1. Water Security and Drought: Agriculture depends on reliable water, yet Arizona faces long-term pressure on the Colorado River and groundwater supplies. We need conservation, better water infrastructure, recycling and reuse, groundwater recharge, responsible use of brackish water, and new water sources—while ensuring farmers and rural communities are not disproportionately forced to carry the burden of conservation. 2. Rising Costs and Workforce Challenges: Farmers, ranchers, miners, and other natural-resource businesses are dealing with higher costs for fuel, electricity, equipment, insurance, labor, and transportation. Arizona should reduce unnecessary regulatory burdens, strengthen agricultural and skilled-trade workforce programs, improve rural infrastructure, and protect small and family-owned operations from being priced out. 3. Growth and Competition for Land, Water, and Energy: Arizona's rapid growth—including housing, industrial development, and large data centers—is creating greater competition for limited resources. Economic development is important, but major new projects should demonstrate sustainable water and energy plans rather than shifting their costs and resource demands onto existing residents, farmers, and rural communities.

As Governor, I will make sure Arizona’s farmers and ranchers have a seat at the table when decisions are made about water, land, energy, regulation, and economic development. My role will be to protect reliable water access by investing in conservation, groundwater recharge, water reuse, infrastructure, and new water supplies, while making sure agriculture is not expected to carry an unfair share of Arizona’s water reductions. I will work to lower unnecessary regulatory and operating burdens, strengthen rural infrastructure, expand agricultural workforce and skilled-trade programs, and support Arizona-grown products and family farms and ranches. I will also demand greater accountability from water- and energy-intensive developments, including large data centers, so their growth does not come at the expense of rural communities or existing agricultural producers. Most importantly, I will listen directly to farmers and ranchers before policies affecting their livelihoods are implemented. Arizona cannot have long-term food, water, or economic security without a strong agricultural community, and as Governor I will treat agriculture as an essential part of our state’s future.

Water security will be one of my highest priorities as Governor, and agriculture must have a meaningful voice in every major water decision. On the Colorado River, I will aggressively defend Arizona’s allocation in interstate and federal negotiations while recognizing that conservation must be shared fairly. Farmers cannot continually be asked to absorb reductions while Arizona approves new water-intensive development without demonstrating a sustainable water supply. I will push for conservation incentives, infrastructure improvements, water recycling and reuse, groundwater recharge, and development of additional supplies, including responsible treatment of brackish groundwater and evaluation of desalination partnerships.

For rural groundwater, I do not believe Phoenix should impose a one-size-fits-all solution on communities with very different aquifers, economies, and agricultural needs. I support locally driven groundwater management that brings farmers, ranchers, rural residents, Tribal communities, municipalities, water experts, and other stakeholders together to develop basin-specific solutions. The state should provide reliable groundwater data, technical assistance, infrastructure funding, and enforcement where necessary, while giving local communities a meaningful role in determining conservation and management strategies. My goal is straightforward: protect Arizona’s water for future generations without destroying the farms, ranches, and rural communities that have helped build this state.

Arizona agriculture is part of who we are, and as Governor I will make sure our farmers and ranchers have a real voice in decisions that impact their water, land, and livelihoods. We need to protect family farms, support rural communities, reduce unnecessary burdens, and make sure agriculture is not always expected to sacrifice its water so Arizona can continue to grow. Large water-intensive developments must also be responsible for their impact and have sustainable water plans. Most importantly, I will listen to the people actually working our land. I believe we can grow Arizona while protecting our agriculture, water, and rural way of life for future generations.

Arizona’s agricultural and natural resource industries are critical to our economic security, food security, and heritage - and we must protect them. First and foremost, water uncertainty must be addressed. Arizona must fight for our fair share of Colorado River water. We cannot shoulder a disproportionate amount of the cuts while the Upper Basin states take no reductions. We must continue to be a leader in water management innovation, which our agriculture community has led on from smart irrigation controllers to soil mositure sensors and more. Secondly, agriculture and natural resource industries face economic pressures from rising costs including energy, fertilizer, equipment, labor, and supply chains. Finally, like most industries, workforce shortages are a real challenge, and we need to ensure we are creating and supporting a pipeline of workforce talent for the future.

As Secretary of State, my role in directly impacting policy regarding farmers and ranchers is limited. However, through the Office's business administration services, I am committed to streamlining services so all businesses, including farmers and ranchers, can manage filings quickly, efficiently, and at the speed of business. In my first term, we were able to reduce wait times on certain services from weeks to days. Further, I am dedicated to ensuring that rural voters and agricultural workers in all 15 counties have secure access to the ballot box so their voices can shape the policies affecting their livelihoods.

Arizona leads the nation in water management, doing more with less and continually innovating for the future. As your organization knows, Arizona uses less water today than it did in the 1950s despite growth. Water security requires a balanced, steadfast approach. While not in my direct role, I will always strongly advocate for defending Arizona’s legal rights to our fair share of Colorado River water. We have done so much with less, and the Upper Basin states must do the same. I also support the notion that we can have locally driven and practical groundwater solutions that empower local communities and our agricultural communities to make decisions that are right for them.

I grew up on a ranch in Nogales and our farming and ranching community is very close to my heart. You all are essential partners in preserving our state’s rich heritage, economy, and food security. From citrus to cotton to cattle, agriculture and ranching contributes billions of dollars to our economy every year. State government must serve as a reliable, efficient partner by offering regulatory predictability, seamless business services that cut red tape, and robust representation so our agriculture industries continue to thrive and support our way of life for generations to come.

First, water security. Farmers and ranchers need dependable supplies and predictable rules to make investments that take years to pay off. Uncertainty over Colorado River supplies and declining groundwater levels threaten both existing operations and the next generation’s ability to stay on the land.

Second, the cost of remaining in business. Energy, equipment, labor, financing, and regulatory compliance all affect whether an operation can survive. Government should reduce unnecessary costs and delays, protect private property, and give producers room to innovate.

Third, keeping rural Arizona economically and politically strong. Agricultural land, grazing access, and the businesses that support farming and ranching face competing demands. Too often, policy discussions treat agriculture as a source of land and water for other uses without considering what happens to the communities left behind. Keeping Arizona agriculture productive must be an explicit state priority.

As Secretary of State, I will focus on running an office that rural Arizonans can trust and readily access. That means working with county election officials to address the practical challenges of serving remote communities, protecting lawful votes, and administering election rules fairly and consistently. Rural citizens deserve a meaningful voice in the decisions that determine their future.

My opponent has mismanaged his business services division. As a consequence, our state now faces a UCC filing backlog that is taking money directly out of the pockets of rural Arizona businesses that depend on that system. Fixing this will be one of my first priorities.

I will also make the office’s business filing services efficient and accessible and make published state rules and notices easier to find and follow. Farmers and ranchers should spend their time running their operations, not navigating avoidable paperwork.

Beyond those responsibilities, I will use my statewide platform and legislative experience to advocate for secure water supplies, private property rights, and affordable energy. I will maintain direct communication with Farm Bureau and agricultural producers so that my advocacy reflects conditions on the ground.

My position is that Arizona must defend its Colorado River supplies and pursue additional water. I will advocate for agricultural producers to have a direct voice in negotiations affecting their livelihoods and respect for existing water rights. Conservation agreements should be voluntary, fairly compensated, and evaluated for their effects on the surrounding rural economy.

We must also pursue economically sound projects that expand usable supplies, including water reuse, treatment of brackish groundwater, and infrastructure improvements. Conservation and new supplies should work together.

For rural groundwater, I favor solutions built around local conditions, sound hydrology, and enforceable private property rights.

I will advocate for that approach and work with legislators and water officials to advance it.

A state that wants a secure future should value its ability to produce food and fiber. Arizona’s farmers and ranchers also sustain businesses, maintain working landscapes, and pass practical knowledge from one generation to the next.

My approach begins with respect for the people who do that work. I want Arizona to remain a place where a family can build a productive operation, improve it, and pass it on. That requires secure property rights, dependable water, and a government that listens to producers before making decisions that affect their livelihoods.

The three biggest challenges facing these industries are water security, workforce and infrastructure needs, and the ability to responsibly manage our natural resources while maintaining a competitive economy.

Water is fundamental not only to farmers and ranchers, but also to mining, forestry, and the rural communities that depend on these industries. Arizona needs reliable water supplies and balanced, practical management policies that recognize the specific needs of different regions and different industries.

Second, agriculture and natural resource industries need a reliable workforce and the infrastructure necessary to compete. That includes roads, reliable and affordable energy, processing capacity, and other investments that allow rural businesses to grow and create competitive, good paying jobs.

Third, Arizona must balance economic opportunity with responsible stewardship. Our forests, rangelands, mineral resources, state trust lands, and agricultural lands are valuable economic assets, but they must be managed with a long-term perspective. That includes improving forest health, reducing wildfire risk, and ensuring that regulation is practical and based on sound science. Natural disasters are not only tragic but extremely costly to taxpayers in the short and long run.

These challenges fit directly with my broader priorities: creating good jobs, investing responsibly, eliminating waste, and taking a long term approach to managing Arizona’s resources. Arizona’s rural economy and industries are an important part of our state’s growth -- not an afterthought. I will use my bully pulpit to be a champion for them.

As State Treasurer, my role will be to make sure Arizona’s financial resources are managed responsibly, and that the state’s financial policies support strong communities and economic opportunity throughout Arizona. To do that, local control is essential, and I will ensure that the State Treasurer’s office works with the county treasurer, not against them. I will make sure we have a strong relationship where I support them and their needs, while advocating for economic policies that foster growth in the agricultural sector. As Treasurer, I will act as a bully pulpit to advocate for economic policies that strengthen the agricultural sector.

My experience building businesses and creating jobs has taught me that the State Treasurer cannot create prosperity by itself, but by bolstering county treasurers, the state and local governments can create an environment where people who work hard and invest in their communities can succeed.

Arizona needs a water strategy built on careful balance and local input. Implementing water cuts is not as straightforward as mandating all farmers decrease water usage by the same amount. Different crops have different irrigation needs. When I was working on my uncle’s farms, he taught me that even grain corn versus silage corn require different amounts of water to prosper, which goes to show that we can’t even reduce water allotments based on crop.

While I’ll talk about my vision of what we can do inside our own state borders, I’m also fed up with how Arizona is treated as a lower basin state. We’ve certainly done our fair share to protect the Southwest’s water and, while we can and should keep doing more, it is ridiculous that upper basin states continue treating us the way they are.

Farmers and ranchers have made enormous investments based on their access to water, and protecting a viable agricultural economy is important not only to rural communities but to Arizona as a whole. At the same time, groundwater challenges in rural Arizona require practical solutions that account for local conditions and support long-term sustainability. We need a strategy that recognizes the importance of local agriculture and acknowledges that water challenges differ from community to community, from crop to crop, and from field to field.

I commend the work already underway that involves bringing farmers, ranchers, rural residents, small businesses, and local leaders together to develop solutions that are based on sound science and are targeted to their specific needs. Locals know the best course of action for the agricultural fields they’ve worked in their whole lives. Farmers know that it is unsustainable to keep using water at the current rate, but that making major cuts all at once can destroy large chunks of land, devastating the local economies that depend on them. That is why I want to put local voices at the forefront of this discussion.

As Treasurer, I will play my part by ensuring we continue investing in water infrastructure, conservation, and technologies that produce measurable results; making sure public dollars are used effectively; and supporting local governments as they address their own water and infrastructure needs in a way that’s contextually appropriate to them.

Most importantly, Arizona needs to think beyond the next election cycle. Water policy requires the same kind of long-term thinking that farmers and ranchers use every day. If we want to protect agriculture operations for the next generation, we cannot think only of the short-term consequences -- we need to look at the long-term picture.

Arizona agriculture and our natural resources represent the kind of long-term investment, hard work, and responsible stewardship that I believe should define our state.

I have deep Arizona roots with strong ties to rural communities, and their well-being is important to me. My dad was born and raised in Superior, a mining town. I have relatives who live in our smaller towns. My mom grew up on a farm. My siblings and I spent every summer working on my uncle's farm in South Dakota where he grew corn and beans. We weeded the crops, planted seeds, and helped take care of the livestock. Those experiences were transformative and taught me the value of hard work. Being a partner with the agriculture community isn't political, it’s personal for me.

Farmers and ranchers are the backbone of Arizona’s economy. I will work to make sure the agriculture industry can remain the economic powerhouse for our state because I know there is a lot more we can do to support our agricultural community.

1. Water shortages that affect production and increase costs. 2. Workforce shortages that decrease production. 3. Agriculture education to foster advocacy, support and recruitment.

As State Superintendent of Public Instruction, I would continue to support the 4-H agriculture education programs, STEM education as it relates to farming and agriculture technology, and advocacy of federal funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture grants and funding opportunities. I also support more K-12 education in the trades, vocational skills and skilled worker pathways to prepare students after high school. I also support flexible school choice options for families who have children in homeschooling or alternative school options while they are helping their families in the agriculture industry.

The Arizona Legislature, Governor and other policy making officials would be in charge of this specific policy. The State Superintendent of Public Instruction has limited policy authority over this specific issue. However, as a former legislator, it is important to bring all parties to the table to have a voice about the operational needs of the agriculture industry and ensure farmers are involved in these critical decisions.

As State Superintendent of Public Instruction, I would continue to support the AgriScience content standards and agriculture education in our schools. As a former member of the Legislature, I was a consistent supporter and advocate of the agriculture community and legislation supporting the agriculture industry. I was a co-sponsor of a 2011 bill (SB 1183) that adjusted property tax laws expanding protections and rules surrounding equine property.

1. Arizona students — and specifically rural students — have consistently faced a lack of educational opportunities and career pathways that support the agricultural and natural resource industries.

2. Arizona is facing a decade-long water crisis, from cuts to the Colorado River supply to insufficient groundwater availability for our rural and agricultural communities.

3. For far too long, rural and agricultural communities have been overlooked by the state government, facing a disconnect from the elected officials that directly oversee issues that impact agricultural and natural resource communities.

1. As Superintendent of Public Instruction, I will focus on expanding career and technical education (CTE) pathways for ALL students, and specifically students from rural communities. I will partner with industry experts, leaders, and community members to create advisory councils — including a CTE council — to ensure that the communities most impacted by these decisions have a say in the policymaking process. I will fight to expand access to agriscience and natural resource pipelines and ensure not only that Arizona produces students and professionals that can meet the existing and growing needs faced by our agricultural communities, but that they are empowered to choose careers in the agricultural and natural resource industries.

2. While the Superintendent of Public Instruction does not have immediate oversight over water management, I will advocate for commonsense water policies that protect rural groundwater, center rural and agriculture communities, defend water from large corporate use, and ensure AZ gets its fair share from Colorado River. I will support legislation that advances protection for rural groundwater from large corporate use, as well as investments into water infrastructure that prioritizes the rural and agricultural communities that rely on a consistent water supply.

3. As a candidate, I’m proud to have traveled to all 15 Arizona counties, learning from Arizona schools about their unique needs and hearing that rural school districts often go overlooked by the Department of Education. As Superintendent of Public Instruction, I will fight to change that. I’ll create the Office of Rural and Small Schools to ensure that rural and small school districts have a direct line to the ADE. Within the first 100 days, I will launch the AZ Classroom Conversation Listening Tour, traveling across the state and learning from communities in all counties about the best ways to support their needs. I’ll create advisory councils of students, teachers, and community members from all 15 counties, ensuring that rural and small communities have a voice in decision-making.

Despite having no direct oversight over water policy, I will advocate at the State Legislature for bills that protect Arizona’s access to the Colorado River, rein in corporate use of groundwater, expand commonsense oversight of rural groundwater, and partner with local communities and experts to prioritize locally-driven solutions. Arizona’s agricultural communities rely on Arizona’s access to water, and as Superintendent, I will advocate every day for responsible water policies that uplift rural Arizona.

No additional comments.

In my opinion, the three biggest challenges facing Arizona’s agriculture and natural resource industries today are first and foremost water, followed by workforce, and finally economic sustainability.

Arizona’s farmers, ranchers, and rural communities depend on reliable water supplies, but we are facing increasing pressure from pressures on the Colorado River, sustained drought, an increase in population and economic development, and competing demands statewide for the same water. Agriculture has a long history of adapting and becoming more efficient with water, but we also need long-term solutions that protect both agriculture and the communities that depend on it.

Second is having a reliable workforce. Agriculture and natural resource industries depend heavily on skilled and dependable workers, yet finding and retaining that workforce has become increasingly difficult. We need to make sure that rural communities have opportunities for good jobs, education, training, and the infrastructure necessary to attract and keep people.

Third is the rising cost and complexity of doing business, especially with tariffs and the administrations push for bringing in foreign meats. Farmers, ranchers, and natural resource businesses are dealing with higher costs for equipment, fuel, feed, supplies, insurance, and regulatory compliance, while often having limited control over the prices they receive for their products.

Ultimately, I think these challenges are connected. If we want Arizona agriculture and natural resource industries to remain strong, we need to think beyond individual issues and focus on keeping water available, rural communities viable, and these industries economically sustainable for the next generation.

As a Corporation Commissioner, I can’t solve every problem facing Arizona agriculture, but I can make sure the decisions made by the Commission don’t make those problems worse—and, where we have the authority, I can help make things better.

On water, I can make sure regulated water utilities are investing in reliable infrastructure, reducing waste, and planning for the future. When utilities come before the Commission asking for higher rates, I want to ask tough questions like are customers getting value for what they’re paying? Is the capital investment in infrastructure necessary? Are we encouraging conservation? And are we protecting the long-term reliability of Arizona’s water supplies?

Reliable and affordable electricity, water, telecommunications, and other infrastructure are critical to attracting businesses and keeping people in rural communities. The Commission has a responsibility to make sure those services are there and that rural customers aren't left behind.

And when we make decisions about utility rates and infrastructure, I want to know who is paying, who benefits, and whether new development is paying its fair share. The benefit that I see for rural ranchers and farmers is their electricity providers are co-operatives, and you are a member-owner. You know what works and what doesn’t in your community, and we give a lot of leeway because of that.

Ultimately, I want to use the authority of the Commission to make Arizona a place where people can afford to farm, ranch, work, and build a business. Government doesn't need to run agriculture. It needs to create an environment where the people who do can succeed.

As a Corporation Commissioner, my role is not to decide who gets Colorado River water. That responsibility involves federal, state, tribal, and local authorities. But I can use the position to advocate for policies that protects our agricultural economy and rural communities while encouraging responsible water management.

First, we need to protect the Colorado River as an important part of Arizona's overall water portfolio. I believe Arizona needs to be at the table, working with both Upper and Lower Basin states, tribes, farmers, cities, and industry to find solutions that are realistic and sustainable.

At the same time, we cannot solve our Colorado River problem by simply pumping more groundwater. Groundwater is a savings account, not an unlimited checking account. Once we draw it down, it can take many decades to recover.

I also believe we need to encourage voluntary, market-based solutions that allow water to move to its highest and best use without destroying the economic foundation of rural communities. If a farmer voluntarily chooses to conserve, transfer, or monetize a water right, there should be a way to do that fairly and transparently.

Finally, I would use my position as a Commissioner to make sure regulated utilities are planning for the long term. Water and energy are connected. Pumping, treating, and delivering water requires electricity, and reliable, affordable energy is essential to agriculture and rural communities.

My goal is pretty simple: protect the water we have, and use it more intelligently so we have enough for future generations. We don't have to choose between a healthy economy and responsible water management. We need to find solutions that allow us to have both.

Without Arizona’s agriculture and natural resource industries, our state’s economy would be severely weakened. Despite how important they are, these industries are facing real, serious threats to their livelihoods. Rising operational costs, public land conflicts, and uncertainty surrounding the future of water are looming over the industries. Action needs to be taken, but since every community is different, a one size fits all approach won’t work. Individualized solutions take time to develop and implement, but will ultimately have the best results. Statewide politicians need to listen to local leaders about what will work best for them instead of talking over them. If we allowed for local control to take precedence, we would see better results than if the state government tried to force generic solutions to work across unique industries.

I grew up in a family that raised sheep and grew corn on the Navajo Reservation. I know that agricultural communities are too often forgotten by politicians at the State Capitol. That is why I strongly believe in the importance of local control. Local leaders are more in touch with the issues and needs of their communities, and they have the best ideas for how to help. When I am elected to the Corporation Commission, I will be an advocate for local control. Statewide decisionmakers should be working with locals, not against them, and the best way to do that is to listen to them, support them, and do what locals ask for.

Beyond that, I will work to reign in utility companies. Operating costs are already out of control, farmers and ranchers do not need to worry about rising utility bills on top of their other concerns.

I am a member of the Navajo Nation where I grew up without electricity and running water, so I understand how essential reliable and affordable utilities are to everyday life. When you have to haul your own water, you see how every drop counts. I had to learn really early on how to conserve and use our precious resources wisely.

Farmers and ranchers have already adapted to our current water reality, but the situation is constantly evolving. Add into that the differing water needs for crops versus animals, corn versus alfalfa, and it becomes next to impossible for the state to create one policy that works for everyone. Communities know how much water they need to stay afloat without ruining the ground for future generations and they can move faster than the state government. As a Commissioner, I will push my colleagues at the state legislature to listen to local voices and support them rather than speak over them. At the same time, I will push the private water companies that the Corporation Commission regulates to keep their rates fair and to do their part to lower water use and mitigate waste.

We’re looking at an uncertain future for the Colorado River and dwindling groundwater resources. We all need to do our part to protect our precious remaining water -- we cannot expect agricultural industries to bear the brunt of the cuts alone.

My family raised sheep and grew corn without access to running water. We had to drive to the well and fill up our tanks for the week. This is not practical and certainly isn’t sustainable. I want to be an advocate for communities like my own, for industries that are ignored, on the Corporation Commission. Agriculture and natural resource industries are the driving force behind our state’s economy and we need to start acting like it.

The three biggest challenges faced by Arizona’s agriculture and natural resource industries are rising operational costs, dwindling water supplies, and regulatory uncertainties.

Arizona is facing an affordability crisis that is impacting agriculture and natural resource industries particularly hard. Operating costs are rising at an uncontrollable rate and that is severely impacting farmers and ranchers’ ability to stay afloat. Add on to that water insecurity and public land conflicts, and it’s clear to see that their livelihood is at stake. When I am elected, I will do everything in my power to support our agriculture industries. They are the backbone of our state and people don’t realize that when agriculture suffers, the consequences won’t be isolated -- the blowback will be felt by everyone.

The current Corporation Commission has become a lap dog for utility companies. As a Commissioner, the best way I can help farmers and ranchers is by returning the Commission to its intended role as a watchdog for the people of Arizona. When farmers and ranchers are struggling to keep up with rising operating costs, they don’t need the added pressure of increasing utility bills. By keeping those bills at fair, affordable rates, the money saved can be redirected towards more important matters, like fertilizer or animal feed.

One thing I bring to the table is a PhD in Geological Sciences, which gives me a deep understanding of groundwater. That’s knowledge that I want to use to be an advocate for agriculture on the Commission. I know how important groundwater is for agriculture, particularly in a state like Arizona where it is one of the few options for consistent water access. As groundwater runs out in basins where mountain water can’t reach and recycling or importing water isn’t a viable option, decisions need to be made about the future of water.

The Corporation Commission does not directly control access to the Colorado River or groundwater, but it does oversee more than 400 individual water systems operated by 350 private water companies. As a Commissioner, I will focus on ensuring those private companies don’t add to your water struggles by preventing them from raising their rates unnecessarily and forcing them to keep up with system modernization and conservation to limit water waste.

When it comes to water use cuts, they need to be made in a fair and balanced way. Agriculture is the backbone of Arizona’s economy. If it falters, not only does that hurt the farmers and ranchers, but the entire state. That is why we need to center their voices when we talk about water cuts. Agricultural communities know what is sustainable for them and what will allow them to continue to be a key, irreplaceable player in Arizona’s economy.

We all need to do our part in protecting Arizona’s water and it is unfair to assume the agricultural industry will take on most of the cuts. As access to the Colorado River is under debate and the future of groundwater security remains uncertain, we cannot place the responsibility to reduce water usage solely on the shoulders of farmers. Instead, we need to take a more spread out, balanced approach. If agricultural communities are expected to cut their water usage to a sustainable rate that allows them to continue to support our state’s economy, then cities, corporations, and large energy users, like data centers, must also do their parts.

I was born in Kingman, Arizona, a town with a rich history of mining, ranching, and railroads. I’ve seen how rural and agricultural towns are often forgotten in the decision making process. I’m running for the Corporation Commission to make sure our agricultural and natural resource industries are never left behind again.

1. Billionaires buying up Arizona land to make "smart" or "15-minute" cities. 2. Data centers wasting water, land, and electricity that could be better used for farming. 3. Regulation and taxation, making regenerative and other natural farming techniques unnecessarily expensive.

I will work toward lowering taxes and removing unnecessary regulation that makes it an obstacle for small farms to survive.

Groundwater and water collection systems are good solutions. Arizona needs to be water independent; we must not put all our eggs in one basket by being overly reliant on sharing water from sources that require federal government involvement.

Local farming is vital for the health of Arizona. We can grow almost anything here! We cannot let Arizona go down the path of communist countries like North Korea, which made selling garden produce a crime!

My grandfather was a dairy farmer in North Dakota. In the 1960s he had to move his family of nine children to Oregon and seek work building dams, all because corporate, government-subsidized farmers drove his small 100 cow dairy farm out of business. I would hate to see something like this happen to small, family-owned farms in Arizona.

The first major challenge is water, especially with the drastic cut to Arizona water supply being utilized by data centers. Arizona agriculture cannot survive if farmers, ranchers, cities, and developers are all fighting over a shrinking supply while pretending that water is unlimited. Agriculture is often blamed for water use, but farmers are also producing the food that Arizona families depend upon. We need better conservation, infrastructure, groundwater management, and long-term planning instead of simply forcing rural communities to carry the burden. If Arizona is going to continue growing, water policy must protect both our communities and the people who produce our food. Because of the Trump tariffs (tax), the second challenge is the rising cost of doing business. Farmers and ranchers are dealing with higher costs for fuel, equipment, fertilizer, electricity, land, labor, insurance, and transportation while families are simultaneously struggling with higher grocery prices. Too much of the money in the food system is absorbed between the producer and the consumer, while both sides are told that the other is responsible for the problem. I believe we need to strengthen local and regional agriculture, reduce unnecessary costs, and make it easier for smaller producers to compete. Agriculture should provide a reasonable living for the people doing the work while still producing affordable food for working families. The third challenge is preserving Arizona's agricultural land and rural communities as the state continues to grow. Development can bring jobs and housing, but once productive farmland is paved over, we generally do not get that land back. Younger generations also have difficulty entering agriculture because land, equipment, housing, and operating costs have become increasingly unaffordable. That threatens family farms, ranches, and the rural communities that have supported Arizona for generations. Arizona needs growth, but that growth should not come at the expense of the industries and natural resources that helped build this state.

So, as an elected official, my economic core is focused on the working class, like the farmers and ranchers who feed Arizona. So, I prioritize protecting Arizona’s long-term water supply while recognizing that agriculture is not simply another water user. And I cannot stress this enough, farmers and ranchers produce the food that Arizona families depend upon, and water policy should reflect that reality (even the utilization of desalination technologies manufactured in the United States that mimic the same technologies the Middle East countries employ for thier communities). I will support federal investment in water infrastructure, conservation technology, groundwater recharge, and projects that improve the efficiency of agricultural water use without forcing family farms out of business. I will also work with Arizona, tribal governments, irrigation districts, and agricultural communities on Colorado River and groundwater issues rather than imposing solutions from Washington without listening to the people directly affected. Arizona needs responsible water conservation, but that conservation cannot consist of eliminating agriculture so that unlimited development can continue somewhere else. I will also work to reduce the financial pressure being placed on farmers and ranchers. Federal policy affects the cost of fuel, equipment, transportation, labor, insurance, financing, and nearly every other part of agricultural production. I will support policies that help small and family-owned agricultural operations compete instead of allowing larger corporations to dominate more of our food system. I also want to strengthen local processing, distribution, and direct-to-consumer opportunities so that more of the money families spend on food actually reaches the people producing it. Farmers should be able to earn a reasonable living without Arizona families being forced to choose between paying their bills and buying groceries. Finally, I will work to protect Arizona’s agricultural land and make it possible for another generation to enter farming and ranching. Once productive agricultural land is converted into subdivisions or commercial development, that resource is extremely difficult to recover. Federal programs should help beginning farmers and ranchers obtain financing, land, equipment, and technical assistance instead of creating systems that primarily benefit operations that are already large. I will also support infrastructure and economic investment in rural communities because agriculture cannot survive if the communities surrounding it disappear. Arizona can continue to grow, but growth should be planned in a way that recognizes that farmland, ranchland, water, and rural communities are resources worth preserving for future generations.

As a congressman for Congressional District 3, I believe protecting Arizona agriculture requires recognizing that allocation of Colorado River water supports both our food supply and the rural economies built around it. I would oppose federal actions that disproportionately reduce agricultural allocations while allowing other sectors to continue expanding without comparable conservation obligations (see--A.I. Data Centers, the speculative bubble that is propped up without any profit being shown). Arizona farmers should have a meaningful seat at the table in negotiations involving future Colorado River operations, shortage sharing, and conservation agreements. I would also support federal funding for irrigation modernization, canal improvements, water storage, and other projects that help agriculture use existing supplies more efficiently. Conservation should strengthen agricultural communities, not become a mechanism for permanently transferring water away from them. Rural groundwater management requires a different approach because conditions vary significantly across Arizona. I support locally developed groundwater plans that allow farmers, ranchers, rural residents, tribes, and local governments to identify the problems facing their own basins and develop workable responses. The federal government can provide technical assistance, infrastructure funding, hydrologic data, and conservation resources, but it should not impose a single groundwater model on communities with very different economies and water conditions. Any management system should also distinguish between long-established agricultural uses and new development that places additional pressure on already limited groundwater supplies. Rural communities should not be forced to sacrifice their agricultural economies because growth was approved without sufficient consideration of available water. My role in Congress would be to connect federal resources with solutions that Arizona communities can actually use. I would work to ensure that agricultural conservation programs remain voluntary, practical, and financially realistic for smaller farms and ranches, rather than requiring expensive changes that only large operations can afford. I would also push for better coordination among federal agencies, Arizona water authorities, tribal governments, irrigation districts, and local stakeholders so that water policy is not developed through disconnected bureaucracies. Long-term water security will require conservation, infrastructure, planning, and limits on growth where water supplies cannot reasonably support it. Arizona should protect both its water future and the agricultural communities that depend upon that water today.

Arizona agriculture should be treated as part of the economic foundation of the state, not simply as another industry competing for attention in Washington. My approach through Foundation Economics begins with the people whose work keeps essential systems functioning, including farmers, ranchers, farmworkers, equipment operators, food processors, and the many other workers connected to agriculture. Federal economic policy should make it possible for those workers to support themselves and their families through their labor rather than requiring multiple jobs simply to remain financially stable. That includes protecting fair compensation, addressing abusive overtime practices, and designing tax policy around earned income and productive work rather than primarily rewarding financial transactions. A strong agricultural economy begins with making sure the people doing the actual work can afford to remain part of it. Agricultural policy also cannot be separated from healthcare, education, housing, and family stability. A young person is less likely to pursue farming, ranching, agricultural science, veterinary work, or another agricultural career if doing so requires taking on substantial educational debt while facing unaffordable housing and healthcare. I support expanding access to public higher education for Pell-eligible students and strengthening career and technical education connected to agriculture, mechanics, natural resources, veterinary services, and related fields. Housing policy should also recognize the needs of working families in agricultural areas instead of treating housing affordability as exclusively an urban problem. Foundation Economics is ultimately about giving people enough economic stability to build a career, raise a family, and remain in the communities where their work is needed. I also believe agricultural policy should recognize food as part of America's basic economic infrastructure. Programs such as universal school meals can create reliable demand for food while ensuring that children are able to learn without hunger interfering with their education. Federal purchasing programs should provide meaningful opportunities for American producers, including Arizona producers, rather than unnecessarily excluding smaller operations through complicated procurement requirements. Agricultural research through universities and public institutions should remain publicly supported because improvements in crop science, animal health, heat resilience, technology, and food safety benefit the entire country. Foundation Economics means building the economy from its foundation upward, and few things are more foundational than the people who produce the food that allows every other part of the economy to function.

Water Specialty Crop Insurance Endangered Species Depredation

As a member of the Appropriations Committee, I have a direct role in securing the federal funding Arizona's farmers and ranchers depend on. I've fought to protect and strengthen programs like the Livestock Indemnity Program, which now covers 100 percent of the cost of cattle kills from Mexican Gray Wolves, so ranchers in AZ-06 aren't left absorbing those costs alone. I've also pushed to preserve funding for EQIP and drought-response tools like ELAP, which helps producers cover the cost of hauling feed and water when conditions get dire, rather than seeing those programs cut in the name of short-term savings. Beyond appropriations, I'm supportive of the Farm Bill reauthorization to deliver real relief for Western producers: raising CRP payment limits, expanding emergency haying and grazing access during drought, and defending water conservation and irrigation cost-share funding that keeps family operations solvent in a water-scarce state like ours. As co-chair of the Bipartisan Colorado River Caucus and a member of the Western Caucus, I'm also making sure agricultural water users have a seat at the table as we negotiate the future of the Colorado River system, because for our farmers and ranchers, water security and farm policy are the same fight.

Water is one of the greatest challenges facing Arizona agriculture, and I take a two-track approach: defend our Colorado River allocations at the federal level, and support local control over groundwater rather than a one-size-fits-all federal mandate. On the Colorado River, I've built a direct working relationship with Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, who oversees the Bureau of Reclamation and the entire post-2026 river negotiation. I led my Arizona colleagues in writing to Secretary Burgum urging withdrawal of a draft proposal that would have severely cut Central Arizona Project deliveries, and I personally hosted him in Southern Arizona this year for a roundtable where he heard directly from farmers and ranchers in AZ-06 about the importance of water. I am going to keep using that access to make sure Arizona isn't asked to shoulder a disproportionate share of the cuts as these guidelines get finalized. As co-chair of the Bipartisan Colorado River Caucus, I'm also working with the seven basin states as they negotiate these new post-2026 operating guidelines. My priority is straightforward: any new framework has to protect the water rights that Arizona's farmers, ranchers, and families depend on, and share the burden fairly across all seven states, not put Arizona out front to absorb what the upper basin won't. I've also used my seat on the Appropriations Committee to secure funding for conservation and infrastructure projects. On groundwater, I don't believe Washington should be dictating how rural Arizona communities manage their aquifers. That's why I introduced the Cooperative Watershed Management Program Reauthorization Act with Congressman Neguse, extending federal funding for local, non-regulatory watershed groups so communities and tribes can design water management strategies that fit their own basin, not a federal template. I've taken the same approach with the Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Program, which gives our border communities the data they need to manage shared groundwater without ceding local control. Rural groundwater management has to be locally driven because the people closest to the aquifer, the farmers and ranchers pumping from it every day, understand it best.

Agriculture is central to Arizona's identity, woven into our history through the state's original 5 Cs: Cotton, Copper, Cattle, Citrus, and Climate. Protecting our farmers and ranchers remains a top priority for me, not only for their economic and cultural importance, but for what they mean to our national security. Food security is national security, and we cannot afford to take our agricultural base for granted.

The biggest challenges facing Arizona’s ag and natural resource industries are water security, tariffs, and labor.

In Arizona, water is our lifeblood, and we must safeguard it for use as well as continued growth – and we can do both. As we decide our water future, we must ensure that the ag industry is not overlooked in what we set aside. Rural Arizona works to clothe and feed urban Arizona, as well as much of the country, and we need to ensure the industry receives its fair share.

This administration’s tariffs have been a disaster for our state, driving up the cost of everything, including our ag exporting and fertilizer, specifically, not to mention our utility bills and daily goods. We need to reverse these harmful tariffs and undo the burden we’ve placed on our ag producers.

In southern Arizona, we rely on H2-A visa workers to help run our farms and ranches. Skilled workers provide expertise and labor, and pay U.S. taxes on income earned here. This administration has introduced heavy red tape to our once-functioning industry, and the administrative burdens and high costs now associated with this kind of labor have pushed our farms to the brink. We need to cut red tape and get our farms the folks they need without having to jump through hoops.

I am committed to being a bipartisan leader on water, working with Members of both parties, our statewide leaders, and the Trump Administration, to make sure that Arizona gets our fair share of Colorado River water. I stand committed to backing legislation that reverses harmful tariffs, ensures a fair and equitable visa system that brings the workers we need, keeps our border secure, and cuts red tape.

At the time of writing, an un-passed Farm Bill sits in the U.S. Senate, held up by partisan gridlock. Our nation’s farm bill–once a bipartisan mainstay–has been punted, extended, and left on the backburner far too many times. Our farmers and ranchers don’t care about one party getting a win; they care about doing the hard work of providing for this country through their labor. CD-6 needs a leader who knows Arizona, knows ag, and doesn’t bend to partisan politics. Someone who actually puts their head down and gets things across the finish line.

Arizonans know better than anyone how to conserve water, and what our precious water should be put toward. Our state’s population is also one of the fastest growing in the nation – we should have a voice and a seat at the table in any and all federal negotiations.

I am big believer in amplifying local voices – in our representative democracy, we need leaders who uplift those they are tasked with representing, not those who simply attempt to speak for them. When it comes to water, I will take the concerns of our ag industry directly to D.C., and push the bipartisan legislative solutions that accompany them.

As someone who has good relationships with Arizona’s senators and our governor, I recognize that this will soon be an all-hands-on-deck operation to save our water and put it toward what we as Arizonans know it should be used for, not what people in California or D.C. think. We can’t afford to have partisan holdouts that are going to stand in the way of getting a fair deal for our state.

I grew up the daughter of farmworkers in Eloy, Arizona. I know how hard our farmers and ranchers work because I worked alongside my parents on weekends to help bring more money home for our family. In agriculture, a dollar paid is a dollar earned, and it never stretches far enough. Yet, our ag industry has too long been expected to navigate challenges on its own, while supplying goods for our state and country – goods we cannot live without. We’re forced to compete with foreign investors buying up Arizona land and using our water, tariffs driving costs through the roof, and an economy that no longer rewards our hard work. Agriculture is one of our state’s oldest and most important industries, and deserves new investments, new attention, and new policies that actually make life better for Southern Arizonans. Unlike my opponent, I’m focused on Arizona issues, not national issues.

My three biggest challenges

1. Water security and water availability. Arizona agriculture cannot survive without a reliable water supply. Farmers and ranchers are dealing with groundwater depletion, Colorado River uncertainty, drought, and increasing competition for water from growing communities and other industries. We need to protect Arizona’s water future while recognizing that agriculture is one of the state's foundational economic sectors.

2. Increasing costs and regulatory burdens. Farmers, ranchers, miners, and other natural-resource businesses are facing higher costs for energy, fuel, equipment, labor, insurance, and transportation, while also navigating an increasingly complicated regulatory environment. We need sensible environmental protections, but regulations should be based on sound science and should not make it impossible for American producers to remain competitive.

3. Federal land and resource policy that doesn't reflect Arizona's realities. Arizona has enormous federal land holdings, and decisions made in Washington can have very real consequences for rural communities. Access to grazing, mining, timber, water infrastructure, and other resources must be balanced with conservation. I believe Arizona communities should have a much stronger voice in decisions affecting the land and resources they depend upon.

Bottom line: Arizona needs to protect our water, keep agriculture and natural-resource industries economically viable, and put Arizona communities, not distant bureaucracies, in a stronger position to manage our resources.

As an elected official, I will make sure Arizona’s farmers and ranchers have a strong voice in Washington.

My priorities will be protecting water, reducing unnecessary regulations and costs, and defending rural communities’ ability to manage their own resources. I will work directly with farmers, ranchers, irrigation districts and rural leaders to bring their concerns to Washington and hold federal agencies accountable.

Arizona agriculture feeds our state and strengthens our economy. I will fight to protect it.

Water must be protected at every level. I will fight to preserve Arizona farmers’ access to Colorado River water while supporting locally driven groundwater solutions that recognize the different needs of rural communities.

The people who live, farm and work there should have a major voice in managing their water. I will support water storage, conservation, recharge and infrastructure while pushing back against federal policies that threaten Arizona agriculture.

Water security means protecting both our farms and our rural communities.

Arizona agriculture is more than an industry—it is part of our heritage, our economy, and our food security. We need to make sure the next generation can afford to farm and ranch in Arizona.

That means protecting water, supporting family farms and ranches, reducing unnecessary regulations, and making sure federal policies do not push agriculture out of our state.

If we lose our farmers and ranchers, we lose more than jobs, we lose part of what makes Arizona Arizona. I will fight to protect them.

The three biggest challenges are water security, rising costs and market uncertainty, and maintaining a reliable agricultural workforce.

First, Arizona must address long-term water challenges without sacrificing the farmers and ranchers who feed our communities and sustain rural economies. Uncertainty surrounding the Colorado River, groundwater supplies, and future water regulations makes it increasingly difficult for producers to plan and invest.

Second, farmers and ranchers are facing tremendous cost pressures. Fuel, fertilizer, equipment, electricity, transportation, insurance, and other inputs have all become more expensive, while tariffs and unstable export markets can further squeeze already-thin margins. We need policies that strengthen American agriculture rather than make it more expensive to produce here at home.

Third, agriculture needs a dependable, legal workforce. Federal immigration and agricultural labor systems have failed both employers and workers for too long. We need practical reforms that give producers access to the workforce they need while providing a lawful, predictable system.

These challenges are interconnected, and addressing them is essential to keeping Arizona agriculture competitive for the next generation.

My job in Congress will be to make sure Arizona farmers and ranchers have a strong voice in federal policy and that Washington understands the realities of producing food and fiber in the desert Southwest.

I will support a strong, long-term Farm Bill that protects crop insurance and risk-management tools, strengthens disaster assistance, supports specialty crops, and provides USDA and conservation programs with the resources necessary to serve Arizona producers. I will also work to reduce unnecessary regulatory burdens and oppose policies that increase the cost of fuel, equipment, fertilizer, transportation, and other essential agricultural inputs.

As someone who spent 27 years as a long-haul trucker and later became a small-business owner, I understand how transportation costs, regulations, labor shortages, and supply-chain disruptions affect businesses operating on tight margins. I will bring that experience to Congress while working directly with Arizona farmers, ranchers, irrigation districts, tribal communities, and rural leaders.

Most importantly, I will listen. Agricultural policy works best when the people who actually farm, ranch, and manage the land have a meaningful seat at the table.

Arizona cannot have a serious water policy without agriculture at the table. In Congress, I will fight to protect Arizona agriculture's lawful access to Colorado River water and ensure that farmers and rural communities are not asked to bear a disproportionate share of reductions needed to stabilize the river.

As the federal government determines future Colorado River operations, I will work with Arizona water users, irrigation districts, tribal communities, state officials, and the Bureau of Reclamation to pursue agreements that provide greater certainty, recognize existing water rights and priorities, and preserve Arizona's ability to produce food and fiber. I also support federal investment in irrigation efficiency, water infrastructure, conservation, storage, and other projects that can produce real water savings without simply taking productive farmland out of agriculture.

On groundwater, I believe solutions should reflect the conditions of each basin. Rural Arizona is too diverse for a one-size-fits-all approach. Local farmers, ranchers, residents, municipalities, and other water users should have a central role in developing groundwater-management plans, supported by good data and technical assistance from the state and federal government. Conservation requirements must also be achievable economically and agronomically.

We can protect Arizona's water future while preserving the agricultural communities that depend on it.

No additional comments.

1. Water security, especially unmanaged rural groundwater and Colorado River uncertainty. Agriculture uses roughly 72-73% of Arizona's water, and the state's 1980 Groundwater Management Act granted broad grandfathered pumping rights that have made it hard to reach the safe-yield goal. That framework was largely designed around urban areas, leaving rural communities to figure out groundwater management on their own even though they depend on it just as heavily for farming and economic development. Layer on top of that the Colorado River: the guidelines that have governed the river since 2007 and the 2019 Drought Contingency Plan both expire in 2026, and the basin states are still negotiating what comes next. For LD1 farmers and ranchers, that's not an abstract policy fight, it's whether wells run dry and whether next year's allocation is even knowable.

2. Rising input costs and labor shortages squeezing already-thin margins. Fuel, fertilizer, equipment, and feed costs have climbed faster than commodity prices in most years, and a shrinking, aging agricultural workforce makes it harder to plant, harvest, and run cattle operations at the scale needed to stay profitable. That cost-price squeeze is pushing smaller family operations out and consolidating land into fewer hands.

3. Loss of farm and ranch land to development, plus aging rural infrastructure. Urbanization and population growth are converting agricultural land at the edges of Arizona's growth corridors, while rural roads, irrigation infrastructure, and broadband haven't kept pace, participants at recent rural water forums have pushed back on the idea that agriculture alone drives water decline, pointing to real investments they've made in drip irrigation and conservation, while noting that food itself needs to be treated as critical infrastructure. Without support for succession planning, water-efficient infrastructure, and rural roads/utilities, family operations struggle to pass the land to the next generation at all.

On water security, I'll push for rural groundwater management tools that are actually built for agricultural communities rather than retrofitted from urban models, giving local water users a seat at the table instead of a one-size-fits-all mandate from Phoenix. I've already drafted the Solar Over Canals Grant Program, which reduces evaporation loss on irrigation canals while generating power revenue that can be reinvested in water infrastructure, a concrete way to stretch every acre-foot further. On the Colorado River renegotiation, Arizona needs a legislator in the room advocating for agricultural users, not just urban and industrial interests, as the new operating guidelines get finalized.

On costs and labor, I'll work on tax and regulatory relief that's targeted at working farms and ranches rather than broad giveaways that mostly benefit large corporate operations, and I'll support state-level partnerships that help with agricultural workforce pipelines, from ag-education programs to visa and housing support for seasonal labor.

On land loss and rural infrastructure, my rural road accountability tool is aimed at making sure the roads ranchers and farmers actually depend on to move product get maintained, not just the corridors near urban growth. I'll also push for succession-planning incentives, conservation easements, estate tax relief at the state level, beginning-farmer loan support, so family operations can pass land to the next generation instead of selling to developers.

More broadly, my role is to actually show up: I've already met with the Farm Bureau community directly and built these bills from those conversations, not from a Phoenix committee room. As your senator, I'd keep doing that, treating agriculture as the economic backbone of rural Arizona it is, and legislating with growers and ranchers instead of around them.

On protecting agricultural access to the Colorado River, my position is that Arizona's negotiators cannot let agriculture become the default source of cuts every time the river's allocation shrinks. Municipal and industrial users have historically been more insulated from cutbacks than agricultural users, even though farms and ranches are the backbone of rural economies. As the post-2026 operating guidelines get finalized, I'll push Arizona's delegation to insist on burden-sharing that doesn't disproportionately fall on agriculture, and to prioritize investment in efficiency infrastructure, canal lining, precision irrigation, water reuse, over simply cutting allocations and calling it conservation. I'd also support Arizona pursuing every available federal infrastructure dollar to fund those efficiency upgrades, so farmers aren't left absorbing the entire cost of adaptation themselves.

On rural groundwater, my approach is the opposite of the top-down model. The 1980 Groundwater Management Act was built for the state's urban Active Management Areas, and rural communities are now being asked to solve fundamentally different problems, different economies, different geography, different water needs, without tools that fit. I don't support importing AMA-style regulation wholesale into rural basins. Instead, I'll back locally driven groundwater management: giving basin residents, ranchers, and farmers the authority to design rules that reflect their own aquifer conditions, with the state providing data, hydrological modeling, and technical support rather than a mandate. That's the model rural stakeholders themselves have been asking for in recent groundwater forums across the state, and it's the same principle behind my Solar Over Canals bill, state-supported infrastructure that helps agriculture use water more efficiently without taking away local control over how it's managed.

The throughline is this: agriculture shouldn't have to choose between defending its Colorado River allocation and accepting whatever groundwater rules Phoenix hands down. I'll fight for both, protecting agricultural water rights in the interstate negotiations, and making sure any rural groundwater framework is built by the communities who depend on that water, not imposed on them.

I want to close by saying that agriculture in LD1 isn't an abstract policy category to me, it's the Verde Valley communities I've lived in since 2010, the ranchers and growers I've talked with directly while building this platform, and the rural economy that healthcare, education, and water policy all ultimately depend on. A few additional thoughts:

Tribal water rights and agriculture are connected, not separate issues. Any water solution for LD1 has to include the Yavapai Apache Nation and other tribal communities whose agricultural and water interests are too often left out of state-level negotiations. Durable water policy in this district means bringing tribal partners into the room from the start, not after the fact.

Rural healthcare access affects who can keep farming and ranching. Farm and ranch families face real barriers to healthcare access that push younger generations toward cities. My work connecting rural economic development, like wind farm tax revenue, to rural healthcare funding is part of the same fight as protecting agricultural water: keeping rural Arizona a place families can actually stay and make a living.

Animal welfare and working lands aren't in tension. I've built on Jerry's Law and worked on protections like the Salt River wild horses because I believe agricultural communities and animal welfare advocates share more common ground than they're usually given credit for, both care about stewardship of the land and the animals on it.

Above all, agriculture needs a legislator who shows up before the vote, not just during campaign season. That's the commitment I'm making: policy built from conversations with the people actually working the land, not from a committee room in Phoenix.

Water scarcity, labor shortages, and rising operating costs

As an elected official, I will support allocating state funds to help farmers upgrade their watering systems to more efficient drip irrigation systems. Agriculture uses 70% of Arizona’s water resources and this one change can have a major impact on water usage. In addition, the state needs to work with agriculture in creating an agreement with farmers who allow their fields to fallow for a season so that water can be transported to other uses when needed. Finally, there are several water basins in Arizona where the amount of groundwater pumping is strictly regulated, however, there are other areas where no such restrictions exist and uncontrolled/unlimited groundwater pumping occurs. These measures, along with bipartisan negotiations that safeguard Arizona’s access to Colorado River water, will directly address agriculture issues while helping Arizona’s water future. I would support tax classifications that prevent working farms from being unfairly priced out, to preserve agricultural land use. Another issue is the effect the current administration’s immigration policy is having on the workforce in the farming industry. Far too many individuals that are here to work the fields - jobs that too many Americans will not do - are being removed from the country, creating a severe labor shortage. This needs to change at the federal level, but I would strongly advocate for changes to allow these law-abiding, hard-working individuals to work here without fear of deportation.

The previous question’s answers pertain directly to this question as well. Changes need to be made to how agriculture - the user of a huge portion of Arizona’s water - manages water. Changes in watering methods - and providing the funds to farms to make that change - are essential to Arizona’s water future. However, it will take bipartisan work by this legislature to unite with the other Lower Basin states to come to an agreement that codifies Arizona’s access to water from the Colorado River. I am already receiving very useful information from water experts on ways to secure our rights to this water, while expanding ways to use and protect groundwater. In addition, legislative actions can - and should - occur that address Arizona’s water usage, especially and specifically regarding agriculture. I have learned that Arizona is the only basin state where the legislature must formally sign off on interstate Colorado River water management plans. The legislature can vote to accept negotiated compromises. This could help Arizona avoid more extensive cuts being dictated by the federal government. The legislature must work in coordination with Central Arizona Project (CAP), and other water control agencies, to make sure water reductions are shared fairly across all seven basin states (Upper and Lower) rather than disproportionately affecting Arizona

Thank you for the opportunity to complete the survey/

The three biggest challenges are water security, a reliable labor force, and the combination of high input costs with regulatory and tax pressure that is squeezing family operations. Water is existential. Persistent drought, Colorado River shortages, and groundwater declines in rural basins threaten production of the winter vegetables, dairy, cattle, cotton, alfalfa, and other commodities that feed Arizona and the nation. Agriculture uses the majority of the water because it produces the majority of the food. When water becomes uncertain, so does the rural economy. Labor is the second crisis. Dairy, produce, and ranching are labor-intensive. A broken federal guest-worker and immigration system leaves producers short of workers at critical times, driving up costs and risking crops left in the field. My husband grew up milking cows; I know firsthand that this work is hard, early, and essential. We cannot keep family dairies and farms viable without a legal, dependable workforce. Third is economic viability. Fertilizer, fuel, feed, equipment, and insurance costs have stayed high while commodity prices and margins have not. Layer on property-tax pressure, transportation rules, and shifting federal environmental interpretations, and multi-generational operations start to question whether the next generation can stay on the land. Rural communities depend on these operations remaining profitable.

For six years as a rural senator, I have been a consistent, vocal advocate for Arizona agriculture because I believe it is a core economic engine and a matter of food security, not an afterthought. That will continue. My role is to fight for producers at the state and federal level: protect existing water rights and prior appropriation, oppose one-size-fits-all regulations written in Phoenix or Washington that ignore rural realities, keep agricultural property-tax classifications and sales-tax treatments fair, and push for practical infrastructure and research that actually help farms become more efficient. I will keep meeting with farmers and ranchers in their shops and fields, not just in hearing rooms, and I will back locally driven solutions over top-down mandates. When legislation or agency rules threaten to take water, land, or flexibility without compensation or due process, I will stand with agriculture.

Arizona agriculture must not be treated as the residual user that simply absorbs every cut. Yuma and other senior-right agricultural users produce a large share of America’s winter produce; those rights have legal standing and should be defended. Arizona has already taken the largest share of Colorado River reductions because of the junior priority of CAP water. I will support efforts to require the Upper Basin to participate, fund and accelerate supply-augmentation projects (including restoration of the Yuma Desalting Plant and other infrastructure), and reject approaches that treat conservation as the only tool while ignoring new supply. Cities and industry should not be allowed to shift the entire burden onto farms that feed the country. On rural groundwater, I support practical, locally driven management—not Phoenix-designed Active Management Areas or Rural Groundwater Management Areas imposed without meaningful local consent and without protecting existing agricultural users. Water rights attached to the land are property rights. Any framework must start with grandfathered historic use, use sound hydrology rather than politics, give local water users a real elected or representative voice, and include supply-side tools (recharge, reuse, brackish recovery) instead of only pumping cuts. Speculative or large out-of-state operations that rapidly deplete aquifers and dry up neighboring family wells and domestic supplies should not receive a free pass. Reductions, if they occur, should be compensated and phased so lenders and multi-generational farms can plan. Local control and property rights are the conservative, pro-agriculture path.

Agriculture is not a special interest; it is how Arizona feeds itself and much of the country while keeping rural communities alive. My husband’s upbringing on a dairy farm—long hours, early mornings, and the knowledge that the cows come first—shapes how I view every bill and every budget item that touches producers. After six years of standing with farmers and ranchers, I remain convinced that the best policy is the one that lets them keep doing what they do best: producing food with as little government interference as possible and as much certainty as we can reasonably provide. We should celebrate Arizona’s unique strengths—desert-adapted efficiency, winter produce leadership, dairy, cattle, and the people who still get up before dawn—while refusing to let urban growth, federal overreach, or poorly designed water rules quietly retire the land that built this state. The next generation will only stay if the economics and the water rights still work. That is the standard I will keep applying.

The three biggest challenges I see are:

**1. Water security and drought resilience.** Arizona agriculture cannot thrive without predictable access to water. We need long-term groundwater planning, improved irrigation efficiency, watershed restoration, recharge projects, and policies that recognize agriculture as both an economic sector and an essential part of Arizona’s food security and rural identity.

**2. Rising costs and workforce pressures.** Farmers, ranchers, and natural-resource businesses are dealing with higher costs for fuel, equipment, fertilizer, insurance, transportation, and labor. We need to strengthen agricultural workforce pipelines, expand career and technical education, support apprenticeships, and avoid regulations that unnecessarily increase costs for family farms and small producers.

**3. Protecting productive lands while improving natural-resource management.** Wildfire, invasive species, degraded watersheds, development pressure, and poorly coordinated land-management policies threaten both agriculture and rural communities. Arizona should invest in forest and watershed restoration, grazing and land-stewardship partnerships, wildfire mitigation, and better coordination among state, federal, Tribal, and local agencies.

In each of these areas, I believe policy should be developed with farmers, ranchers, land managers, scientists, and rural communities at the table. The people working the land every day have practical knowledge that should help shape the solutions.

As an elected official, my first responsibility will be to listen directly to the farmers, ranchers, producers, and natural-resource professionals who understand these challenges firsthand. I want agricultural stakeholders involved early in policymaking, not brought in after decisions have already been made.

On water, I will support investments in conservation infrastructure, irrigation efficiency, groundwater recharge, watershed restoration, and long-term water planning that recognizes agriculture as an important part of Arizona’s economy and food security.

I will also work to reduce unnecessary barriers for agricultural businesses while protecting responsible environmental and public-health standards. When new regulations are considered, I believe policymakers should understand their real-world costs and consequences for family farms, ranches, and small producers.

Workforce development is another area where the Legislature can help. I support expanding agricultural education, career and technical programs, apprenticeships, certifications, and partnerships between producers, high schools, community colleges, universities, and conservation organizations.

Finally, I will advocate for greater investment in wildfire prevention, forest and watershed restoration, invasive-species management, rural infrastructure, and collaborative land stewardship.

My role should be to bring people together, remove unnecessary barriers, secure resources where appropriate, and make sure Arizona’s agricultural communities have a meaningful voice in the decisions affecting their land, water, businesses, and livelihoods.

Water policy has to recognize that Arizona agriculture is both a major water user and a major part of our food system, rural economy, and way of life.

On the Colorado River, I will support protecting Arizona’s agricultural water interests in interstate negotiations while also pursuing conservation strategies that are practical, compensated where appropriate, and developed with irrigation districts, farmers, Tribes, and affected communities at the table. Agriculture should not be treated as the easiest sector to cut simply because its water use is visible.

At the same time, rural groundwater challenges are different from basin to basin. I do not support imposing a single statewide management model on every community. I favor locally driven groundwater planning that gives farmers, ranchers, residents, water providers, local governments, and other users a meaningful role in setting conservation goals and management strategies.

The state should support those local efforts with better groundwater data, monitoring, technical assistance, recharge and conservation infrastructure, and funding for efficiency improvements that help producers use water more productively without undermining their livelihoods.

We also need to protect Arizona’s watersheds and headwaters through forest restoration, wildfire mitigation, and recharge projects that improve long-term water reliability.

My goal is not simply to divide a shrinking supply. It is to help Arizona manage water more intelligently while keeping agriculture viable for the next generation.

Arizona agriculture is about more than commodity production. It is also about food security, rural communities, family businesses, land stewardship, and whether the next generation can afford to stay in agriculture.

I would like to see Arizona do more to support small and mid-sized producers, beginning farmers and ranchers, local food networks, and value-added agricultural businesses that allow producers to capture more of the value from what they grow or raise. That includes reducing unnecessary regulatory barriers, expanding access to processing and distribution infrastructure, supporting farmers markets and institutional purchasing, and helping Arizona schools and public institutions buy more Arizona-grown products when practical.

We also need to think seriously about agricultural land succession. As farmers and ranchers retire, we should make it easier for working agricultural land to remain productive rather than automatically being lost to development or consolidation.

Agriculture should also be a partner in conservation. Farmers and ranchers can play an important role in watershed restoration, soil health, wildfire mitigation, habitat improvement, and drought resilience, and state programs should recognize and support that stewardship.

Having worked in local food and agricultural projects myself, I have seen how much knowledge, innovation, and commitment exists within these communities. My goal would be to help create conditions where Arizona agriculture can remain productive, profitable, resilient, and accessible to the next generation.

The three biggest challenges facing Arizona’s agriculture and natural resource industries today are drought and water availability, climate change and extreme weather conditions, and tariffs and trade policies. These challenges increase production costs, create uncertainty for farmers and ranchers, and make it more difficult for Arizona’s agricultural industry to remain competitive and sustainable.

The Republican majority has failed to act. Should we gain a Democratic majority, I will work to advance policies that give Arizona farmers and ranchers the tools they need to address water scarcity and remain economically viable.

I hope we can pass a Rural Groundwater Management Act that provides rural communities with practical, locally driven solutions for managing groundwater. I will also support incentives for farmers to grow crops that require less water and advocate for investments and financing that help farms modernize and improve irrigation efficiency.

My goal would be to promote responsible water management while protecting Arizona agriculture and the livelihoods of our farmers and ranchers.

Protecting Arizona agriculture’s access to Colorado River water must remain a top priority. Farmers and ranchers need certainty and a reliable water supply to make long-term decisions, invest in their operations, and continue producing food for our state and nation. I will work to protect Arizona’s agricultural water interests in Colorado River negotiations and oppose efforts that unfairly place the burden of water shortages on agriculture.

At the same time, we need practical, locally driven solutions for rural groundwater management. Rural Arizona communities are not all the same, and a one-size-fits-all approach from Phoenix is unlikely to work. I will support policies that empower local communities to manage their groundwater while encouraging conservation, improved irrigation technology, and agricultural practices that reduce water use.

I have seen first-hand the potential of innovative farming practices. I worked with Roots So Deep, a docuseries by an ASU researcher and documentarian that highlighted the benefits of multi-paddock grazing. I was excited to see how this approach can conserve water while also increasing bird diversity, improving soil microbial health and animal health, and reducing costs for farmers. As an elected official, I want to encourage and support agricultural practices like these that improve the health of our land, conserve resources, and strengthen the economic future of Arizona agriculture.

1. I believe decreasing water availability is one of the biggest issues facing Arizona’s agriculture and natural resource industries, as well as most of the industries and residents in Arizona. 2. Cost pressures, particularly over the past two years, are also a big challenge. One example is the significantly rising costs of diesel. Growing up in western Nebraska, I know most farming and ranching equipment runs on diesel. There also are issues with costs associated with labor shortages and rising costs for fertilizer and feed, as well as other equipment, building supplies, etc. that are imported or made with imported parts. 3. Environmental sustainability and land use management are also challenges, due in part to increasing drought, heat, costs, and policy uncertainty.

Because of my concerns with decreasing water availability, affordability issues felt by everyone in this state, and lack of legislative support, I believe one of the most important things I can do is educate myself more fully on these issues. To ensure I have background knowledge for addressing the water situation, I attended a candidate information session held by the Central Arizona Project about work they do, current increasing water issues with the Colorado River levels decreasing and the recent federal plan decreasing the Arizona portion of the river so significantly, and the Legislative support needed to ensure water security in this state.

I also attended "Water Security 101," put on by the Arizona Municipal Water Users Association, the Northern Arizona Municipal Water Users Association, and the Southern Arizona Water Users Association. This was highly informative about all four water sources in Arizona, what is happening with all those sources, tech advancements that can help increase certain sources albeit with higher cost, and the Legislative support needed to ensure water security for all users in this state.

Knowledge from these educational sessions will allow me to enter the legislature when elected more fully informed of water issues and the steps that must be taken to secure our future water supply. The legislature must come together to do what is necessary to ensure a productive future for these and all industries and the people of this state.

I plan to work on budgeting to invest in necessary steps to backfill CAP cuts and alleviate long-term pumping of aquifer for Arizona agriculture and state-wide water needs. This includes budgeting for * advanced water purification (AWP) facilities to directly treat wastewater to drinking water quality, creating a drought-resistant supply; * looking at whether desalination and importation of water would be cost effective; * possibly transporting groundwater through the CAP canal for agriculture needs.

I learned money budgeted for some of these projects has been taken for other projects in past years, removing the ability to move forward to protect our water. That must stop. Money budgeted to address our water situation must be protected money that is not allowed to be stripped away by other projects. The future of our state depends are focusing on this very important issue.

I fully understand Arizona agriculture is a highly important industry in this state and a significant to Arizona's economy as a whole.

Regulations Water International competition

I will work to cut regulations, make sure markets are fair, ensure Arizona gets every drop from the Colorado river, and build infrastructure to better manage underground resources.

Invest in pipelines and desalination to expand our water supply, and fight for Colorado River water to ensure Arizona agriculture has the water it needs to thrive.

No additional comments.

Water security: Ongoing drought, Colorado River reductions, and groundwater pressures require long-term solutions that protect Arizona agriculture while respecting regional differences and existing water rights.

Rising operating costs and workforce shortages: Farmers and ranchers face higher costs for fuel, energy, equipment, insurance, and labor, making it increasingly difficult especially for family-owned operations to remain profitable.

Regulatory uncertainty and loss of agricultural land: Producers need clear, practical, and locally informed regulations, along with policies that preserve working farms and ranches from development pressures.

Addressing these challenges is essential to protecting Arizona’s food supply, rural economies, and natural resources for future generations.

I will listen directly to farmers and ranchers and bring their voices into the policymaking process. I will support practical, locally driven water solutions; protect agricultural water access and working lands; reduce unnecessary regulatory burdens; and pursue investments in rural infrastructure, workforce development, and agricultural innovation. My goal will be to provide the stability and resources producers need to remain competitive while protecting Arizona’s natural resources for future generations.

I will advocate for Arizona’s full and fair share of Colorado River water while ensuring agriculture has a meaningful seat at the table in any negotiations. For rural groundwater, I support locally driven solutions that reflect each region’s unique conditions, protect existing water rights, and give farmers and ranchers flexibility not a one-size-fits-all mandate from Phoenix. I will also support conservation infrastructure, technology, and voluntary incentive programs that help producers use water more efficiently while keeping working farms and rural economies strong.

Arizona agriculture is essential to our food security, economy, rural communities, and way of life. Our farmers and ranchers are responsible stewards of the land and water, and they deserve to be treated as partners in developing public policy. I am committed to listening, finding common ground, and supporting practical solutions that keep Arizona agriculture strong for generations to come.

I believe the challenges to these industries can be encapsulated in one term, ‘Government’; Federal, State and Local.

I would bring the subject matter experts together to get their insights. Farmers and ranchers doing the work know best what processes need to be implemented to operate efficiently, as it is in their best interest in order to be successful. I just want to be the voice that brings these best practices to the forefront.

Unfortunately, the Federal government controls how much access the upper and lower basins have to the Colorado river. A conversation needs to be had with those who represent us in Washington to speak common sense into the decision makers so the needs of the lower basin states are properly addressed and met.

We need to address the elephant in the room, which is the Saudi Arabian company, Fondomonte, that is still operating in Arizona, contrary to what is being stated. That company continues to deplete our ground water supply for a product that is shipped back to their country. The ability for a foreign nation to own land in this state, depleting our resources while telling Arizonans to adjust to a new normal of higher water costs, needs to stop.

In my view, the three biggest challenges facing Arizona agriculture and natural resource industries are water security, economic pressures on producers, and ensuring that agriculture remains viable for the next generation.

Water is foundational. Without dependable access to water, farmers and ranchers cannot plan, invest, or maintain productive operations. Arizona needs to protect its agricultural water supplies while developing long term strategies that recognize the different circumstances of communities across the state.

The second challenge is the increasing cost of doing business. Fuel, equipment, fertilizer, insurance, labor, transportation, and other inputs can place enormous pressure on family farms and ranches, particularly when producers are also dealing with drought, extreme weather, or unpredictable markets. Policies should recognize these realities rather than adding unnecessary costs or regulatory burdens.

Finally, we need to make sure there is a future for family agriculture. Arizona needs policies that allow young people and families to continue farming and ranching. We also need to support rural infrastructure and communities and provide producers with the tools necessary to withstand difficult years.

My understanding of these challenges is informed by both my family's agricultural history and my upbringing. My mother's parents were dairy farmers, and my father and his parents farmed corn and soybeans. I have seen firsthand that agriculture is not simply a business. It is a way of life built on generations of knowledge, hard work, investment, and stewardship. Protecting that way of life should be an important priority for Arizona.

My role as a legislator will be to make sure farmers and ranchers have a strong voice in the decisions that affect their livelihoods. I will listen to producers, seek their input before supporting legislation, and work to build bipartisan coalitions around practical solutions.

I will support policies that strengthen rural infrastructure, improve access to agricultural financing and risk management tools, and help producers remain competitive. I will also carefully evaluate legislation that could increase the cost of production or make it harder for family operations to remain viable.

I understand the importance of agricultural safety net programs and the difference they can make for small farms and ranches during difficult years. Through my father's work and our family's agricultural background, I became familiar with programs that provide crop and revenue protection, agricultural loans, conservation assistance, and disaster relief. Programs such as crop insurance, Agriculture Risk Coverage, Price Loss Coverage, Farm Service Agency farm loans, conservation programs, and livestock disaster assistance can provide an important lifeline when drought, natural disasters, market conditions, or other circumstances threaten an operation.

I also believe producers should be able to access these programs without unnecessary administrative barriers. Government programs are only useful if the people who need them can actually navigate and access them.

Most importantly, I will approach agricultural policy by listening first. I do not believe the state should assume that policymakers in Phoenix know what is best for every agricultural community. Farmers and ranchers have expertise that should inform the policies governing their operations. My job will be to bring their experience to the Capitol and make sure it is heard.

Arizona must protect its position in Colorado River negotiations and ensure that agriculture is not treated as an afterthought. Farmers and ranchers need to be at the table when decisions are made about the future of the river because those decisions directly affect Arizona's food production, economy, and rural communities.

I would support continued investment in water conservation, infrastructure, storage, reuse, and other technologies that can stretch existing supplies and increase Arizona's long term water resilience. We should pursue solutions that add water to the system and improve efficiency rather than simply shifting scarcity from one user to another.

At the same time, groundwater management requires a fundamentally different approach in many rural areas. Arizona's groundwater conditions are not uniform, and solutions that may make sense in one part of the state may be inappropriate somewhere else. I support locally driven groundwater management that brings farmers, ranchers, landowners, local governments, and other stakeholders together to develop solutions suited to their communities.

Local control should also come with access to good information and meaningful technical resources. The state can play an important role by providing data, scientific expertise, infrastructure funding, and other resources that allow communities to make informed decisions.

My goal would be to balance responsible stewardship with the economic realities facing agricultural producers. We need to protect water resources for the future without creating policies that unintentionally make it impossible for family farms and ranches to survive today. Arizona needs solutions that are durable enough to protect our water and practical enough that the people who depend on it can support them.

My connection to agriculture and natural resource management began long before I ever considered running for public office.

I grew up on wildlife refuges because my father worked for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. I watched him manage land and wildlife professionally, including bison, elk, cattle, longhorns, antelope, and deer. I also watched him manage his own farm, where he raised crops and bison.

My father also worked as a professional hunting guide at Ted Turner's 558,000-acre private Vermejo Ranch, where he guided several community leaders. Growing up, my father taught me that responsible hunting begins with respect for the animal, the land, and the law. He taught me that you should never take a shot unless you are confident you can make a clean, ethical kill. He taught me that hunters have a responsibility to know and follow all applicable laws and regulations. He also taught me that you should only take an animal you can and will use for food. As a gun collector, he also taught me from an early age that firearm ownership comes with serious responsibilities, including safe and responsible handling and storage.

Watching my father do this work gave me a firsthand appreciation for the knowledge, judgment, and responsibility required to manage land, livestock, and wildlife. It also taught me that conservation and hunting can go hand in hand when they are approached with respect, ethics, and a commitment to responsible stewardship.

I want Arizona to remain a place where farming and ranching families can succeed, where young people have the opportunity to continue agricultural traditions, and where producers are respected as partners in conservation and natural resource management.

Farmers and ranchers are some of our most important stewards of Arizona's land and resources. They deserve policymakers who listen to them, respect their expertise, and understand that decisions made at the Capitol can have very real consequences on the ground.

Arizona’s farmers, ranchers, and natural resource industries are essential to our economy, our rural communities, and our food security. I see three major challenges facing them today.

First is water security. Arizona must plan for long-term water reliability while recognizing that agriculture is an important part of our state’s economy and food supply. We need practical, locally informed solutions that conserve water, protect our watersheds, and give farmers and ranchers greater certainty to plan for the future.

Second is the rising cost of doing business. Farmers and ranchers are dealing with higher costs for energy, equipment, labor, transportation, and other inputs, often while commodity prices remain unpredictable. State policy should avoid adding unnecessary costs and regulations while investing in the infrastructure and reliable, affordable energy that rural Arizona needs.

Third is maintaining a reliable workforce and keeping family farms and ranches economically viable for the next generation. Agriculture depends on skilled workers and long-term stability. We need practical workforce solutions and policies that allow Arizona producers to compete, invest, and continue passing their operations from one generation to the next.

Ultimately, Arizona needs to approach agriculture as a partner in our state’s future. The people who work the land should have a meaningful voice in the decisions we make about water, land use, natural resources, and economic development.

As a State Senator, my first responsibility will be to listen to the farmers, ranchers, and rural communities directly affected by the decisions we make at the Capitol. Good policy starts by bringing the people who understand these challenges firsthand to the table before legislation is written, not after.

I will work toward long-term water policies that provide greater certainty while balancing the needs of agriculture, growing communities, and the sustainability of our water supplies. Arizona cannot solve its water challenges by pitting agriculture against our cities. We need practical solutions that encourage conservation, protect our water resources, and recognize the economic and food-security importance of Arizona agriculture.

I will also focus on keeping Arizona affordable and competitive by supporting reliable and affordable energy, infrastructure investment, workforce development, and a predictable regulatory environment. When considering legislation affecting agriculture, I will look carefully at both its intended goals and its real-world costs to producers, particularly family farms and ranches.

Finally, I will work across party lines and with agricultural organizations to find solutions that can actually pass and endure. Agriculture is too important to Arizona’s economy and future for these issues to become partisan talking points. Farmers and ranchers should know they have someone at the Legislature who will listen, do the homework, and work with them to find practical solutions.

Protecting Arizona’s water future requires recognizing that agriculture is part of the solution. Farmers and ranchers need a reliable water supply to continue producing food, supporting rural economies, and maintaining an agricultural industry that is important to our entire state.

On the Colorado River, I will support Arizona’s efforts to protect its fair share of the river and advocate for solutions in which reductions and conservation responsibilities are shared equitably among the basin states and water users. Arizona agriculture should not be expected to disproportionately shoulder the burden of a regional water crisis. I also support investments in conservation, infrastructure, water augmentation, and efficiency that can stretch our existing supplies while keeping productive agricultural land in operation.

Groundwater requires a different approach because every rural basin is different. I support locally driven groundwater management that gives farmers, ranchers, residents, and other local water users a meaningful role in developing solutions for their communities. The state should provide the science, data, resources, and technical support necessary to make good decisions, while allowing management strategies to reflect local hydrology, economies, and agricultural conditions.

Our goal should be long-term water security, not choosing winners and losers. I believe we can protect Arizona’s water resources while maintaining a strong agricultural economy, but doing so requires collaboration, conservation, sound science, and a seat at the table for the communities whose livelihoods depend on these resources.

One of the things I believe we need to do better as a state is strengthen the connection between urban Arizona and the farmers and ranchers who help sustain it. Even in a metropolitan district like mine, our families depend every day on Arizona agriculture, whether they realize it or not.

Agriculture is more than an industry. It is part of Arizona’s heritage, our food security, our economy, and the future of rural communities across our state. Farmers and ranchers are also some of our most important partners in managing Arizona’s land and natural resources.

As a legislator, I won’t pretend to know more about farming or ranching than the people who do this work every day. What I can promise is that I will listen, ask questions, look at the data, and make sure agricultural communities have a meaningful voice when decisions affecting their livelihoods are being made.

Arizona is growing and changing, but agriculture should remain an important part of our future. I look forward to working with the Arizona Farm Bureau and producers throughout our state to make sure it does.

The three biggest challenges I see for Arizona farmers and ranchers are water, private property rights, and competition for state resources. Maintaining access to water, both from the Colorado River and sources from the ground, is being threatened by growth occurring in Arizona and the need for residential and commercial development. Private property rights for farmers and ranchers are being encroached on by the same forces of growth demanding land and water. The balance between supply and demand is tenuous, as people who move here compete for land and water from farmers and ranchers while needing farmers and ranchers to provide the goods we depend on. The competition for state resources is fierce, as rural legislators like me are outnumbered two to one at the state Capitol.

As shown by my voting record and the types of bills I sponsor, I understand the need to have subject-matter experts represented when considering policy that affects the agricultural industry. Therefore, when addressing water and private property challenges, I will continue to ensure that stakeholders such as farmers and ranchers are represented by their professional associations and remain active and involved in the policy-making process.

Because rural legislators like me are outnumbered, my role will be to continue to advocate for farmers and ranchers and help educate other legislators to support Arizona agriculture, as the need for this industry is critical to the survival of Arizona. Members of the legislature need to be educated as to how efficient the agriculture industry is in Arizona. Examples include subsurface irrigation and high-yield crops that do well in Arizona, such as alfalfa.

To secure property and water rights, it is important that land and water use through planning and zoning for development is retained at the local level and balanced so as not to violate private property rights or affect the production of farm goods and/or ranching operations.

Water policy could also be strengthened by the legislature by motivating people and communities to reach safe yield through conservation and the efficient use of water supply, along with recharge as a partial approach to reaching safe yield. Alternate water sources such as desalination plants and the use of reclaimed water should be considered. Conserving water through a tiered water rate for domestic users is a monetary incentive to conserve water.

Local agriculture needs to be protected and expanded upon in the areas of agricultural tourism. This is a win-win for communities in revenue generation from sales tax, as well as promoting an educated population that knows where their food comes from.

I am motivated to serve in this office out of the desire to have Arizona achieve its full potential. Maintaining independence in our agricultural food sources is critical to Arizona achieving its full potential. Because I am only one generation removed from farming and ranching, I am sensitive to the challenges facing the agricultural industry in Arizona. I plan to use my experience and knowledge of Arizona agriculture to support farmers and ranchers during my time in office in the state legislature.

Thank you for this opportunity to address these important issues,

Selina Bliss 2026 Candidate for AZ State House of Representatives for LD-1 928-925-5642 Website: SelinaBliss.com Contact: SelinaSBliss@gmail.com

I'm not a farmer, but I would suspect it would be water, the price of diesel, and the price of fertilizer.

I would work to enact some common sense water laws. That's something that hasn't been done in 60 years. The diesel and fertilizer costs is more up to the federal government, but I would work with my congressman to let him know the specific problems in our district.

That's a big issue. However, I think it would be necessary to decide which parts of our agriculture is needed for human consumption. Some of the land and water is being used to grow alfalfa and send it to Saudia Arabia. I would like to see if there are some ways to grow food that doesn't consume as much water. I think the growing food is more important than building more homes, so I would make it my priority.

It's paramount that agriculture be given a priority in our state since so much of the winter vegetables we consume come from the Yuma area. We need to figure out how to maintain that but insure water for future generations. It's not an easy problem, but something that has a solution.

By far the biggest issue facing these industries (and much of Arizona) is water. I know the agricultural community is very engaged not only in the Colorado River negotiations but also other ways Arizona can secure water for our future. I also am very aware that because agriculture is the biggest user of water in Arizona, there are some who are looking to target our farmers and ranchers - and their water allocations. I know the community is doing their part to conserve water and help negotiate legislation like the "Ag To Urban" Bill. Other challenging areas would be around private property rates/assessor valuations and any laws that affect the ability for the ag community to do its work (whether that is ranching, farming or something else). I will work closely with the community to ensure this key part of Arizona remains strong and vibrant!

I commit to working closely with the community not only as issues come up but in a proactive way. Since water is by far the largest area of concern/challenge, that is a major policy focus area of mine. That could include running legislation myself and/or supporting good legislation or opposing bad ones.

Completely agree that water is a key issue for the community and for our entire state. One of the starting points is to keep educating the public (I was grateful to attend one of the community breakfasts) about what the community does and how it benefits Arizona. As someone rightly pointed out at the breakfast, while about 1% of the state actually works in the industry, everyone in the state benefits (whether they realize it or not). Bills like the Ag to Urban bill go a long way in making it clear that the ag community is playing its part. I do not have all the answers but will look to leaders like Sine Kerr and others for information & wisdom.

I am so grateful for all that you do for our communities and our state as a whole. I pledge to continue learning more about the industry and to be a partner in the work ahead. Thank you for your support!

First and foremost, water. Farmers and ranchers can't make long-term investments in land, equipment, or crops when they don't know what their water supply will look like.

Second, rising costs. Fuel, fertilizer, equipment, and borrowing costs have all climbed while commodity prices haven't kept pace. My background in agriculture, along with my BS in Agribusiness Finance and MS in Agribusiness from the Morrison School of Agribusiness, has given me an understanding of how price volatility can affect farmers.

Third, the failure of a large number of political leaders, and leaders in general, to have even a basic understanding of agriculture since they are so far removed from it. For example, while I was working at a bank in Overland Park, Kansas, I told the group that I went to my first branding when I was two years old. They did not believe it at first. When I insisted it was true, my boss asked me if it was another person being branded because he clearly seemed concerned that I may have been abused as a child. I was shocked at their complete lack of understanding of what I was talking about.

Legislative District 9 covers West Mesa and East Tempe. So, I won't represent many working farms directly. However, the agricultural community needs allies from urban and suburban districts, because too many legislators from areas like mine treat rural Arizona as an afterthought, largely because they don't have an understanding of it. I'll be a reliable vote for water infrastructure investment, against regulatory overreach that piles costs on producers, and for keeping agriculture at the table when the Legislature makes decisions that affect rural livelihoods. With my ag and banking background, I understand what operating margins, debt service, and cash flow mean in the real world, and I have a deeper understanding of how agribusiness works than most of the legislators in districts like mine.

On the Colorado River, Arizona needs to negotiate from a position of unity and strength, and agricultural users who hold long-standing rights should not be the default cut when the system tightens. I'll support state investment in conservation and storage so we're growing supply, not just rationing shrinkage. On groundwater, I don't believe the answer is exporting Phoenix or Tucson style regulation to rural basins that didn't ask for it. The people who live and farm in a basin understand it better than most of those in the Capitol. So, I'll support frameworks that allow rural communities to work with the state as a partner rather than a mandate machine.

Agriculture is one of the few issues where the divide that matters isn't partisan, it's urban versus rural understanding. I'm running in an urban district, but I know Arizona doesn't work without its farmers and ranchers, and I'll govern like it. Given my background growing up in an ag community in the Central Valley of California, working in farm management on the High Plains, graduating from the Morrison School of Agribusiness with two degrees, and working in banking along the U.S.-Mexico border dealing with the international produce industry, you would be hard-pressed to find another legislator in a district like mine who has this level of understanding of agriculture.

I believe the three biggest challenges facing Arizona agriculture and our natural resource industries are water security, the rising cost of doing business and maintaining a strong workforce, and ensuring that state policy supports innovation and conservation without placing unnecessary burdens on producers.

First, water security is fundamental to the future of Arizona agriculture. Our farmers and ranchers understand water conservation better than almost anyone because their livelihoods depend on it. As Arizona grows, agriculture cannot continually be viewed as the first or easiest place to find water for new development. We need a balanced approach that recognizes the economic and food-security value of agriculture while requiring growing industrial and urban users to also be responsible partners. I support investments in water-efficient technology, irrigation infrastructure, groundwater recharge, watershed health, and other tools that help producers conserve water while keeping agricultural land productive.

Second, the economics of farming and ranching are becoming increasingly difficult. Producers are dealing with higher costs for fuel, energy, equipment, fertilizer, transportation, insurance, and labor. Arizona also needs a reliable agricultural workforce and a stronger pipeline for the next generation of farmers, ranchers, and agricultural professionals. We should be strengthening career and technical education, agricultural education, workforce development, and partnerships with our community colleges and universities while looking for ways to reduce unnecessary costs and strengthen Arizona-based supply chains.

Third, we need to approach conservation and natural-resource policy as a partnership with agriculture—not something that is simply imposed on it. Some of our best environmental solutions can also create economic opportunities for producers. That philosophy guided my work drafting Arizona’s first state compost legislation and working with the Arizona Compost Council. Composting can reduce waste going into our landfills while creating useful agricultural products, improving soil health, supporting water retention, and building a new circular economy here in Arizona. It is an example of what can happen when we bring industry, agriculture, local communities, and policymakers together around practical solutions.

My approach is to listen first. Farmers and ranchers are not just stakeholders in Arizona’s water and natural-resource discussions—they are some of the people with the greatest experience managing these resources every day. As we address water, growth, energy, conservation, and economic development, I want Arizona agriculture at the table from the beginning. Our goal should be to protect our natural resources while making sure Arizona’s farms, ranches, and rural communities can continue to succeed for generations.

As an elected official, my role is to make sure Arizona’s farmers and ranchers have a seat at the table before decisions are made—not after policies have already been written. That commitment is also personal for me.

I grew up in Salinas, California, a community where agriculture is part of everyday life and the backbone of the local economy. Growing up surrounded by the agricultural community gave me an early appreciation for the people and families behind our food supply and for how deeply agriculture is connected to jobs, small businesses, water, land, and the economic health of an entire community. That experience continues to influence how I approach agricultural policy today: I listen to the people doing the work first.

That is especially important when it comes to water. I will continue advocating for responsible and balanced water policy that recognizes agriculture as an essential part of Arizona’s future. We cannot address Arizona’s water challenges by continually expecting agriculture to give up water to accommodate growth elsewhere. Farmers and ranchers have made significant investments in conservation, and as Arizona attracts new water- and energy-intensive industries, those users must also share responsibility for conserving our resources. I will support investments in water infrastructure, irrigation efficiency, conservation technology, groundwater recharge, and other tools that help keep Arizona agriculture productive.

I will also work to protect the economic viability of farming and ranching. That means understanding the real-world impact of legislation on operating costs and avoiding unnecessary regulatory burdens. It also means supporting agricultural education and workforce development, infrastructure, Arizona-based supply chains, and research and technology that help producers remain competitive.

Finally, I believe government can help create partnerships that allow agriculture and conservation to work together. My work drafting Arizona’s first state compost legislation, in partnership with the Arizona Compost Council and other stakeholders, reflects that approach. We looked at composting not simply as a waste-management issue, but as an opportunity to reduce landfill waste, improve soil health, retain water, conserve resources, and create something valuable for Arizona agriculture.

Growing up in Salinas taught me that agriculture isn't an industry that exists somewhere outside our communities—it helps build and sustain those communities. As a legislator, I want Arizona farmers, ranchers, and organizations like the Arizona Farm Bureau involved throughout the policymaking process. My job is to listen, bring people together, remove barriers where government can, and make sure the people who work the land and raise our food have a meaningful voice in Arizona’s future.

Water is the foundation of Arizona agriculture, and I believe protecting our agricultural water supply must be part of any serious discussion about Arizona’s long-term water future.

Growing up in Salinas, CA, I saw how closely agriculture, water, jobs, and the health of a community are connected. That experience continues to shape my approach today. Water policy cannot be developed without the farmers, ranchers, irrigation districts, and rural communities whose livelihoods depend on the decisions we make.

On the Colorado River, I will advocate for Arizona’s agricultural interests as our state navigates increasingly difficult negotiations over a limited supply. Agriculture has already contributed significantly to conservation efforts, and I do not believe agricultural water should simply become the default water supply for continued urban and industrial growth. Arizona must pursue conservation across sectors and ensure that new, water-intensive development is held accountable for its impact on our long-term water supply. When agricultural producers participate in conservation programs, those programs should be voluntary, fairly compensated, and structured so we do not permanently undermine Arizona's agricultural economy or food-producing capacity.

For rural groundwater, I support practical, locally driven solutions rather than assuming that one policy will work everywhere in Arizona. The challenges facing an agricultural community in one basin may be very different from those in another. Farmers, ranchers, local governments, water providers, tribal communities, and other local stakeholders need a meaningful role in developing groundwater-management strategies for their regions.

The state can be a partner by providing reliable groundwater data, technical assistance, infrastructure investment, conservation resources, and tools that communities can use to address their individual circumstances. We should encourage water efficiency, recharge, watershed restoration, improved irrigation technology, and other innovations that extend our supplies without unnecessarily taking productive agricultural land out of operation.

I also believe we need greater accountability as Arizona grows. We cannot ask farmers and ranchers to conserve while approving new water-intensive development without fully understanding and addressing its long-term impact. Agriculture should not carry the burden of Arizona’s growth alone.

My goal is to protect Arizona's water future while keeping agriculture economically viable. That requires collaboration rather than mandates developed in isolation. I will continue listening to the people who work the land and manage these resources every day and work toward policies that conserve water, respect local differences, and preserve Arizona agriculture for the next generation.

Agriculture has a special meaning to me because I grew up in Salinas, California, where agriculture was not simply an industry—it was part of the identity, economy, and daily life of our community. I grew up understanding that behind the food on our tables are farmers, farmworkers, ranchers, small businesses, families, and generations of knowledge about the land. That experience has stayed with me and continues to influence how I approach agricultural policy in Arizona.

Arizona agriculture is also an important part of our state's identity and economic future. As we face difficult conversations about water, energy, land use, workforce, and growth, I believe agriculture must be viewed as an asset we are working to preserve—not simply as a resource that can be displaced to accommodate other development.

My work on Arizona's first state compost legislation with the Arizona Compost Council reinforced something I strongly believe: some of our best policy comes from bringing the people who actually work in an industry to the table and asking, "What can we do together?" Agriculture can be an important partner in conservation, soil health, water efficiency, waste reduction, renewable energy, and innovation, but those policies work best when producers help shape them from the beginning.

I also want to make sure the next generation sees a future in Arizona agriculture. That means supporting agricultural education, FFA and career and technical education, research at our universities and community colleges, workforce development, and the technology and infrastructure that will allow Arizona producers to remain competitive.

Most importantly, I want Arizona's farmers and ranchers to know that my door is open. We may not agree on every issue, but I will listen, ask questions, and work in good faith to understand how decisions made at the Capitol affect people on the ground.

Growing up in an agricultural community taught me that when agriculture succeeds, entire communities succeed. I want Arizona to remain a state where we can grow our economy, responsibly manage our natural resources, and still ensure that farming and ranching remain viable for generations to come.

Arizona agriculture and natural-resources three major challenges: protecting reliable and affordable water supplies; rising costs for labor, fuel, energy, equipment, and regulatory compliance; and preserving working lands as growth and development continue.

As a state legislator, I will be a consistent voice for Arizona’s farmers and ranchers at the Capitol. I will support practical water and infrastructure investments, reduce unnecessary regulations, protect private-property rights, and oppose policies that make it harder for family farms and ranches to survive. I will also work to ensure rural communities have a seat at the table when decisions are made that affect their land, water, and livelihoods.

Protecting Arizona’s Colorado River water is essential, and agriculture must be part of every serious long-term solution. I will support Arizona’s efforts to defend its lawful water interests, invest in conservation and infrastructure, and ensure that farmers are treated as partners. For rural groundwater, I support practical, locally driven solutions that respect property rights, use sound data, encourage conservation and recharge where appropriate, and give communities the tools to protect their water.

I believe Arizona must encourage and promote farming. Family farms are at the heart of strong communities; they produce the food we depend on while teaching hard work, responsibility, and stewardship of the land. Supporting the ability of families to build and sustain farming businesses helps create stable incomes, strengthen rural communities, and protect Arizona’s long-term food security.

Water Agriculture costs (machinery, fertilizer, etc) Market - domestic and foreign in today's geopolitical uncertainty

Water augmentation is one of my largest priorities. I do not know how (at this point) how to reduce market costs. I hope to (somehow) provide certainty and stability to Az industries.

I hope to learn. As the Mayor of Chandler, I have worked diligently to augment, conserve and recharge. Even though I have a BS in Ag Chem, I have much to learn on Ag conservation best practices, incentivizing them, identifying the most viable and affordable water sources and protecting groundwater for future generations.

No additional comments.

The three biggest challenges facing Arizona’s agriculture and natural resource industries are water security, responsible management of land and resources, and economic competitiveness.

First and foremost is water. Arizona agriculture depends on reliable water supplies, and the future of the Colorado River and groundwater management will have enormous consequences on farmers, ranchers, and rural communities. Protecting our long term water supply must include conservation, innovation, and infrastructure investments, in conjunction with policies that recognize agriculture’s economic importance.

Second is responsible management of land and natural resources. Agriculture, ranching, mining, forestry, and other resource based industries need predictable access to land and practical, sustainable regulations that allow them to thrive while protecting Arizona’s natural resources.

Finally, these industries need a strong workforce alongside modern infrastructure, affordable energy, and a competitive business environment. Strengthening these areas will help rural communities grow and remain economically resilient.

As a State Representative, I will make sure farmers, ranchers, rural businesses, and natural resource industries have a voice when decisions are made at the legislature about policies that affect them, such as water, infrastructure, workforce development, energy, and economic growth.

My background as an educator has taught me to listen to those directly impacted, understand the evidence, and bring people together to solve difficult problems. I would bring that same approach to the legislature in order to pass practical, common-sense policies.

Arizona’s water future requires long-term planning, collaboration, and solutions that recognize the differences among our communities and water sources.

Farmers and ranchers have made significant long-term investments based on their access to water, and that is why they and related industries deserve to have their voices heard when it comes to making decisions about the future of the Colorado River.

As a legislator, I would bring farmers, ranchers, and other natural resource industries together with rural communities, small businesses, Tribal nations, and local governments to find practical, attainable solutions. We should use the diverse perspectives present in Arizona alongside sound science to determine the best ways to invest in conservation and water infrastructure, encourage innovation, and ensure public investments produce measurable results.

My career in education has centered on preparing people for the future, and I believe that same philosophy should guide Arizona’s rural economies. We must invest in people, strengthen infrastructure, and create an environment where businesses can create good jobs.

Above all, we need to listen to the people who live and work in those communities. Farmers and ranchers understand Arizona’s land and water challenges firsthand, and their experiences should help shape public policy. After all, Arizona’s agriculture is much more than an industry -- it is part of the economic and social fabric of our state.

Water, water, and water. At the legislature, we have focused on managing our existing water supply and finding ways to augment our allocation. We cannot stand idly by and allow other states to dictate changes to our share of water. We have invested in water infrastructure and provided resources to challenge draft plans that shortchange Arizona. Additionally, I have fought to improve our road/transportation infrastructure, from widening the I-10 to making SR347 safer. Allowing industry to move product and supplies safely is critical to the future of the industry. And we passed a historic tax cut this session, providing relief to everyday Arizonans and businesses.

Communication and dogged advocacy are critical to the future of agriculture in Arizona. As Vice-Chair of the House Natural Resources Committee, I advocated for policies that benefited Arizona businesses, especially our farmers and ranchers. From improving our water and transportation infrastructure to reducing our tax liability, we have taken important steps to strengthen our AG community. But with the uncertainty surrounding the Colorado River Reduction Plan and the proposed cuts included, it is critical that we work together to protect our water. Additionally, I was proud to sponsor legislation to remove sales tax on fencing, irrigation, and water supplies to further benefit our farmers and ranchers.

We took steps in the last two legislative sessions to ensure we have resources to pay for litigation directly related to the Colorado River Reduction Plan, but it's also critical to leverage our federal relationships to influence decision-makers in Washington. I also sponsored legislation to extend the freeze on fees for water removal from the Pinal AMA.

No additional comments.

Water and education. I think we need to educate the public more about the importance of the agriculture community. Many think food comes from the store when it actually comes from the farm. We also need to fight for protecting water for agriculture.

I would work on making sure they are part of all stakeholders meeting that involves them. Many bills are drafted with out their input. We need to make sure they have a seat at the table

Well again I think stakeholders meetings are imperative! We need to make sure and protect agriculture‘s needs! But we need water experts at the table.

It’s very important to me and my district. Although I am not an expert I am a fierce advocate for them

Access to water/water security, rising operating costs, and development pressures. First, Arizona must protect its limited water supply while ensuring that farmers, ranchers, tribes, and rural communities have a meaningful voice in water policy.

Second, farmers and ranchers face increasing costs for fuel, equipment, energy, labor and insurance. We must strengthen local supply chains, expand workforce-development programs, ensure that state policies support family farms and small producers and not only large corporations.

Third, rapid development, as communities like those in Legislative District 16 grow, we need responsible planning that protects productive farmland, open spaces, and rural livelihoods while still allowing for sustainable economic development. Tax breaks to Data Centers does nothing for our local farmers.

Bring farmers to the table during water discussions and decisions. Write legislation that will allow farmers to hire a workforce they need to sustain this economy and our communities. Lastly, stop providing tax breaks to the large corporations and figure out ways to support our farming rural communities within LD16.

I reside in the City of Maricopa and our for profit water company claims to not be dependent on the Colorado River. This is the same company that proposed to support the La Osa Data Center in the City of Eloy that was to use and exploit our groundwater. Water is a precious resource to sustain life, this includes the produce and farm animals that nourish our communities. We need to stop the exploitation of our precious water resource by corporate greed.

No additional comments.

Water: a combination of Colorado River shortages and an insistence by Democrats to drive Ag out of Arizona. Dems want to control water to control growth, they do not control the other basins outside the current AMAs

Labor: labor is shortages are strained even more due to federal immigration crack down that has made access to H-2s more difficult, and transient labor populations difficult.

Regulation: drives up costs, lowers profit margins, and drives up costs for consumers making Ag a difficult industry.

As a legislator, we can defend local water rights, fund advancements in technology to create industry efficiencies and drive down costs, fund labor programs to train in the industry, work to protect Ag as a necessary food staple and defending against it being first in line for water cuts.

support voluntary, compensated conservation and water-sharing that credits farmers for what they actually leave in the system

fund efficiency, on-farm reuse, and infrastructure that stretch remaining deliveries

treat Yuma and other senior-right irrigation districts as a national food-security asset, not residual demand. Winter vegetables and highly efficient surface-water districts should not be the first place the state looks to “find” water for CAP cities or industry. CAP agricultural users already absorbed earlier junior-priority cuts

I am not an expert on Ag. These comments are not in-depth, and are a product of my work experience and research for this survey. At ASU, we are standing up programs to work in Ag tech to create industry efficiencies to drive down costs.

Water Government regulation Trade barriers/infringement

I will work to stabilize current water availability and increase future water resources, and I will fight against excessive regulatory burdens.

Water allocation to agriculture needs to be understood in the context of the entire economy, lifestyle, and culture, and in consideration of agriculture's contribution to our healthy food supply and economy. Counting gallons used and condemning agriculture as an excessive user is simplistic and ignorant of the greater value agriculture brings to the state.

Local communities must capture surface water locally and manage their groundwater locally. Local oversight produces local solutions developed by local residents. Regulation imposed from afar is too often misguided and lacks consideration of local perspectives.

State (and national) forests are poorly managed by allowing excessive growth and limited harvesting/thinning to (1) reduce fire danger, (2) retain surface water on site, and (3) preserve groundwater resources regionally. Forests are also part of the agricultural cycle, producing wood products as well as retaining water for the production of other agricultural products. Arizona needs better forestry management.

1. water security 2. cost of supplies - fertilizer and equipment 3. Available employees.

I cover five counties in my district. I would like to see a water team volunteers that included Farmers ranchers Orchard growers, and the small communities that surround the agricultural business.

In reviewing the past legislation practices with the current majority, not everyone is welcome to the table. I feel the lack of competition prevents exploring ideas and solutions for everyone. I raised a few mules in the last 30 years so I have some small knowledge regarding the cost of alfalfa and to guard and manage my well.

The Colorado river water issue is very complex and again not everyone is sitting at the table to share their concerns and possible solutions.

This is a federal and state issue that may need to have some court action to sort out the complexity of water for everyone.

Water is my main priority and I have not completely decided on how to approach this important topic of Arizona agriculture. I would like to be able to submit my thoughts, but when I leave this website, I have to start all over again. I was trying to figure out how to attach my water platform and share with the farmer Bureau.. I don't have all the answers. We need to listen to each other and realize that we are in this situation together we can't live without water. Our agricultural business cannot live without water. The small communities that live around agricultural centers can't live without water.

I didn't find your email. It was in my spam folder until this morning. I'm gonna submit it anyway.. Thank you for the opportunity to share my thoughts. Water management needs to be a team process.

The three biggest challenges are water insecurity, rising operating costs (price of diesel, grain, etc.), and the loss of economic opportunity in rural communities. Farmers and ranchers need predictable access to water, affordable diesel/grain/supplies, and infrastructure and markets that allow the Arizona agriculture industry to remain viable for the next generation.

I will continue to advocate for rural communities in the Legislature by protecting Arizona’s water resources, investing in conservation and water infrastructure. I will also support programs that help producers adopt water-efficient technology, strengthen rural infrastructure, and keep family farms and ranches competitive.

Groundwater depletion threatens rural agriculture, especially when large out-of-state corporations can move into a community and pump water at a scale that puts family farms and ranches that have been here for generations at risk. I support practical, locally driven groundwater management that protects existing agricultural users, requires everyone to do their part, and recognizes that in a hotter, drier Arizona, we need to manage our water responsibly for the long term.

Arizona agriculture is more than an industry, it is a cornerstone of our rural communities, food security, and our state economy. We can be responsible stewards of our water and natural resources while making sure the people who grow our food and sustain our rural communities have a future here.

The three biggest challenges facing Arizona’s agriculture and natural resource industries are water security, rising costs, and workforce stability. First, water is one of the most serious challenges facing Arizona. Drought, declining groundwater supplies, and uncertainty along the Colorado River are creating real concerns for farmers, ranchers, Tribal communities, and rural areas. We need long term water planning that protects agriculture while recognizing the needs of communities and future generations. Second, farmers and ranchers are facing higher costs for fuel, equipment, labor, transportation, energy, and other necessities. We need policies that support local producers, strengthen rural infrastructure, and help Arizona agriculture remain competitive. Third, we must protect and strengthen our rural workforce. Agriculture depends on skilled and reliable workers, but rural communities often face shortages in housing, health care, education, and other services. Supporting the people who work in these industries is essential to keeping Arizona agriculture and our rural economies strong

As an elected official, I will make sure Arizona farmers and ranchers have a voice at the table when decisions are made about water, land, infrastructure, and our rural economy. I grew up around farm life, so I understand firsthand the hard work, long hours, and dedication it takes to keep an agricultural operation going.

I will support responsible water policies that protect Arizona’s long term water supply while recognizing the important role agriculture plays in our state. I will work directly with farmers, ranchers, Tribal communities, irrigation districts, and local leaders to find practical solutions that reflect the needs of each region. I will also support investments in rural roads, water infrastructure, workforce development, and programs that help local producers remain competitive. For me, agriculture is personal. I know how important farming and ranching are to our families, our rural communities, and Arizona’s economy. I will listen to the people working the land and make sure their experiences are represented at the State Capitol.

Water is the foundation of Arizona agriculture, and protecting it requires cooperation, long term planning, and respect for the communities that depend on it. Growing up around farm life, I understand that water decisions directly affect a family’s livelihood and the future of our rural communities. I will advocate for Arizona agriculture to have a strong voice in Colorado River discussions while also recognizing the rights and needs of Tribal nations, cities, and other water users. Agriculture cannot simply be treated as the first place to make cuts when shortages occur. For rural groundwater, I support locally driven solutions because every basin has different needs. Farmers, ranchers, Tribal communities, local governments, and residents should have a meaningful role in developing groundwater plans for their areas. The state should provide reliable data, resources, and support while allowing communities to build practical solutions that protect groundwater without placing unnecessary burdens on existing agricultural operations. My goal is to protect Arizona’s water future while keeping agriculture strong for the next generation.

Arizona agriculture is personal to me. I grew up around farm life in Yuma County, surrounded by agriculture throughout our region, including on and around Quechan and Cocopah lands. Agriculture is part of our everyday lives, our economy, our culture, and the history of our communities. I understand the long hours, hard work, and uncertainty farming families face, especially when it comes to water, labor, and rising costs. My professional background in economic development and my work with the Quechan Indian Tribe have also given me a broader understanding of how agriculture, water, Tribal communities, small businesses, transportation, and rural economies are connected. Living and working along the Colorado River has shown me how important water is to the future of agriculture, Tribal nations, and our entire region. As a legislator, I will bring those experiences with me to the State Capitol. I want farmers, ranchers, Tribal communities, including the Quechan and Cocopah communities, and rural families to have a real voice in decisions that affect their future. We must protect Arizona’s water, respect Tribal water rights, support responsible economic growth, and make sure agriculture remains strong for generations to come.

Water remains one of the most significant challenges facing our entire state. Every industry is affected, but our agricultural communities face these challenges with particular urgency. I represent a community built in large part by farmworkers, growers, and pickers, so I understand that agriculture helped build the West Valley and continues to play a vital role in our economy and our communities.

As a legislator, I will be committed to finding long-term solutions and fighting strongly for Arizona’s water interests. I see few responsibilities more pressing for a state representative than ensuring Arizona receives a fair and equitable share of our region’s water resources. We cannot allow Arizona families, farmers, and businesses to be left behind or forced to bear disproportionate costs simply to maintain reliable access to water.

Addressing this challenge will require cooperation with our regional partners as well as strong negotiations with the federal government. Arizona has significant political and economic power, and we must use it. I will push our leaders to negotiate aggressively, protect Arizona’s water rights, and secure a sustainable and affordable water future for our communities, our agricultural industry, and generations to come.

Apart from water, Arizona’s agricultural industry faces several other significant challenges. One of the most immediate is the rising cost of doing business. The ongoing tariff fight has increased costs throughout the agricultural supply chain, including equipment, tractor parts, fertilizer, and other essential supplies. Farmers are then faced with an impossible choice: pass those higher costs on to consumers or absorb them themselves, putting even greater pressure on an industry already operating on tight margins.

Climate change presents another serious and long-term challenge. Arizona is particularly vulnerable to rising temperatures, prolonged drought, extreme heat, and increasingly unpredictable growing conditions. These changes threaten our ability to grow crops, raise livestock, and maintain a strong agricultural economy.

We need to make long-term investments that help Arizona agriculture adapt and remain competitive. That includes expanding access to renewable energy, investing in more efficient water and energy infrastructure, supporting sustainable agricultural practices, and helping farmers adopt technologies that reduce costs and increase resiliency.

Our goal should not be to leave agriculture behind as Arizona grows and changes. It should be to give our farmers, ranchers, and agricultural workers the resources they need to adapt, compete, and thrive. Agriculture helped build Arizona and remains a key industry in our state. We have a responsibility to ensure it can continue feeding our communities, creating jobs, and supporting our economy for generations to come.

As a legislator, I will not directly engage in interstate water negotiations, but I can sponsor and pass legislation that conserves our water supply and ensures that the largest and most powerful corporations do their fair share. Through our state budget, laws, and regulatory authority, we can invest in conservation, expand our water supply wherever possible, and protect Arizona’s interests in the Colorado River.

At the same time, we must recognize that continued development is necessary for Arizona’s economic growth. Our responsibility is not to stop growth, but to ensure that it happens responsibly. New development should be approached with a clear understanding of water availability and long-term sustainability. We can protect our water resources without unnecessarily hindering economic development by establishing responsible standards, investing in water infrastructure and conservation, and ensuring that major water users contribute their fair share to securing Arizona’s water future.

Arizona families, working-class communities, farmers, and our critical agricultural industry should not be expected to suffer, go without reliable access to water, or bear increasingly higher costs because others have failed to use our resources responsibly. We should hold developers accountable when development occurs without adequate consideration for our long-term water supply.

Agriculture is a vital Arizona industry. It feeds and sustains our communities, provides critical jobs, and has played an essential role in building communities like the West Valley. Protecting our water future should not mean abandoning the farmers, agricultural workers, and communities whose livelihoods depend on this industry. Instead, large and powerful corporations must be expected to pay their fair share and participate meaningfully in conserving our water resources.

I support conservation alongside economic growth. The two can and must go hand in hand. We can create sustainable solutions to Arizona’s water challenges without unnecessarily hindering economic development. That means encouraging responsible growth, investing in conservation and water infrastructure, and ensuring that new development takes the long-term availability of water seriously.

Arizonans are already doing their part to conserve, and our state has already been asked to reduce its use of the Colorado River. We need advocates who will show up at policy and committee hearings, fight for Arizona’s interests, stand up for our agricultural industry and working-class communities, and hold powerful corporations and regional partners accountable. That is the kind of legislator I will be.

I come from a community in Arizona’s West Valley that was literally built by farmworkers and the agricultural industry. Agriculture is deeply rooted in the history and heritage of the West Side, and I am proud of that legacy. Generations of farmworkers, growers, ranchers, and agricultural families helped build and sustain the communities I call home.

As a legislator, I will bring special care and attention to the challenges facing our agricultural industry and work to ensure it has the resources and support necessary to succeed. I will continue to advocate for investments that strengthen Arizona agriculture, support the people whose livelihoods depend on it, and help the industry adapt to the challenges ahead.

Agriculture is not simply part of our past. It remains an important part of Arizona’s economy, identity, and future. I am committed to ensuring that this industry can continue to thrive and sustain our communities for generations to come.

Legislative District 25 encompasses Yuma, which is one of the most important agricultural areas to our country. The industry is facing several key challenges first and foremost to ensure a secure water supply for all rural residents that adequately supports the community. Rural Arizonans deserve a seat at the table and for their leaders to understand the similarities and differences that exist between rural and urban areas. Secondly, the industry is facing shortages in workforce. Lastly, it is imperative that we be forward thinking in agriculture, and support with technology that can more efficiently provide resources in an ever changing environment.

As an elected official, my role will be to be a strong advocate and partner for Arizona’s farmers and ranchers by making sure their concerns are heard when decisions are made at the Capitol. I will fight to protect reliable agricultural water supplies, including Colorado River water, while supporting responsible groundwater management that is developed with meaningful input from the farmers, ranchers, irrigation districts, and rural communities directly affected. I will also work to strengthen Arizona’s agricultural workforce through rural workforce development, education, and training, while advocating for sensible federal policies that provide agriculture with a stable workforce. Finally, I will support practical technologies such as precision irrigation, water monitoring, automation, and robotics that can help producers conserve resources, address labor shortages, and remain competitive. My responsibility is not to dictate solutions from the Capitol but to listen to rural Arizona, bring the right people to the table, and use the resources and authority of the Legislature to help develop and advance solutions that work locally.

Water is the foundation of Arizona agriculture, and I will make protecting agricultural access to Colorado River water a top priority. I will advocate for Arizona’s farmers and irrigation districts in state and federal discussions, work to protect the reliability of our water deliveries, and make sure agriculture has a strong voice in decisions about the Colorado River. At the same time, I believe rural areas need a groundwater management system to ensure it is available for generations to come, but that solutions should be developed with the people who live and work in those communities. Farmers, ranchers, irrigation districts, and local leaders should have a meaningful role in determining how groundwater is managed, while the state provides sound science, resources, and accountability. I will support practical tools such as conservation, groundwater recharge, better measurement and data, and technology that helps producers use water more efficiently. We need to manage our groundwater, but we should do it with rural Arizona, not to rural Arizona, while protecting the agricultural water supplies that are essential to our economy and our way of life.

I have had the privilege of calling Arizona home for 33 years and serving in education for 30 of those years, including leadership roles at both the district and statewide levels in science. That experience has given me a deep understanding of Arizona’s communities and how our state has changed and grown, while teaching me the importance of listening to the people closest to an issue. I approach complex challenges by relying on sound science and evidence, bringing diverse perspectives to the table, and working toward practical solutions that can succeed in the real world. Those principles are especially important when addressing Arizona’s water, agriculture, and natural resource challenges. I believe rural communities deserve leaders who understand their unique circumstances, respect the knowledge of the people who have lived and worked on the land for generations, and are willing to work alongside them to find solutions. I would bring 33 years of experience living in Arizona, along with 30 years of educational and scientific leadership, to the Legislature in service to the communities I represent.

Extreme heat, lack of water, and cost of diesel to run farming equipment.

Whatever It can and have recently learned a lot about regenerative farming can improve soil health and help with our current environmental changes, especially water issues in AZ.

In order to protect agricultural access to Colorado River water while supporting rural groundwater management, finding solutions to reducing drawing on groundwater, while also replenishing underground aquifers will be key. This can be done by changing from high-water drawing crops to more efficient systems. Having been a teacher I taught about CAP, so ongoing public education about the value and scarcity of water is imperative, as is the need for people to adapt to these water conservation practices needs buy in and understanding from people in order to support efforts to protect water resources.

As I learn more about regenerative farming and see its benefits in other states and even other countries, I think that may be essential for Arizona and after watching a Netflix documentary called Common Ground, I believe it’s possible to reverse some of the effects that climate change has had on our planet, as well, and since water has become such a concern we need to be open to anything that has the potential to not only protect our agriculture, farmer’s livelihoods, and our issues with heat/climate affecting agriculture in AZ.

1. Water 2. Rising costs 3. Labor

I believe water issues will be the forefront issues for a decade. Without water the landscape of agriculture is in peril. Since nearly 80% of water usage is used in AG, it is a safe assumption to say that there will be water cuts to this area. The role I would assist in is ensuring all impacts are mitigated and temporary. We don't want to make forever decisions based on a crisis now. We want to ensure that agriculture is going to thrive in the future.

Mitigation to ensure farmers/ranchers are compensated to protect the future. We cannot have a crisis and eliminate an industry. We need to ensure the future of farming and ranching. I also support more science based research to find a better mouse trap to make sure we can effectively use the water we have for more output.

I realize it is a tough time with the water situation. I am willing to sit down and listen to all parties, plan the future, protect the industry and execute a plan that can be effective and equitable.