GT - NE Valley of Phoenix
GT - NE Valley of Phoenix
Scottsdale, Fountain Hills, Cave Creek, Carefree, Anthem, Paradise Valley, Deer Valley
Candidate Vote Rationale
This detail page gives the rationale for each
selection on the Golden Ticket.
2026 General Election
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GT - NE Valley of Phoenix
Federal Offices - Rationale
US House - AZ CD1
NE Valley (Scottsdale)
(Vote for 1)
Jay Feely
Republican
Jay Feely enters Congress as a political newcomer with a track record of performing when it counts. A 14-year NFL veteran who spent four seasons as the Arizona Cardinals' kicker,…
Conservative
US House - AZ CD4
East Valley (Scottsdale, Tempe)
(Vote for 1)
US House - AZ CD8
Northwest Valley (I-17, Anthem)
(Vote for 1)
"Abe" Hamadeh
Republican
Incumbent
Conservative
Abraham "Abe" Hamadeh is the freshman Republican congressman for CD8. A first-generation American from a Syrian immigrant family raised in Phoenix, he holds degrees from ASU and the University of Arizona…
State Offices - Rationale
AZ Governor & Lt. Governor
(Vote for the Ticket)
Andy Biggs
Republican
Conservative
Andy Biggs has deep conservative roots in Arizona, serving as AZ Senate President where he united Republicans and advanced a conservative legislative agenda. He chaired the House Freedom Caucus and has…
Sine Kerr
Republican
Conservative
Sine Kerr brings something rare to the Biggs-Kerr ticket: 40 years as a Buckeye dairy farmer and a record as State Senate Majority Whip representing West Valley and Yuma County communities.…
AZ Secretary of State
(Vote for 1)
Alex Kolodin
Republican
Alex Kolodin is an election lawyer and AZ state representative (LD3) who has tangible legislative accomplishments on election integrity. He has sponsored and passed key conservative legislation like HCR2055 labeling…
Conservative
AZ Attorney General
(Vote for 1)
Warren Petersen
Republican
Warren Petersen is the President of the Arizona Senate with a strong conservative legislative record dating to 2012. He is seen as the "acting AG" as he has actively intervene…
Conservative
AZ State Treasurer
(Vote for 1)
Elijah Norton
Republican
Elijah Norton is a self-made businessman who built Veritas Global Protection from a two-person startup in 2011 into a company generating over $400 million in annual revenue with hundreds of employees…
Conservative
AZ Sup't of Pub Instruction
(Vote for 1)
Kimberly Yee
Republican
Conservative
Kimberly Yee has spent her career answering to Arizona voters and delivering — twice elected State Treasurer and a former Senate Majority Leader who chaired the Senate Education Committee before she ever ran for superintendent.
AZ Corp Commission
(Vote for Both)
Kevin Thompson
Republican
Incumbent
Conservative
Kevin Thompson, elected to the Arizona Corporation Commission in 2022 and serving as chair in 2025, has focused on consumer protection by voting to lower rates for TEP and UNSE, eliminate mandates, and secure pay…
Ralph Heap
Republican
Conservative
Ralph Heap, an orthopedic surgeon and Arizona House member since 2023, co-sponsored bills in the majority plan focused on American Dream preservation, safety, and prosperity.
In his 2026 ACC bid, he has challenged incumbents from…
AZ Mine Inspector
(Vote for 1)
Walter "Les" Presmyk
Republican
Incumbent
Walter Les Presmyk is a lifelong Arizonan and Republican with over 45 years of mining experience. He holds a Mining Engineering degree from the University of Arizona and served as Salt River Project’s principal mining…
Conservative
AZ Legislature - Rationale
Legislative District 2
N Phoenix, I-17 Corridor
AZ House, LD2
(Vote for 2)
Justin Wilmeth
Republican
Incumbent
Conservative
Justin Wilmeth has served in the AZ House since 2020 and has a solid legislative record with 29 bills signed into law across four sessions.
His legislation includes banning state contractors…
Paul Carver
Republican
Conservative
Paul Carver is a United States Marine Corps veteran, father of eight, and lifelong Arizonan whose conservatism was forged through service, not politics. He earned his way onto the November…
Legislative District 3
N Scottsdale, Fountain Hills
AZ Senate, LD3
(Vote for 1)
John Kavanagh
Republican
Incumbent
Conservative
John Kavanagh is one of Arizona's most accomplished conservative legislators, serving since 2007 with nearly two decades of experience. A retired 20-year police veteran (Port Authority NY/NJ) and criminal justice PhD,…
AZ House, LD3
(Vote for 2)
George Khalaf
Republican
Conservative
George Khalaf is a well-known political consultant, education freedom advocate, and data expert in Arizona conservative circles.
He has deep ties to the Center for Arizona Policy, where he supported fights…
Cody Riem
Republican
Incumbent
Conservative
Cody Reim was appointed to the AZ House in March 2026 to replace Rep. Joseph Chaplik.
He is a small business owner and Rio Verde Foothills resident who gained prominence advocating…
Legislative District 4
S Scottsdale, Paradise Valley
AZ Senate, LD4
(Vote for 1)
Carine Werner
Republican
Incumbent
Conservative
Carine Werner is a first-term senator who defeated incumbent Democrat Christine Marsh in 2024.
She is a small business owner and Scottsdale Unified School Board member. She chairs the Senate Health…
AZ House, LD4
(Vote for 2)
Matt Gress
Republican
Incumbent
Conservative
Matt Gress has served in the AZ House since 2023 and was reelected by a larger margin in 2024. He is a former public-school teacher, school board member, and budget chief…
Pamela Carter
Republican
Incumbent
Conservative
Pamela Carter, elected to the Arizona House in 2024, is a fourth-generation Arizonan and former owner of a large Scottsdale sports-medicine business. She was a state director for the Trump…
Legislative District 8
S Scottsdale, N Mesa
AZ Senate, LD8 – Bill Loughridge
AZ House, LD8 - Donald Hawker
AZ Senate, LD8
(Vote for 1)
AZ House, LD8
(Vote for 2)
Local Offices - Rationale
Scottsdale City Council
(Vote for Both)
Barry Graham
Republican
Incumbent
Conservative
A CPA by profession, Barry Graham has served on the Scottsdale City Council since January 2023. Prior to his council service, he spent a decade volunteering on city commissions including the…
Michelle Ugenti-Rita
Republican
Conservative
Former Arizona State Representative (2011-2019) and State Senator representing LD23 (2019-2023). Michelle Ugenti-Rita compiled a strong conservative legislative record: she joined the Goldwater Institute lawsuit against Medicaid expansion, sponsored election integrity legislation…
The DSA-Endorsed DEM Candidate
It is critical that conservatives win this election to maintain control of the Scottsdale City Council.
Remember that over the last decade, liberal control of Scottsdale has meant decaying roads and development of tens of thousands of high-density apartments - including approval of the Axon apartment deal that gave away 12,000 homes worth of water without replacement requirements. Water availability and decaying infrastructure was of secondary concern.
The DSA-endorsed candidate has a resident-friendly message, but he is closely aligned with the liberal ideology that changed Scottsdale for the worse in many ways. If he were elected, The Scottsdale City Council would tip back to liberal control sending Scottsdale back in the wrong direction.
By voting for the conservative Top Picks (Graham & Ugenti-Rita), your city - and the resident viewpoint - will be protected on the City Council.
Fountain Hills Mayor
(Vote for 1)
Incumbent
Gerry Friedel
Republican
Conservative
Gerry Friedel, sworn in as Mayor in December 2024 after four years on council, launched "Friedel Fridays" podcasts for transparency, emphasized road repairs and sheriff contract reviews, and represented on…
Brenda Kalivianakas
Republican
Liberal
Brenda Kalivianakis is a current Fountain Hills Town Councilmember challenging incumbent Mayor Gerry Friedel. While she was originally elected in 2022 as part of a conservative slate, she broke with…
Fountain Hills City Council
(Vote for 3)
Ben Larrabee
Republican
Conservative
Ben Larrabee, a Christian conservative and Fountain Hills resident, serves as data manager for Turning Point Action, honing skills in data analysis and organizational management relevant to council budgeting and…
Dan Kovacevic
Republican
Conservative
Dan Kovacevic currently serves as a commissioner on the Fountain Hills Planning and Zoning Commission, providing relevant municipal governance experience. A former real estate professional, he is running as part…
Matthew Corrigan
Republican
Conservative
Matthew Corrigan currently serves as a commissioner on the Fountain Hills Planning and Zoning Commission and is running on the conservative slate. He brings 30 years of experience with two Fortune…
Ballot Initiatives
Prop
141
Prohibit Taxes or Fees on Vehicle Miles Traveled Amendment
Type: Constitutional Amendment | Referral: SCR 1004 (2025 session)
Plain English Description
Bans any Arizona tax or fee based on how many miles you drive, and bans the government tracking of your driving that such a tax would require. Your car, your miles, your business.
Recommended Vote
VOTE YES
Detailed Description
A vehicle-miles-traveled tax means the…
Prop
142
Prohibit Race or Ethnicity Based Preferential Treatment Amendment (DEI Ban)
Type: Constitutional Amendment | Referral: HCR 2044 (2026 session)
Plain English Description
In 2010, Arizona voters (Prop 107) already banned government and public schools from giving preferential treatment or discriminating based on race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin — the merit-based, equal-treatment rule. Prop 142 closes the loopholes so “DEI” concepts and language can’t…
Prop
144
Voter Identification & Citizenship Voting Requirements Amendment (“Arizona Secure Elections Act”)
Type: Constitutional Amendment | Referral: HCR 2001 (2026 session)
Plain English Description
Requires that only U.S. citizens vote in Arizona elections and that every voter show government-issued ID, no matter how they vote. Puts these rules in the AZ Constitution where politicians and courts can’t easily undo them.
Recommended Vote
VOTE YES
Detailed Description
Prop
316
Limit Local Grocery Tax to < 2% and Require Voter Approval
Type: State Statute | Referral: HCR 2021 (2025 session)
Plain English Description
Stops city councils from taxing your groceries without your vote, and caps any grocery tax at 2%. A food tax is regressive — it falls hardest on poor and middle-income working families who spend the most of their paycheck on groceries. Food…
Prop
317
Designate Drug Cartels as Terrorist Organizations
Type: State Statute | Referral: HCR 2055 (2025 session)
Plain English Description
Officially declares drug cartels terrorist organizations under Arizona law and orders the state’s Department of Homeland Security to confront them with every tool available. This is common ground: no reasonable citizen would oppose calling the cartels what they are, and it’s something every Arizonan should be able…
Prop
318
Require Schools & Athletic Associations to Restrict Private Spaces Based on Sex
Type: State Statute | Referral: HCR 2003 (2026 session)
Plain English Description
Requires school locker rooms, showers, and restrooms to be separated by biological sex. Any reasonable and responsible Arizonan would keep biological males out of biological female dressing spaces — girls’ private spaces stay for girls.
Recommended Vote
VOTE YES
Detailed Description
Prop
319
Prohibit Photo Traffic Enforcement (Speed and Red-Light Ticket Cameras); Voter Approval for Existing Systems
Type: State Statute | Referral: SCR 1004 (2026 session)
Plain English Description
Stops state and local government from using speed cameras and red-light photo radar to issue traffic tickets, and makes any city that already has them — like Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, and Phoenix — get voter approval to keep them.…
Prop
320
Require School Districts to Spend 60% on Direct Classroom Instruction
Type: State Statute | Referral: SCR 1032 (2026 session)
Plain English Description
Requires large school districts to spend at least 60% of their operating budget on actual classroom instruction — teachers and teaching — or lose state funding. Money follows students, not bureaucracy.
Recommended Vote
VOTE YES
Detailed Description
Arizona taxpayers keep sending more to…
Prop
413
Jail Facilities Excise Tax Continuation
Type: County Ballot Measure (transaction privilege / sales tax) | Referral: Authorized by SB 1144 (2025)
Plain English Description
Continues the county’s existing 1/5-cent sales tax — no increase — that pays for jails. It expires in 2027 unless voters renew it for up to 20 years. All money is legally restricted to jail facilities and operations.
Recommended Vote
VOTE…
Ballot Questions
SUSD $375M Bond Issue
Scottsdale USD — $375 Million Capital Improvement Bond
Type: School District Bond (voters in Scottsdale and Paradise Valley within SUSD boundaries)
Plain English Description
Asks Scottsdale Unified voters to approve up to $375 million in new bonds — repaid through higher property taxes, about $156/year on a $600,000 home. The size was set by voter-tolerance polling (Noble Predictive Insights), not by a prioritized list of needs. A better path: the district should sell its three…
SUSD Property Sale
Scottsdale USD — Authorization to Sell, Lease or Exchange Surplus School Properties
Type: School District Property Disposition Question (voters in Scottsdale and Paradise Valley within SUSD)
Plain English Description
Lets Scottsdale Unified sell or lease three closed school sites — Cholla, Apache, and Oak — that no longer have active schools. It doesn’t force a sale; it gives the board permission to sell if it decides to. All three are in one yes/no question.
Recommended…
FHUSD Budget Override
Fountain Hills USD — Budget Override Renewal
Type: School District Budget Override Ballot Question
Plain English Description
Asks Fountain Hills Unified voters to renew the school budget override they first approved in 2021 (~$100/yr for a $600,000 home). It renews approval of district spending above the state-set limit, paid through property taxes. (~$1.1M)
Recommended Vote
VOTE YES
Detailed Description
Fountain Hills Unified School District is asking voters to renew the budget override they approved in…
PVUSD Budget Override
Paradise Valley USD — Maintenance & Operations (M&O) Override + District Additional Assistance (DAA/Capital) Override
Type: Two School District Budget Override Questions — ballot questions
Plain English Description
Paradise Valley Unified is asking voters two things: (1) to CONTINUE its existing 15% operating override (about $28–$30 million a year, no tax-rate increase) that pays mostly for teacher and staff salaries; and (2) a new, separate capital override for technology, buses, and equipment. Both are paid…
PVUSD Add'l Override
Paradise Valley USD — Maintenance & Operations (M&O) Override + District Additional Assistance (DAA/Capital) Override
Type: Two School District Budget Override Questions — ballot questions
Plain English Description
Paradise Valley Unified is asking voters two things: (1) to CONTINUE its existing 15% operating override (about $28–$30 million a year, no tax-rate increase) that pays mostly for teacher and staff salaries; and (2) a new, separate capital override for technology, buses, and equipment. Both are paid…
CCUSD Property Sale
Cave Creek USD — Authorization to Sell, Lease or Exchange the Closed Desert Sun Academy
Type: School District Property Disposition Ballot Question
Plain English Description
Lets Cave Creek Unified sell or lease the closed Desert Sun Academy campus. It doesn’t force a sale — it gives the board permission to sell if it decides to, and to use the money for capital needs.
Recommended Vote
VOTE YES
Detailed Description
With enrollment declining and schools closed,…