Roxana Holzapfel
State Senator - District 8
Republican
https://roxanaforarizona.com
I was born Roxana Reyes, in Tampa, Florida to a Cuban father and Puerto Rican mother. I was a police field training officer for the Tampa Police Department. I will always have the backs of the men and women in blue! I have lived in Tempe for 35 years and call Arizona my home. I am a life long Republican, and a pro life, 2nd Amendment conservative who believes in the Constitution and all it stands for. NO to SEL and CRT in any of our schools. NO to mask and "vaccine" mandates of any kind, now and ever again. NO to government overreach in our businesses, schools, homes and places of worship. NO to rules and regulations that are crippling our small businesses. YES to border security; finish our wall and enforce our laws. YES to giving parents voices in their children's schools; the money follows the child. YES to protecting and caring for our veterans and rebuilding our military. YES to voter integrity; only American citizens have the right to vote. I ask for your support and vote. Thank you, Roxana, www.roxanaforarizona.com.
Juan Mendez
State Senator - District 8
Democratic
https://juanmendezforarizona.com
For ten years as your public servant elected to the Arizona Legislature, I have fought to restore integrity and accountability in government. Having grown up in poverty with a single mother, I know that individual success coincides with a shared investment in education, infrastructure, health, economic stability, housing, and safety. Now as a new father, I see firsthand how important it is that we end the political and economic inequalities that punish many Arizonans by denying opportunities to better the future of their children. I received my associate's from Phoenix College, my bachelor's from ASU, and am pursuing a Master's in Public Administration. Previously, I managed AZ Community Voice Mail, a nonprofit where I connected thousands living in poverty, transition, and homelessness to jobs, housing, information, and hope. I also served on the Tempe Community Council. I recently was a substitute teacher for Tempe and Mesa high schools and co-instructor at Phoenix College. The number one barrier to progress for all at the Capitol is the influence of big money in elections. Money shouldn't determine how legislators vote. I am running for re-election as a part of your publicly-funded Clean Elections Team with support from voters like you.
Caden Darrow
State Representative - District 8
Republican
http://darrow4az.com
Our district has schools that need help, rising crime rates, and families struggling with rising inflation and surging gas prices. So why are our State Representatives ignoring these problems? Hernandez and Salman vote NO on increased school funding. They vote NO on increased teacher pay. They vote NO on giving law enforcement the tools they need to do their jobs in a way that keeps everyone safer. They support higher taxes and higher spending that increase inflation and drive gas prices higher. And this last year Salman used her "fear of Covid" to justify taking the entire legislative year off. That's right - she collected her pay, collected her per diem, but skipped going to work, voting on bills, or doing her job. Now she wants re-election? Bill Loughrige and I are running to give a voice to those who want Representatives to vote for good bills, no matter if they're "Republican" or "Democratic". We're running to support more money into our classrooms, more help for our teachers, safer neighborhoods, and an end to the inflation madness that is pushing the price of grocery store staples out of reach of many Arizonans. We hope to earn your votes!
Melody Hernandez
State Representative - District 8
Democratic
https://melodyforarizona.com
Melody Hernandez was raised in the southeast valley of Arizona to a first generation Mexican-American family. From a young age, she's held a deep history of service in her community. She's worked closely with students with special needs, children experiencing homelessness and domestic violence, and has provided medical aid to immigrants. Politically, she has been active in grassroots organizing, operated as a campaign manager, and served as the first Latina Democratic Chair for Legislative District 26. Hernandez was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2020. Within one year, she became the Ranking Member of Judiciary, a role in which she's worked across the aisle to ensure a fairer criminal justice system. Hernandez has also been featured in national publications for her dedication to protecting and expanding access to healthcare during her term. The ideas that compelled Hernandez to first run have only grown more important. As a paramedic that found herself working on the frontlines of the pandemic in an overburdened healthcare system, a union member protecting working families, and now as a State Representative, she knows intimately what's at stake for many Arizonans. She's now seeking a second term to continue the work she began in 2020.
Bill Loughrige
State Representative - District 8
Republican
https://bill4az.com
The Loughrige family has been in Arizona since 1933. Bill retired as a Senior Special Agent for the United States Customs Service after 8 years as a Phoenix Walking Beat Cop and 26 years with US Customs. After retirement he has operated a PI, Process Serving and Security Guard service. Active in the community, Bill is currently President of the Tempe Sunrise Kiwanis and the Walker Fire Protection Association (a non-profit Fire Department) near Prescott, AZ. A wage earner all his life and part of a large active family, he believes in strong families, limited and responsible regulation, and a strong economy and job market, to allow people to provide good lives for themselves and their families. Bill's platform includes independent living and security for all, especially our seniors and children, strong children and a quality education system, access to quality health care, and safe neighborhoods and communities.
Athena Salman
State Representative - District 8
Democratic
https://salmanforarizona.com
It is an honor to serve as your State Representative. This year, I had the joy of welcoming my first child and becoming a mom. I was born in Arizona to a first generation American family from Mexico, Germany and Palestine. This inspired a lifetime of defending our most vulnerable. Prior to being elected, I worked on higher education accessibility, healthcare affordability, gender and LGBTQ equity, protecting our freedom to vote, blocking corporate greed as a union leader, growing membership for a nonprofit empowering girls, and building support for early childhood development. Last year, I passed a law guaranteeing feminine hygiene products to incarcerated women and ending the shackling of pregnant people. I've received Tempe's MLK Diversity Award, Phoenix New Times' Best Politician and Arizona Republic's Top 10 Newsmakers to Watch. I graduated with honors from ASU with degrees in Economics and Political Science. I served as the House Democratic Whip, am the Ranking Member on Elections/Government and serve on the Education Committee. At the Capitol, I've seen our democracy attacked by politicians fueled by dirty money. I am running for re-election as a part of your publicly-funded Clean Elections Team through direct support from voters like you.