Arizona State Senate District 12

Arizona State Senate District 12 is represented by Denise Epstein (D).

As of the 2020 Census, Arizona state senators represented an average of 238,631 residents. After the 2010 Census, each member represented 213,757 residents.

About the office

Members of the Arizona State Senate serve two-year terms with term limits, limiting senators to four terms (a total of eight years).^[1] Arizona legislators assume office on the first day of the session after they are elected. Each regular session begins on the second Monday in January.

Qualifications

See also: State legislature candidate requirements by state

Article 4, Part 2, Section 2 of the Arizona Constitution states: "No person shall be a member of the Legislature unless he shall be a citizen of the United States at the time of his election, nor unless he shall be at least twenty-five years of age, and shall have been a resident of Arizona at least three years and of the county from which he is elected at least one year before his election."^[2]

Salaries

See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries

State legislative salaries, 2024^[3]
Salary	Per diem
$24,000/year	For legislators residing within Maricopa County: $35/day. For legislators residing outside of Maricopa County: $251.66.

Term limits

See also: State legislatures with term limits

The Arizona legislature is one of 16 state legislatures with term limits. Voters enacted the Arizona Term Limits Act in 1992. That initiative said that Arizona senators are subject to term limits of no more than four two-year terms, or a total of eight years.

The first year that the term limits enacted in 1992 impacted the ability of incumbents to run for office was 2000.^[4]

Vacancies

See also: How vacancies are filled in state legislatures

If there is a vacancy in the Arizona State Legislature, the board of county supervisors must select a replacement. The secretary of state is required to contact the state party chairperson to give notice of the vacancy. The state chairperson must give notice of a meeting to fill the seat within three business days of receiving notice.^[5] The political party committee is involved in the appointment process only if the legislative district has thirty or more elected precinct committeemen.^[5]

If the legislative district has 30 or more elected precinct committeemen:

The precinct committeemen must nominate three qualified electors as replacements. If the Legislature is in session, this must occur within five days. If the Legislature is out of session, the committeemen have 21 days to nominate potential replacements. Each elector must receive a majority of the committeemen's vote to earn a nomination. The chair then forwards the three nominees to the board of supervisors. The board of supervisors appoints a nominee from the three names. If the committeemen do not submit a list of names within the allotted timeframe, the board of supervisors proceeds with the vacancy as if the district had fewer than 30 elected precinct committeemen.^[5]

If the legislative district has fewer than 30 elected precinct committeemen:

The board of supervisors appoints a panel of citizen supervisors within seven business days of a vacancy occurring. The citizen panel must submit the name of three qualified electors of the same political party as the previous incumbent to the board of supervisors. If the Legislature is in session, this must occur within five days. If the Legislature is out of session, the committeemen have 21 days to nominate potential replacements. The board of supervisors must select a replacement by a majority vote.^[6]
The person selected to fill the seat serves the remainder of the unfilled term.^[6]

See sources: Arizona Rev. Stat. Ann. §41-1202

District map

Redistricting

2020-2022

See also: Redistricting in Arizona after the 2020 census

On January 24, 2022, Arizona enacted new legislative maps after the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission transmitted its finalized plans to the secretary of state.^[7] The commission initially voted to finalize and certify the legislative map plan on Jan. 21.^[8] The commission's nonpartisan chairwoman, Erika Neuberg, joined the two Republican members—David Mehl and Douglas York—voting in favor of the map. The commission's two Democratic members—Shereen Lerner and Derrick Watchman—were opposed.^[9] This map took effect for Arizona's 2022 legislative elections.

The commission previously voted in favor of the legislative map by a 3-2 vote on December 22, 2021, which was followed by a period for counties to request administrative changes before the final vote on Jan. 21.^[10]

How does redistricting in Arizona work? The Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission is responsible for drawing both congressional and state legislative district lines. The commission is composed of five members. Of these, four are selected by the majority and minority leaders of each chamber of the state legislature from a list of 25 candidates nominated by the state commission on appellate court appointments. These 25 nominees comprise 10 Democrats, 10 Republicans, and 5 unaffiliated citizens. The four commission members appointed by legislative leaders then select the fifth member to round out the commission. The fifth member of the commission must belong to a different political party than the other commissioners. The governor, with a two-thirds vote in the Arizona State Senate, may remove a commissioner "for substantial neglect of duty, gross misconduct in office, or inability to discharge the duties of office." The Arizona State Legislature may make recommendations to the commission, but ultimate authority is vested with the commission.^[11]^[12]^[13]

The Arizona Constitution requires that both congressional and state legislative districts be "contiguous, geographically compact, and respect communities of interest–all to the extent practicable." The state constitution further mandates that district lines "should [follow] visible geographic features, city, town, and county boundaries, and undivided census tracts." In addition, the constitution requires that "competitive districts be favored where doing so would not significantly detract from the goals above."^[13]

Arizona State Senate District 12
until January 8, 2023

Click a district to compare boundaries.

Arizona State Senate District 12
starting January 9, 2023

Click a district to compare boundaries.

Elections

2024

General election

General election for Arizona State Senate District 12

Incumbent Denise Epstein defeated Cara Vicini in the general election for Arizona State Senate District 12 on November 5, 2024.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Denise Epstein (D)	58.9	48,743
	Cara Vicini (R)	41.1	33,952

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. Source 1 Source 2	Total votes: 82,695
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Arizona State Senate District 12

Incumbent Denise Epstein advanced from the Democratic primary for Arizona State Senate District 12 on July 30, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Denise Epstein	100.0	20,221

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 20,221
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Arizona State Senate District 12

Cara Vicini advanced from the Republican primary for Arizona State Senate District 12 on July 30, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Cara Vicini	100.0	17,187

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 17,187
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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