Debbie Lesko: Difference between revisions

Lesko served in the [[Arizona Senate]] from 2015 to 2018. She was [[president pro tempore]] of the Arizona Senate from 2017 to 2018.<ref name="AL">{{cite web |url=http://www.azleg.gov/MembersPage.asp?Member_ID=21&Legislature=52&Session_ID=115 |title=Debbie Lesko |publisher=[[Arizona State Legislature]] |location=Phoenix, Arizona |access-date=January 2, 2014 |archive-date=March 5, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305151218/http://www.azleg.gov/MembersPage.asp?Member_ID=21&Legislature=52&Session_ID=115 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Lesko also served as a member of [[Arizona House of Representatives]] from 2009 until 2015. She became the Representative for Arizona's 8th congressional district after winning a [[2018 Arizona's 8th congressional district special election|2018 special election]].<ref name="AZC1">{{cite web|first1=Ronald J.|last1=Hansen|first2=Yvonne|last2=Wingett-Sanchez|first3=Dan|last3=Nowicki|url=https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/arizona/2017/12/07/trent-franks-said-stepping-down-congress/932052001/|title=Trent Franks stepping down from Congress amid complaints from 2 former female staffers|newspaper=[[The Arizona Republic]]|date=December 12, 2017}}</ref>

 

 

==Early life and education==

 

==Early career==

In the early 2000s, Lesko became involved in the [[Peoria Unified School District]] where she served on the district's community committee. In 2006, she ran for school board. Lesko was endorsed by U.S. Representative [[Trent Franks]]. She placed fourth out of five candidates. She participated in school board meetings and was a contributor to ''[[The Arizona Republic]]''. Her contributions to the newspaper included opinion pieces about [[illegal immigration]] and domestic violence.<ref name="Hansen" />

 

 

In 2014, Lesko was elected to the [[Arizona Senate|Arizona State Senate]]. She was endorsed by the Arizona Police Association, AZ Right to Life, and the [[Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce]]. She ran unopposed in the Republican primary and defeated Democratic nominee [[Carolyn Vasko]] in the general election. In 2016, she ran unopposed in the primary and general election.<ref name="ballotpedia.org"/>

{{main|2018 United States House of Representatives elections in Arizona#District 8}}

 

 

In January 2018, Lesko's campaign committee, Re-elect Debbie Lesko for Senate, gave $50,000 to the Conservative Leadership for Arizona, a federal PAC authorized to [[Independent expenditure|spend independently of other campaigns]]. It was created eight days before taking the money from Lesko's state campaign committee.<ref name="CFC">{{cite web|last1=Hansen|first1=Ronald J.|title=Debbie Lesko accused of moving $50K from campaign to a PAC that backs ... Lesko|url=https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/elections/2018/02/21/debbie-lesko-accused-moving-50-k-campaign-pac-backs-lesko/361429002|newspaper=Arizona Republic|date=February 21, 2018}}</ref> The PAC raised almost no other cash and used the money to support Lesko with yard signs, while her congressional campaign spent heavily on television ads. [[Phil Lovas]], a candidate in the Republican primary, complained to the [[Federal Election Commission]] and Arizona Attorney General alleging multiple violations in February 2018.<ref name="CFC" />

=== Committee assignments ===

For the [[118th United States Congress|118th Congress]]:<ref>{{cite web |title=Debbie Lesko |url=https://clerk.house.gov/members/L000589 |publisher=Clerk of the United States House of Representatives |access-date=23 April 2023}}</ref>

** [[United States House Energy Subcommittee on Energy, Climate, and Grid Security|Subcommittee on Energy, Climate, and Grid Security]]

** [[United States House Energy Subcommittee on Innovation, Data, and Commerce|Subcommittee on Innovation, Data, and Commerce]]

** [[United States House Energy Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations|Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations]]

 

=== Caucus memberships ===

 

===Environment and energy===

 

In 2016, Lesko crafted a measure that would give Arizona utilities the right to charge separate rates for customers who produced their own energy through [[solar panels]] in order to prevent $600 million in subsidies from non-solar customers to solar customers.<ref name="Services">{{Cite news|url=http://tucson.com/news/state-and-regional/measure-allows-utilities-to-charge-separate-rates-for-solar-customers/article_bc26a8f1-7d7d-5bec-904b-9c48ac2ef728.html|title=Measure allows utilities to charge separate rates for solar customers|agency=Howard Fischer Capitol Media Services|work=[[The Arizona Daily Star]]|date=April 27, 2016|access-date=April 22, 2018|language=en}}</ref> She crafted the measure with the utilities' assistance.<ref name="Services"/>

 

===Gun policy===

 

===Health care===

 

[[File:Debbie Lesko (27816240978).jpg|right|thumb|Debbie Lesko at a campaign event in Peoria, Arizona.]]

*2012: Redistricted to District 21 alongside fellow Republican Representative [[Rick Gray (Arizona politician)|Rick Gray]], and with incumbent Republican Representatives [[Thomas Forese]] and [[J. D. Mesnard]] redistricted to District 17, Lesko ran in the August 28 Republican primary, placing first with 14,771 votes;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.azsos.gov/election/2012/Primary/Canvass.pdf |title=State of Arizona Official Canvass 2012 Primary Election August 28, 2012 |publisher=[[Secretary of State of Arizona]] |location=Phoenix, Arizona |page=11 |access-date=January 2, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131112230133/http://www.azsos.gov/election/2012/Primary/Canvass.pdf |archive-date=November 12, 2013 }}</ref> in the five-way November 6 general election, she took the first seat with 41,023 votes and Gray the second, ahead of Democratic nominees Carol Lokare, Sheri Van Horsen and a [[Libertarian Party of Arizona|Libertarian]] [[write-in candidate]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.azsos.gov/election/2012/General/Canvass2012GE.pdf |title=State of Arizona Official Canvass 2012 General Election November 6, 2012 |publisher=Secretary of State of Arizona |location=Phoenix, Arizona |page=12 |access-date=January 2, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131112235642/http://www.azsos.gov/election/2012/General/Canvass2012GE.pdf |archive-date=November 12, 2013 }}</ref>

*2010: With Murphy running for [[Arizona Senate]], leaving a District 9 seat open, Lesko ran in the August 24 Republican primary and placed first with 14,498 votes;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.azsos.gov/election/2010/Primary/Canvass2010PE.pdf |title=State of Arizona Official Canvass 2010 Primary Election – August 24, 2010 |publisher=Secretary of State of Arizona |location=Phoenix, Arizona |page=11 |access-date=January 2, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130920214102/http://azsos.gov/election/2010/Primary/Canvass2010PE.pdf |archive-date=September 20, 2013 }}</ref> in the three-way November 2 general election, she took the first seat with 32,423 votes and Gray took the second, ahead of Democratic nominee Shirley McAllister.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.azsos.gov/election/2010/General/Canvass2010GE.pdf |title=State of Arizona Official Canvass 2010 General Election – November 2, 2010 |publisher=Secretary of State of Arizona |location=Phoenix, Arizona |page=8 |access-date=January 2, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130920230737/http://azsos.gov/election/2010/General/Canvass2010GE.pdf |archive-date=September 20, 2013 }}</ref>

{{s-prec|usa}}

{{s-bef|before=[[John Curtis (Utah politician)|John Curtis]]}}

{{s-aft|after=[[Michael Cloud]]}}

{{s-end}}

[[Category:21st-century American legislators]]

[[Category:21st-century American women politicians]]

[[Category:Republican Party Arizona state senators]]

[[Category:Female members of the United States House of Representatives]]

[[Category:Wisconsin School of Business alumni]]

[[Category:Women state legislators in Arizona]]