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 Primary Election
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GT - NE Valley of Phoenix
Federal Offices - Rationale
US House - AZ CD1
NE Valley (Scottsdale)
(Vote for 1)
Joseph Chaplik
Republican
Incumbent (LD3)
Conservative
Joseph Chaplik is a three-term Arizona state representative from Legislative District 3 within CD1. He first won in 2020 by defeating a three-term incumbent in the 2020 Republican primary.
He holds…
John Trobough
Republican
Conservative
John Trobough is a Scottsdale-based technology executive and first-time candidate. He is the former president and CEO of Narus, a Boeing subsidiary specializing in cybersecurity analytics, and spent over two decades in…
Jay Feely
Republican
Establishment
Former NFL kicker and broadcaster. Feely entered politics emphasizing mass deportations, banning transgender athletes in women's sports, and extending Trump tax cuts. However, multiple past criticisms of Trump's policies sugges…
US House - AZ CD4
East Valley (Scottsdale, Tempe)
(Vote for 1)
Dr. Zuhdi Jasser
Republican
Conservative
Dr. M. Zuhdi Jasser is a Phoenix physician (internal medicine and nuclear cardiology), U.S. Navy veteran (11 years, Lieutenant Commander), and nationally recognized expert on countering radical Islamism. He served…
US House - AZ CD8
Northwest Valley (I-17, Anthem)
(Vote for 1)
Abe Hamadeh
Republican
Incumbent
Conservative
Abraham 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 College…
State Offices - Rationale
Governor of Arizona
(Vote for 1)
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…
David Schweikert
Republican
Conservative
David Schweikert is a self-described free-market conservative who has served in Congress since 2011, previously serving in the AZ Legislature and as Maricopa County Treasurer. He is known as a…
AZ Secretary of State
(Vote for 1)
Alex Kolodin
Republican
Conservative
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…
Gina Swoboda
Republican
Establishment
Gina Swoboda has voter roll experience through her work with the Voter Reference Foundation and as staff for Katie Hobbs when she was AZ Secretary of State, but has implemente…
AZ Attorney General
(Vote for 1)
Warren Petersen
Republican
Conservative
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…
Rodney Glassman
Republican
Opportunist
Rodney Glassman is a JAG attorney in the US Air Force. He began his political career as a progressive Democrat. He served as a Tucson City Councilman (D), ran unsuccessfull…
AZ State Treasurer
(Vote for 1)
Elijah Norton
Republican
Conservative
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…
Katherine Haley
Republican
Conservative
Katherine Haley is an Arizona native with 20+ years of policy and philanthropy experience. She served 13 years on Capitol Hill, including seven years as chief policy advisor to House Speaker…
AZ Sup't of Pub Instruction
(Vote for 1)
Tom Horne
Republican
Incumbent
Conservative
Tom Horne has deep, proven conservative roots and extensive experience, having previously served as both AZ Attorney General and AZ Superintendent of Public Instruction.
He won back the superintendent role in 2022. Horne has launched 15…
Kimberly Yee
Republican
Establishment
Kimberly Yee is Arizona’s State Treasurer (term-limited) and a longtime legislator who helped create the charter schools program in the AZ Senate. She served as a senior research analyst for the Senate Education Committee and…
AZ Corp Commission
(Vote for 2)
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,…
Nick Myers
Republican
Incumbent
Conservative
Nick Myers, elected in 2022 as the first Pinal County commissioner, opened proceedings for rate reforms and testified on peak demands amid heatwaves. He voted to repeal efficiency mandates, cut…
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,…
AZ Legislature - Rationale
Legislative District 2
N Phoenix, I-17 Corridor
AZ Senate, LD2
(Vote for 1)
Tim Ferarra
Conseravtive
Republican
Tim Ferrara is a Republican challenger to Bolick. An Arizona resident since 2006. He has 20+ years of business management experience.
AZ GOP State Committeeman demonstrating tangible conservative commitment. His platform…
Shawnna Bolick
Moderate
Incumbent
Republican
Shawnna Bolick has served in the AZ legislature since 2018 (House) and Senate since 2023. She has expressed conservative positions on election integrity, gun rights, and border security. However, she has…
AZ House, LD2
(Vote for 2)
Justin Wilmeth
Republican
Incumbent
Conseravtive
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
Conseravtive
Paul Carver is a United States Marine Corps veteran, father of eight, and lifelong Arizonan whose conservatism was forged through service, not politics.
As a Deer Valley Unified School District…
Note: Danielle Skranek withdrew late in the race. Do not vote for her. Instead, vote for Paul Carver as a WRITE IN candidate.
Legislative District 3
N Scottsdale, Fountain Hills
AZ Senate, LD3
(Vote for 1)
Conservative
Incumbent
Republican
John Kavanagh
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,…
Hard Right
Republican
Robert Wallace
Robert Wallace is a political newcomer challenging Kavanagh from the right.
He earned his GED and has worked as a Chase-The-Vote Manager for Turning Point Action and as a real estate…
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
Appointed
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…
Thomas Walsh
Republican
Conservative
Thomas Walsh II is passionate about preventive medicine having served as a dentist in the US Air Force (Captain) and later in private practice for the last 40 years. H…
Jay Schlum
Republican
Conservative
Jay Schlum is a former Mayor of Fountain Hills (2008-2012) and served four years as Town Councilman before that.
During the Great Recession, he led major budget cuts of roughly 50%…
Legislative District 4
S Scottsdale, Paradise Valley
AZ Senate, LD4
(Vote for 1)
Conservative
Incumbent
Republican
Carine Werner
Carine Werner is a first-term senator who defeated 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…
Sandra Christensen
Republican
Conservative
Sandra Christensen, elected to the Paradise Valley USD school board in 2022, serves as the sole conservative voice, prioritizing fiscal responsibility, transparency, and student safety without compromise.
In her LD4…
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 LD8 - AZ Senate – Bill Loughridge, (write in); AZ House, Donald Hawker
AZ Senate, LD8
(Vote for 1)
AZ House, LD8
(Vote for 2)
Local Offices - Rationale
Scottsdale City Council
(Vote for 3)
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…
Bob Littlefield
Republican
Fmr Council
Conservative
Bob Littlefield, served three terms on Scottsdale City Council, leading budget reforms, water issues, and aviation policies.
He voted for preserve expansions, senior centers, and opposed high-rises to protect neighborhoods.…
Eric Sloan
Republican
Moderate
Eric Sloan has a public affairs firm in Scottsdale.
He ran unsuccessfully for the Arizona Corporation Commission in 2018. He led the AZ Department of Gaming in the Ducey Administration.…
Crystal Carroll
Republican
Factional
Crystal Carroll positions herself as an Old Town Scottsdale small business owner claiming her business experience as the basis for her to be elected to the Council. However, voting records…
Scottsdale's Liberal Candidates
Incumbent Solange Whitehead is running to be rehired. Remember - From 2020 to 2024, she (and the liberal council super majority) saddled us with tens of thousands of high-density apartments - including voting for the Axon apartment deal that gave away 12,000 homes worth of water without replacement requirements. (She claims otherwise, but the City Council record remains.) Water availability and decaying infrastructure was of secondary concern.
She has a moderate, resident-friendly message, but her voting record has been decidedly liberal. The remaining candidates are solidly liberal and of similar ideology as Whitehead. They would send Scottsdale back in the wrong direction. While Whitehead's service to Scottsdale is appreciated she has not earned a rehire bid.
Lastly, a PAC entitled - "Better Together" led and funded by Axon-related lobbyists - has placed multiple, vicious attack ads against the conservatives in the race. So aggressive, one has to ask, 'why'? Answer: They want thousands of more apartments in the North 101/Hayden area. If conservatives are elected, they will hear the word, "No". If not, Axon is likely to get anything they want from Whitehead and the other liberals in the race and on the Council. You will be left with high congestion, thousands more high-density apartments and memories of how nice Scottsdale used to be as it becomes congested like Tempe or Mesa.
By voting for the conservative Top Picks above, 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
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