Tucson-area Democrats have found a challenger for the Arizona Senate LD17 seat currently held by controversial Rep. Justin Wadsack.
John MacLean, a longtime executive at a high-tech defense contractor, has taken the first steps toward running for office this year.
McLean, 67, who is also active in a local dog rescue group, announced on Feb. 16 his interest in running for the 17th Legislative District, which will be decided in the Nov. 5 general election.
He is CEO of Arete Associates, a Department of Defense contractor that claims to provide “cutting-edge science and engineering that protects the nation and the world from the ocean floor to space,” and previously worked at TRW Space Defense Group. was.
Arizona Democrats see Tucson's 17th Legislative District as a potential battleground as they seek to flip the Arizona Senate, which is currently split 16-14 in favor of Republicans.
The 17th Legislative District is a tough sled for Democrats. As of Jan. 1, 38% of LD17 voters were Republicans, 29% were Democrats, and 33% were independents from both parties, according to the Arizona Secretary of State's Office. The district includes Saddle Brook in Pinal County, Oro Valley and Marana in Pima County, and areas of Tucson's East Side and Vail.
But Democratic strategists say Mr. Wadsack is vulnerable because during his first term, he proposed legislation that would ban books in schools and criminalize drag shows and homelessness. She also took issue with the Arizona School for the Blind and the Blind, suggesting that local schools expand their mission to include educating students with a variety of special needs.
Three statewide Democratic candidates—Sen. Mark Kelly, Gov. Katie Hobbs, and Secretary of State Adrian Fontes won the 17th Legislative District in the 2022 midterm elections. Democrats expect their party's turnout to be even higher in presidential election years.
When Wadsack first took office in 2022, she narrowly won with 51.2% of the vote to Democrat Mike Nickerson's 48.8%.
Efforts to recall Wadsack last year failed, with organizers failing to submit the signatures they had collected.
However, Wadsack may not be the Republican candidate, as the contest begins in the July 30 Republican primary. Former Congressman Vince Leach is campaigning to win back his Senate seat.
Two years ago in the Republican primary, Mr. Wadsack defeated Mr. Leach by a margin of 2,168 votes, receiving 41% of the vote to Mr. Leach's 35%. The third candidate, Robert Barr, received 24%.
Leach, who served two terms in the House and two terms in the Senate, told the Sentinel that Wadsack is not friendly to the business community because of his support for a bill to dismantle the Arizona Department of Commerce.
As he prepares for re-election, Wadsack is trying to convince members of the Southern Arizona Leadership Council and other business leaders to support him.
Wadsack declined several requests from the Tucson Sentinel to discuss his re-election campaign.
Incumbent Republican Rep. Cory McGirr and Rachel Jones may be the primary challengers in the 17th District House race. Anna Orth, who ran against two freshman incumbents in 2022, announced her interest in the race on Wednesday, February 21st. She said Orth had the support of Mark Finchem, a former state lawmaker and unsuccessful candidate for secretary of state, and unsuccessful candidate for governor. In the Republican primary, candidate Kali Lake received about 19% of the vote, while Jones and McGirr received about 25%.
Commercial real estate agent Kevin Volk is the only Democrat to file.
