Campaign photo Steve Kaiser
Ray Stern
Arizona Republic
Sen. Steve Kaiser, a Republican whose bipartisanship efforts drew the wrath of the far-right-wing, announced he’ll resign from the Legislature on June 16 in part to try and get more Republicans who back center-right policies elected.
The announcement came after his effort to pass a comprehensive, bipartisan bill to boost affordable housing failed, and also followed a tough legislative session for Republicans in which Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs set a new record for vetoes.
“Watching good conservative policies be vetoed has made me become more focused on a desire to grow our majority,” Kaiser said in a resignation letter sent to precinct committeemen in his north Phoenix-based Legislative District 2.
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The district, which runs from about Thunderbird Road to the Phoenix Sonoran Desert Preserve between Interstate 17 and State Route 51, is one of five competitive legislative districts in the state, out of 30 total, meaning that Republican or Democratic candidates have roughly equal chance of winning there. Besides having Kaiser as a senator, its House of Representatives members are split politically between Republican Rep. Justin Wilmeth and Democratic Rep. Judy Schwiebert.
Steve Kaiser has held a seat in the Legislature.
Kaiser plans to lead a new, politically oriented nonprofit he founded, which he calls the Arizona Prosperity Project, which will “focus on growing the Republican majority in the Legislature and electing conservative school board members across the state. The non-profit will also focus on developing good conservative policies around issues that impact every Arizonan,” the letter stated.
