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Offering a fresh perspective – millennials and Gen Z run for state office
/news/2026/05/09/offering-a-fresh-perspective-millennials-and-gen-z-run-for-state-office/
Sat, 09 May 2026 15:00:44 +0000
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Key Points: About 16 candidates under the age of 30 are running for the Arizona House or Senate Candidates say they want to offer a younger perspective to better represent […]
The post Offering a fresh perspective – millennials and Gen Z run for state office first appeared on Arizona Capitol Times.]]>
Key Points:
About 16 candidates under the age of 30 are running for the Arizona House or Senate
Candidates say they want to offer a younger perspective to better represent today’s challenges
A state senator said it’s a risk people have to take and balance how they can support themselves and their families at the same time
The slate of candidates vying for a seat in the Arizona Legislature has a small but eager population of people under the age of 30.
At least 16 candidates fit that category, along with a few more under the age of 35, and they’re eager to bring a fresh perspective to the Senate and the House.
The average age of the Arizona Senate is about 57.6 years, while the House is just a bit younger at 51. The average age of Republicans is 56, while Democrats clock in at 49.
But age doesn’t always equate to maturity, said Sen. Flavio Bravo, D-Phoenix. Bravo was first elected to the House when he was 28, then appointed to the Senate. Now, he’s 31 and running for re-election. As someone who entered politics as a candidate under the age of 30, he said his experience has met his expectations.
Flavio Bravo, 31, who at this time was a state representative, speaks with people at a press conference for Moms Demand Action at the Arizona Capitol building in Phoenix on Jan. 25, 2023. The Phoenix Democrat is now a state senator. (Photo by Gage Skidmore)
“As a high school student, I think I was very optimistic about the idea of government and policymaking, and then when I actually visited the state Capitol, I was gravely disappointed,” he said.
He got involved in civic engagement during high school and college, and even as politics became more divisive and someone told him it would be like high school, with cliques, clubs and groups, Bravo didn’t shy away from it.
Overall, Bravo wouldn’t describe his experience as bad, adding that he’d like to see more young people get involved regardless of the risks.
“My wife always told me this. It’s the best time to take risks in your life,” he said. “When you’re even a little bit older, I think you become more careful and fearful of impacting or damaging any stability that you have.”
Timing isn’t really even the hardest part, but it’s the question of stability, he said. Some legislators have the financial ability to work at the Legislature as their only day job, especially if they’ve retired. But with a legislative salary of $24,000, young legislators like Bravo must often go back to a full-time job when the session ends or the chambers take extended breaks.
Like Bravo, the 16 candidates under the age of 30 want the same chance at political office. Three spoke to the Arizona Capitol Times about their interest in running for state government.
Brendan Trachsel, 25, is a candidate for Arizona House Legislative District 6. (Courtesy of Brendan Trachsel)
Brendan Trachsel, 25, is running for a House seat in Legislative District 6, challenging three Democrats, including incumbent Rep. Mae Peshlakai, D-Cameron.
Trachsel is a member of the Green Party and also a Quaker. He mostly grew up in San Diego, but moved back to Arizona in 2019 to attend Northern Arizona University, where he’s about to earn his master’s degree in counseling and student affairs. With a degree in hand, he’s headed for a full-time job at NAU. He rents in Flagstaff.
A do-it-yourself kind of guy, Trachsel said the current political discourse didn’t address the values and topics that were important to him and other young people.
“There’s no better way to ensure that your values and views are represented than doing it yourself, particularly when you start losing faith in the two-party system and just aren’t seeing anything too productive coming out of state government,” he said.
As one of three Green Party candidates, Trachsel said the letter next to your name should be the one that closest reflects your values. He said he shares a lot of ideas with the Democratic Party, but also works Independents and Republicans on other topics as well.
“When it comes to the actual party leadership themselves, there are things that they seem to always go against me and a lot of people on, particularly when it comes to money and politics and the role that it has,” he said. “Two options isn’t enough to truly capture the diversity of political beliefs in our system.”
If elected, Trachsel wants to work on topics that he calls the five paths to dignity, including labor rights, education, environment, democracy and privacy.
Trachsel said his generation has watched the government try to protect people and improve the quality of life, but they’ve seen things slip in the other direction.
“At the end of the day, we still have this vision and belief that government has the ability and maybe even the obligation to work to improve the lives of everyone that it oversees, and that if our current systems are not doing so, then it’s time for us to step up and let the new guard fill in,” he said.
The easiest part of campaigning so far has been face-to-face interactions and finding opportunities to make connections and ask people what’s on their minds. The hardest part has been trying to get endorsements from organizations.
When he’s not campaigning or getting ready to graduate and start a full-time job, Trachsel enjoys soap-making, hiking and hanging out with his friends and significant other.
Danielle Skranak, 30, with her dog, Zovina. She is a candidate for Arizona House Legislative District 2. (Courtesy of Danielle Skranak)
Danielle Skranak, 30, is a Republican running for a House seat in Legislative District 2. She’s challenging incumbent Rep. Justin Wilmeth, R-Phoenix, in the Republican primary.
Skranak calls Gilbert home and earned her bachelors of science in criminal justice at Arizona State University and has worked as a paralegal for 10 years, recently starting her own business. She rents a house in Phoenix. Skranak served in the Army as military police and a correctional officer at Fort Leavenworth prison.
Running for office wasn’t quite on her to-do list, but she was noticed through her work with nonprofit organizations that advocate for veterans and active duty military members. The Arizona Veteran Leadership Council approached her with the idea to run for office.
“They thought that I had a great resume and a good fortitude to want to be able to make change in my community, which is very true. I grew up here and I’m noticing a significant shift in which our state is heading,” she said.
Her platform includes addressing education needs, public safety and supporting small businesses.
Running for government at the age of 30 offers a view that differs from many current legislators, and while she doesn’t disregard the wisdom of incumbent lawmakers, she said their life experiences are different.
“I am paying a significant amount more in rents that the older legislators are just not aware of. They’re more established in their career. They have higher pay. Maybe they’re retired already,” she said, “and so they have this additional time to be able to run a campaign and pass bills and meet with constituents and lawmakers.”
It’s harder for younger people to thrive, she said, adding the difference between the salaries in Phoenix versus the housing market is way too significant to ignore. If she was able to buy a house instead of renting, she’d be able to lower her living expenses and pour that money into her business while also having a home to invest in, instead of getting a letter of good credit for the next rental place.
“I think there’s just a lot of different things that the younger candidates can offer that the older ones just can’t. They’re trying to fix a problem, I think a majority of the time that they’ve never experienced before, which makes things a lot tougher,” Skranak said.
The easiest part, she said, is harnessing her own energy into meeting people, talking with lawmakers, policymakers, campaign managers, constituents and knocking on doors, she said. The hardest part has been the learning curve that comes along elections, politics and government.
“This is a playing field like no other,” she said.
When she’s not working as a paralegal or campaigning, Skranak spends time with her German shepherd, Zovina. They hike together and visit Lake Bartlett where Zovina loves to swim. On any given weekend, Skranak may also be found riding her Harley Davidson motorcycle with friends.
“I just randomly bought a brand new Harley right off the showroom floor and learned how to ride,” she said. She’s been riding for about three years. “We have a great riding community here in Phoenix. They’re the best people in the world.”
Eric Stafford, 28, a candidate for state senate legislative district 29. (Courtesy of Eric Stafford)
Eric Stafford, 28, is a Democrat running for state senator in LD 29, challenging incumbent Sen. Janae Shamp, R-Surprise. He calls Goodyear home and has worked as an aviation mechanic, veterinary technician and medical assisting. He rents.
He received his first taste of politics working on U.S. Senator Mark Kelly’s campaign as a field organizer, and he also spent time at the Legislature as a constituent.
“Just being kind of disenchanted by the fact that a lot of these people who are dictating policy are not doing so seemingly to help us, but for their own personal interests,” he said. “I think it’s just antithetical to what politics should be. I want to see politicians working for us and making our lives easier and not passing ridiculous bills anymore.”
His platform includes education, addressing how politicians are supported and getting dark money out of politics, and affordability.
Stafford said young people have more to lose than others who are at the end of their careers or retired.
“A motto that I like to think of is making policy and doing things for those that come after us, and the previous generation of politicians have not set us up for success,” he said. “Young people like us don’t have great prospects for the future, so we need to do something now before it’s too late.”
The easiest part of campaigning is talking to voters and hearing their stories and the hardest part involves running the campaign, which just about amounts to operating a business, he said.
When he’s not campaigning or focusing on his career as a medical assistant, Stafford does woodworking, focuses on his health and is learning to play the trumpet. The post Offering a fresh perspective – millennials and Gen Z run for state office first appeared on Arizona Capitol Times.]]>
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New law prohibits overnight protests and encampments on Arizona campuses
/news/2025/10/03/new-law-prohibits-overnight-protests-and-encampments-on-arizona-campuses/
Fri, 03 Oct 2025 21:30:14 +0000
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Key Points: New law bans overnight encampments on campus Law was introduced in response to pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel protests last year State university officials say current campus use policies align […]
The post New law prohibits overnight protests and encampments on Arizona campuses first appeared on Arizona Capitol Times.]]>
Key Points:
New law bans overnight encampments on campus
Law was introduced in response to pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel protests last year
State university officials say current campus use policies align with the law
Activists and students who want to protest on campus will no longer be able to set up encampments and stay overnight.
A new law outlaws unauthorized encampments and directs university and community college presidents to immediately call for the dismantling of temporary shelters and to contact law enforcement if protesters don’t comply.
Failure to comply could result in a charge of criminal trespass.
The law also applies to encampments that remain in place for a prolonged period.
The legislation was introduced last session by Rep. Alma Hernandez, D-Tucson, as House Bill 2880 and signed into law by Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs despite opposition from fellow Democrats.
Hernandez previously said she introduced the bill in response to the pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel protests last year, and talked about Jewish students facing harassment while on campus.
Democrats who opposed the measure pointed to examples of pro-Palestine protestors across the country receiving harassment, including those who’ve had their visas revoked for participating in protests.
Critics of the law argued that it could violate protesters’ First Amendment rights and expose them to targeted harassment based on their political beliefs.
“It really just feels like another form of weaponization and militarization on campus,” said Alberto Plantillas, central regional director for the Arizona Students’ Association and a graduate student at Arizona State University.
The majority of Republicans in the House and Senate supported the bill when it passed through the Legislature, although some expressed concern that conservative groups could be targeted under the law.
However, the legislators who supported the law said it was needed to protect Jewish students during what they viewed as a time of increased antisemitism.
Current state laws allow students and faculty to protest “within the limits of reasonable viewpoint and content-neutral restrictions on time, place and manner of expression.” Campus protesters are already prohibited from engaging in “unlawful” activities that disrupt the functioning of a university or college.
Spokespeople for the state’s three public universities highlighted existing campus policies that already aligned with the law.
The campus use policies for the three universities already ban encampments and offer guidelines for using public forums and outdoor activity space, erecting temporary structures, posting flyers, using campus spaces at night, and complying with university officials and law enforcement.
The University of Arizona’s campus use policy serves as a “mechanism” to support First Amendment rights, said university spokesman Mitch Zak.
“Our approach is that the dean of students office addresses any violations first and (the University of Arizona Police Department) is kind of a support should things escalate,” Zak said.
Zak said the university’s dean of students office aims to be proactive in preserving student First Amendment rights, and looks to work with student groups to make sure they don’t violate campus policies when they protest.
He recalled protests that occurred last year without any encampment issues.
“We’re constantly engaged saying we want to help you exercise your free speech on campus and the campus use policy is designed to do that,” he said. “That connectivity is critical so hopefully we’re not in a position where we have to enforce the campus use policy but … the campus use policy helps enforce opportunities for free speech.”
Plantillas said officials at the state’s universities haven’t appeared to be receptive to student input regarding protest policies and free speech issues.
“It seems like they continue isolating themselves from any student input on this,” he said.
Plantillas said he believes the crackdowns on campus protests and First Amendment violations will only continue to worsen.
“I think the students are just seeing this as a normalization process, but a lot of them have already seen the worst on campus,” he said. “I think that’s something that’s very disgraceful.”The post New law prohibits overnight protests and encampments on Arizona campuses first appeared on Arizona Capitol Times.]]>
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Spring cleaning: Arizona’s big 3 universities announce renovations
/news/2025/09/19/spring-cleaning-arizonas-big-three-universities-announce-renovations/
Fri, 19 Sep 2025 16:09:11 +0000
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Key Points: All three Arizona public universities provided updates for projects across their campuses. ASU plans to spend $676 million on seven projects, UofA is spending $335 million on four […]
The post Spring cleaning: Arizona’s big 3 universities announce renovations first appeared on Arizona Capitol Times.]]>
Key Points:
All three Arizona public universities provided updates for projects across their campuses.
ASU plans to spend $676 million on seven projects, UofA is spending $335 million on four projects and NAU has a $98 million budget for two projects.
The Arizona Board of Regents has approved the Annual Capital Plans for each Arizona public university.
Arizona State University, the University of Arizona and Northern Arizona University disclosed their annual capital plans for the 2026 fiscal year on Sept. 11, revealing plans for deferred maintenance and renovations across all three campuses.
The three public universities presented their 2026 financial budgets to the Arizona Board of Regents during a University Governance & Operations Committee meeting, where updates on thirteen various projects were approved.
“House cleaning is never fun, and ABOR is cleaning out its attic,” Doug Goodyear, the chair of ABOR, said. “It’s all for the greater good and will make us a more modern and better institution.”
ASU’s fiscal plan stood as the largest physically and monetarily with seven projects totaling $676 million:
The ASU Health Building will cost $200 million and will be 200,000 gross square feet. The building will serve as a headquarters for ASU Health at the Downtown Phoenix campus. The plans for the building were previously brought up to ABOR in September 2024 and were approved. It’s expected the building will be finished in June 2028. The project will be debt-financed with speed bonds and system revenue bonds.
The McCain Center is expected to be a $187 million project, financed through federal grants and university funds. The center will be 68,000 gross square feet, situated on top of the site where the ASU Community Service building is located, next to Papago Park. The building will have a museum, library and academic spaces. The building is scheduled to be completed in January 2028.
The PSH Research Laboratory Complex Modernization has a $115 million budget and will renovate the Bateman Physical Sciences Center on the ASU Tempe Campus. The project will focus on renovating labs and office spaces inside the building. Planning for the project began in 2024, with construction projected to start in December 2025. ABOR originally approved the project in September 2024.
ASU’s Polytechnic Student Union Expansion is projected to cost $66 million and will go toward renovating and expanding the Student Union on the Polytechnic campus. Planning for the project began in August 2023, and construction is expected to start in May 2026. ABOR originally approved the project in September 2024 and will be debt-financed.
Costing $51 million, the East Athletic Village Tennis and Track and Field Facilities will focus on moving the Tennis and Track and Field facilities to the ASU Athletic Village in Tempe. The project was submitted to ABOR in 2024, and is expected to be completed in June 2027. The project will be debt-financed with system revenue bonds.
MTW Partnership Renovations is a $42 million project meant to renovate equipment and lab spaces at MacroTechnology Works at the ASU Research Park in Tempe. This project was not previously pitched to ABOR. The project will be debt financed with system revenue bonds and is projected to be completed in December 2028.
The Central Plant Transformer and Switchgear has a budget of $15 million. The project will replace five 12,700-volt substation transformers inside the central plant at the Tempe campus. The project was approved in September 2024 and will be debt-financed. Construction is expected to begin in May 2026 and will be finished in December 2029.
“We’re the largest producer of STEM majors in the United States,” Michael Crow, ASU president, said in the meeting. “So this is a critical contribution that we’re making to the Arizona economy.”
For the UA, its Annual Capital Plan consisted of four projects, totaling over $335 million:
The Center for Advanced Molecular and Immunological Therapies project was presented to the board in both 2023 and 2024, costing $232 million. The project serves as an expansion of the Phoenix Bioscience Core. It will consist of a 205,000 gross square foot facility housing the Center for Molecular and Immunological Therapies and other laboratory support services. The building will be in Downtown Phoenix. Construction for the building started in 2024 and is projected to finish in May 2027. The project will be funded using system revenue bonds, ARPA funds, gifts to finance and tuition.
The UofA introduced the Athletics Deferred Maintenance and Infrastructure Upgrades project to the board for the first time, revealing a total cost of $50 million. The project will invest in upgrading UofA sports facilities and is expected to be finished by June 2026. The project’s budget will be financed through SPEED revenue bonds.
At $33.5 million, the Deferred Maintenance project will be responsible for campus-wide repairs and updates. It is expected to be finished by June 2026. $30 million of the project will be financed through system revenue bonds, with $3.5 million funded through institutional sources.
The Student Experience and Student Union Deferred Maintenance has a $20 million budget and had no prior action from ABOR. The money will go toward modernizing the building and promoting sustainability. Like the other deferred maintenance project from UofA, the project is projected to be finished in June 2026. The project will be funded using SPEED revenue bonds.
“Our Student Union was constructed in 2001, which was the last time it had major systems upgrades,” said Josh Wright, the chief facilities and planning officer at the UofA. “We’re interested in looking both within the union as well as campus wide and places that our students can gather, … share experiences and really build that campus culture that we are seeking.”
Northern Arizona University, being the smallest school of the three, had two major projects to fund, totaling $98 million:
The New Nursing Building project will cost $50 million. The project was previously proposed to ABOR. Located at the North campus science corridor, the building will be the new location for the College of Nursing and will serve to assist NAU’s expansion into health care. The project will be debt-financed through system revenue bonds and is expected to be completed by August 2029.
The Cline Library project will cost $48 million, addressing critical maintenance needs and upgrades. The project was previously brought up to the board and will be finished by December 2028. The project will be debt-financed with system revenue bonds.
“We would better optimize the space within the Cline Library and relocate from the Babbitt academic building, which would be demolished into this building,” said Bjorn Karlen Flugstad, the senior vice president and CFO of NAU. “Cline Library would be open throughout this entire process.”
University representatives at the ABOR meeting reported how federal policies have affected student enrollment and grant money.
The three universities are facing challenges in recruiting out-of-state students for the upcoming year due to government stressors.
“Our biggest disruption in the process is disruption of the visas because of political changes,” Crow said. “We’ll work our way through those. Those will eventually be solved.”
Correction: This story has been updated with the correct figures for the projected costs of the ASU Health Building and the Center for Advanced Molecular and Immunological Therapies.The post Spring cleaning: Arizona’s big 3 universities announce renovations first appeared on Arizona Capitol Times.]]>
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NAU creates pathway for Indigenous educators to earn degrees
/news/2023/11/22/nau-creates-pathway-for-indigenous-educators-to-earn-degrees/
Thu, 23 Nov 2023 00:27:52 +0000
Northern Arizona University’s Preparing Indigenous Teachers for Arizona Schools, or PITAS, is a program that allows paraprofessionals, educational assistants and others already embedded in schools on or bordering one of Arizona’s 22 Native Nations to obtain their teaching degree and certification.
The post NAU creates pathway for Indigenous educators to earn degrees first appeared on Arizona Capitol Times.]]>
Correction: Puts the correct title of Angelina Castagno in the article as Professor and Chair of the Department of Educational Leadership at Northern Arizona University. Tanya Tso has worked in...
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Hobbs says UA should not balance budget shortfall by cutting financial aid
/news/2023/11/13/hobbs-says-ua-should-not-balance-budget-shortfall-by-cutting-financial-aid/
Mon, 13 Nov 2023 21:19:11 +0000
The post Hobbs says UA should not balance budget shortfall by cutting financial aid first appeared on Arizona Capitol Times.]]>
Gov. Katie Hobbs said Monday she doesn’t believe the University of Arizona should be balancing its newly disclosed budget shortfall by cutting financial aid which is being considered. The governor...
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484163
Fighting fire with fire: How prescribed burns protect forests in northern Arizona
/news/2023/11/08/fighting-fire-with-fire-how-prescribed-burns-protect-forests-in-northern-arizona/
Wed, 08 Nov 2023 20:11:14 +0000
The Kendrick Prescribed Fire Project was one of the first of many prescribed burns this fall and winter throughout Arizona with the goal of protecting forest lands and surrounding communities from the threat of potential catastrophic wildfires.
The post Fighting fire with fire: How prescribed burns protect forests in northern Arizona first appeared on Arizona Capitol Times.]]>
By Kate Duffy Cronkite News It was just before 8 a.m. on a clear fall day, when trucks carrying fire crews barreled down dirt roads into Kaibab National Forest. Shortly...
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Compromise is possible for future of our state
/news/2023/10/05/compromise-is-possible-for-future-of-our-state/
Thu, 05 Oct 2023 19:03:35 +0000
There is bipartisan consensus about the need to keep a public university education within reach of every Arizona resident student.
The post Compromise is possible for future of our state first appeared on Arizona Capitol Times.]]>
Much is made of the polarized times in which we live. Perhaps too much. Because we have seen what is possible even under divided state government. This is my second...
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Northern Arizona University plans new medical school amid statewide doctor shortage
/news/2023/09/29/northern-arizona-university-plans-new-medical-school-amid-statewide-doctor-shortage/
Fri, 29 Sep 2023 20:28:49 +0000
Northern Arizona University plans to build a new medical school as part of a greater effort to address an ongoing shortage of health care workers in the state, the Arizona Board of Regents announced Friday.
The post Northern Arizona University plans new medical school amid statewide doctor shortage first appeared on Arizona Capitol Times.]]>
FLAGSTAFF (AP) — Northern Arizona University plans to build a new medical school as part of a greater effort to address an ongoing shortage of health care workers in the...
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Arizona State University to create medical school in response to doctors, nurses shortage
/news/2023/06/02/arizona-state-university-to-create-medical-school-in-response-to-doctors-nurses-shortage/
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Fri, 02 Jun 2023 18:47:29 +0000
Arizona State University will establish its own medical school amid an ongoing shortage of health care workers across the state.
The post Arizona State University to create medical school in response to doctors, nurses shortage first appeared on Arizona Capitol Times.]]>
TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Arizona State University will establish its own medical school amid an ongoing shortage of health care workers across the state. University President Michael Crow and the...
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Hobbs bans TikTok from state work devices
/news/2023/04/05/hobbs-bans-tiktok-from-state-work-devices/
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Thu, 06 Apr 2023 00:08:34 +0000