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Democrats currently hold nine of the 14 state House seats in Southern Arizona, and their best opportunity to nab another is unfolding in a heated race in Legislative District 9, which covers a large swath of north and central Tucson.
State Rep. Ethan Orr.
In the race are Democratic incumbent Rep. Victoria Steele, who’s represented the district since 2013. Republican Rep. Ethan Orr is also running to keep the seat that he’s held for the past two years.
Democrats hope political newcomer Randall Friese, a trauma surgeon at the University of Arizona Medical Center, will defeat Orr and head to the state Capitol alongside Steele.
All three candidates say their top priority is education.
They agree that the state should comply with a court order to pay schools $317 million in inflation funds to public schools.
"We owe this money," Friese said. "This was mandated by the voters. At the start of the recession, the legislators stopped paying. We need to pay."
Rep. Victoria Steele, D-Tucson.
Steele said she doesn’t want to wait for the next session to make those payments and is calling for an immediate special session.
Orr said his track record shows his support for education.
"This past year, I got additional funding for the UA. I got funding for Pima College," he said.
He’s said he’s also proud of getting funding for Arizona’s vocational training program, known as JTED.
Friese said a well-funded system of public education will have multiple benefits for the state.
"If we fix education, support education, make education more accessible and affordable to everyone, we will have a more robust economy," he said. "We will have people wanting to move to Arizona. We will have people wanting to stay in Arizona."
Randall Friese.
The candidates are more deeply divided by party lines when it comes to gun control.
"There is a consistent effort in the Legislature by the Republican majority to deregulate gun ownership in Arizona," Steele said. "And I’ve fought...hard."
Steele cited a bill she introduced that would have required loaded firearms to be locked away, if there was a possibility a child could get hold of them. That bill never made it to the House floor for a vote.
When asked about what the biggest differences are between him and his opponents, Orr responded:
"I’ve done everything I said I was going to do. I’ve passed more bills than the entire minority caucus," he said. "I know it’s a very partisan environment up there. I’ve worked to make it less partisan. Resolve conflicts. The bills that I’ve passed have brought tangible jobs to Tucson. I’ve been highly affective."
Steele said she and Orr see eye to eye on many issues. But, "he’s going to vote with the majority party most of the time. We tend to differ most when it comes to women’s health rights and gun control," she said.
Friese said his work as a surgeon has prepared him for the Legislature in a variety of ways.
"I’m in charge of a multidisciplinary team...I coalition build every day. I take information from a variety of sources and make decisions every day," he said. "So I have ease at making hard decisions and I’m used to working together in a group."
The two candidates with the most votes on the Nov. 4 general election will be heading to the state Capitol come January.
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