most in our community: education, gun reform, affordable and accessible healthcare (CHIP), veterans rights, women’s rights, environmental protection and immigration reform.

As the wife of an entrepreneur, Lynsey supports the growth of small and local businesses. She understands that a strong, robust business community supports families and keeps our district thriving. Lynsey is fully aware that although Queen Creek/Gilbert is a well-established district, there are individuals who are hurting and suffering in our community.

As a former attorney of SALA, Lynsey had the privilege of working with some of those vulnerable members of the community in her hometown of Queen Creek. Lynsey helped them get the representation they needed. Lynsey wants her community to continue thriving, but she does not want the vulnerable overlooked; she wants to make sure that everyone’s voice is heard.