Losing Arizona: Is Rep. Wendy Rogers an Insurrectionist?

This is part of a series from The Copper Courier highlighting the Arizona legislators involved in the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection or the events leading up to it. Read the rest here.

Sen. Wendy Rogers is originally from Kentucky. She joined the US Air Force in 1976 and worked her way up to the rank of lieutenant colonel before retiring in 1996. She then went on to get her master’s degree from California State-San Bernardino. Rogers first ran for office in 2010 and then every subsequent two years, losing each time until she unseated incumbent Syliva Allen for the state Senate seat in Flagstaff’s District 6 in 2020.

Contributions to the Insurrection

Rogers wasn’t at the insurrection, but she was quick to respond. She blamed Congress for the death of a pro-Trump rioter who was shot by Capitol Police as the mob stormed into the Capitol. 

“All they had to do was allow for an audit of the machines and votes. This could have been avoided,” Rogers tweeted. 

She later blamed antifa for what unfolded at the Capitol.

“I condemn the radical Antifa mobs for attacking the Capitol and I condemn the Democrats for wanting to defund the very police who protected them,” Rogers said in a tweet. Leaders of the Arizona legislature called for Rogers and others to be expelled.

How You May Have Heard of Them

Rogers made headlines before being sworn into office. In 2018, she baselessly accused a Republican rival of having ties to a sex-trafficking ring. After nearly a decade of unsuccessful runs, Rogers moved from Tempe to a travel trailer in Flagstaff to run for office there.

During her campaign, she aligned herself heavily with former President Donald Trump and said her priorities include protecting the Second Amendment, protecting the border, stopping abortions, and promoting extreme right-wing values.

Shortly after she was elected, Rogers praised Confederate General Robert E. Lee on Twitter, calling him a “great patriot and a great leader.”

Rogers has publicly stated she’s a member of the anti-government militia group known as the Oath Keepers. 

She was one of the legislators backing Arizona’s “Stop the Steal” movement, which alleged that Trump actually won the 2020 presidential election. The theory has been disproven numerous times. 

Rogers received her first ethics complaint only 10 days into her term. A former legislative aid alleged that he experienced a pattern of verbal abuse and physical intimidation that culminated in his termination under Rogers. 

The Senate Ethics Committee ultimately determined there was no “clear and convincing evidence” that she violated any rules of conduct.

She is up for re-election in 2022.

Rogers isn’t alone. See the others who played a role in the insurrection.