Who will represent the residents in state legislative Districts 9 and 10 will, for the most part, not be decided until November.
All the candidates on the ballot will advance from Augustâs primary election to the general election, where there will be contested races in three of the four races.
At least one race â the LD9 senate seat â has already been unofficially decided. No one is challenging Democratic incumbent Sen. Steve Farley.
In the LD9 House race, three candidates â two Democrats and one Republican â will be vying for the two seats.
Dr. Randy Friese, a trauma surgeon who helped save U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffordsâ life after the Jan. 9, 2011, mass shooting, has thrown his hat into the ring in the LD9 House race, blocking an uncontested walk back into office for the two incumbents.
Friese, a Democrat, will be running against LD9 incumbents Ethan Orr, a Republican, and fellow Democrat Victoria Steele.
In the District 10 Senate race, incumbent Sen. David Bradley, a Democrat, will face Republican opponent retired Air Force Lt. Colonel Mark Morrison in November.
The LD10 House race has the most candidates â two from each party â fighting over two seats in November.
Reps. Stefanie Mach and Bruce Wheeler, both Democratic incumbents, are facing Republican challengers Bill Wildish, a teacher, and Todd Clodfelter, a small business owner.
Legislative District 9
Senate
Steve Farley
Party: Democrat
Age: 51
Employer and position: Owner of Stephen Farley Design.
Education: Bachelorâs degree in political science from Williams College.
Political experience: State senator; former state representative.
Top priority: Creating sustainable transportation funding.
House of Representatives
Ethan Orr
Party: Republican
Age: 40
Employer: Current state representative; executive director of Linkages of Arizona; adjunct assistant professor, University of Arizona.
Education: Bachelorâs degree in history and masterâs in public administration degree from the UA.
Political experience: Current state representative.
Top priority: Improving educational opportunities, build a better workforce.
Victoria Steele
Party: Democrat
Age: 57
Employer and position: Current state representative, instructor at the University of Phoenix and Prescott College, counselor in private practice.
Education: Bachelorâs degree in counseling psychology from Prescott College, masterâs degree in counseling from the University of Phoenix.
Political experience: Current state representative.
Top priority: Creating higher paying jobs in a sustainable economy; making sure Arizona invests in education.
Dr. Randy Friese
Party: Democrat
Age: 50
Employer and position: Associate professor of surgery at the UA College of Medicine.
Education: Bachelorâs of science in biochemistry, University of Maryland; MD from the University of Maryland College of Medicine; masterâs of clinical sciences, University of Texas Southwestern Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.
Political experience: Never held elected office
Top priorities: Adequately fund and support public education.
Legislative District 10
Senate
David Bradley
Party: Democrat
Age: 61
Employer and position: Current state senator, chief development officer at La Frontera Arizona
Education: Bachelorâs in Psychology, University of Maryland; masterâs of education, Old Dominion University; MBA, University of Phoenix
Political experience: Current state senator, former member of the Arizona House of Representatives
Top priorities: Funding for schools and state universities, sentencing reform
Mark Morrison
Party: Republican
Age: 61
Employer and position: Retired Air Force lieutenant colonel; retired Lockheed Martin executive
Education: Bachelorâs in international relations, Brigham Young University; masterâs in international relations, Troy State University; masterâs in National Security Affairs Naval Postgraduate School
Political experience: Never held elected office; former deputy chief of staff for U.S. Sen. Robert Bennett of Utah.
Top priorities: Job creation, improve state education system
House of Representatives
Bruce Wheeler
Party: Democrat
Age: 66
Employer and position: Current state representative, photographer.
Education: Bachelorâs in international relations, the UA; MBA, University of Phoenix.
Political experience: State representative, 1975-1977; Tucson City Council member, 1987-1995; state representative, 2010-present
Top priority: Quality public education, jobs and economic growth
Stefanie Mach
Party: Democrat
Age: 34
Employer and position: Current state representative
Education: Bachelorâs in international studies and Spanish, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point; masterâs in Public Policy in education, Brown University.
Political experience: Current state representative
Top priority: State must invest in education for a stronger economy.
Todd Clodfelter
Party: Republican
Age: 57
Employer and position: Owner/operator of Ace Graphics/3D-Teez.
Education: Bachelorâs degree in speech communication, the UA.
Political experience: Never held elected office, chairman of the LD30 Republican Party (prior to redistricting).
Top priority: Job creation.
Bill Wildish
Party: Republican
Age: 64
Employer and position: Rincon High School teacher.
Education: Bachelorâs in engineering, University of Missouri.
Political experience: Former mayor of Herculaneum, Missouri.
Top priorities: Improving high school education, focus on technical skills.
