Share on WeChat
https://www.powervoter.us:443/office
Copy the link and open WeChat to share.
 Share on WeChat
Copy the link and open WeChat to share.
 Share on WeChat
Scan QRCode using WeChat,and then click the icon at the top-right corner of your screen.
 Share on WeChat
Scan QRCode using WeChat,and then click the icon at the top-right corner of your screen.

Arizona, State House, District 7

Arizona House of Representatives District 7
Current incumbentsArlando Teller Democratic Party
Myron Tsosie Democratic Party

Arizona’s seventh state house district is represented by Democratic Representatives Arlando Teller and Myron Tsosie.

Arizona state representatives represent an average of 106,534 residents. After the 2000 Census, each member represented 85,511 residents.

About the office

Members of the Arizona House of Representatives serve two-year terms with term limits, limiting representatives to four terms (a total of eight years). 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

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."

Salaries

State legislators
SalaryPer diem
$24,000/year$35/day for legislators who live in Maricopa County; $60/day for legislators who live outside of Maricopa County.

Term limits

The Arizona legislature is one of 15 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 in 2000.

Vacancies

If there is a vacancy in the Arizona State Legislature, the Board of County Supervisors must select a replacement. The political party committee is involved in the appointment process only if the legislative district has thirty or more elected precinct committeemen.

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

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 days of receiving notice.

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 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 proceed with the vacancy as if the district had fewer than 30 elected precinct committeemen.

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

The Board of County Supervisors appoints a panel of citizen supervisors within three business days of a vacancy occurring. That panel has seven business days to submit the name of three qualified electors of the same political party as the previous incumbent to the Board of Supervisors. Within five business days of receiving the list, the Board of Supervisors must select a replacement by a majority vote.

The person selected to fill the seat serves the remainder of the unfilled term.

Elections

2020

Elections for the office of Arizona House of Representatives will take place in 2020. The general election will be held on November 3, 2020. A primary is scheduled for August 4, 2020. The filing deadline is April 6, 2020.

2018

General election
General election for Arizona House of Representatives District 7 (2 seats)

Myron Tsosie (D) and Arlando Teller (D) defeated Doyel Shamley (R) in the general election for Arizona House of Representatives District 7 on November 6, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes

Myron Tsosie (D)
41.2
34,739

Arlando Teller (D)
31.8
26,810

Doyel Shamley (R)
26.9
22,677

Total votes: 84,226
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Arizona House of Representatives District 7 (2 seats)

Myron Tsosie and Arlando Teller advanced from the Democratic primary for Arizona House of Representatives District 7 on August 28, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes

Myron Tsosie (D)
63.1
19,257

Arlando Teller (D)
36.9
11,282

Total votes: 30,539
(100.00% precincts reporting)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Arizona House of Representatives District 7 (2 seats)

Doyel Shamley advanced from the Republican primary for Arizona House of Representatives District 7 on August 28, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes

Doyel Shamley (R)
100
9,920

Total votes: 9,920
(100.00% precincts reporting)

2016

Elections for the Arizona House of Representatives took place in 2016. The primary election took place on August 30, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was June 1, 2016. Incumbents Albert Hale (D) and Jennifer Benally (D) did not seek re-election.

Eric Descheenie and Wenona Benally were unopposed in the Arizona House of Representatives District 7 general election.

Arizona House of Representatives, District 7 General Election, 2016

Party Candidate Vote % Votes
Democratic Green check mark transparent.png Eric Descheenie 52.63% 41,398
Democratic Green check mark transparent.png Wenona Benally 47.37% 37,261
Total Votes 78,659
Source: Arizona Secretary of State

Eric Descheenie and Wenona Benally were unopposed in the Arizona House of Representatives District 7 Democratic Primary.

Arizona House of Representatives, District 7 Democratic Primary, 2016

Party Candidate
Democratic Green check mark transparent.png Eric Descheenie
Democratic Green check mark transparent.png Wenona Benally

2014

Elections for the Arizona House of Representatives took place in 2014. A primary election took place on August 26, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was May 28, 2014. Incumbent Albert Hale and Jennifer Benally defeated Joshua Lavar Butler and Arlando Teller (write-in) in the Democratic primary. Hale and Benally were unchallenged in the general election.

Arizona House of Representatives, District 7 Democratic Primary, 2014

Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngAlbert Hale Incumbent 42.8% 12,897
Green check mark transparent.pngJennifer Benally 33% 9,953
Joshua Lavar Butler 23.1% 6,955
Arlando Teller 1.1% 339
Total Votes 30,144

2012

Elections for the office of Arizona House of Representatives consisted of a primary election on August 28, 2012, and a general election on November 6, 2012. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was May 30, 2012. Incumbent Albert Hale and Jamescita Peshlakai won the general election, after defeating Phil Stago in the August 28 Democratic primary election.

Arizona House of Representatives, District 7, General Election, 2012

Party Candidate Vote % Votes
Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngAlbert Hale Incumbent 58.7% 40,245
Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngJaescita Peshlakai 41.3% 28,269
Total Votes 68,514

Arizona House of Representatives, District 7 Democratic Primary, 2012

Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngAlbert Hale Incumbent 49.1% 13,890
Green check mark transparent.pngJamescita Peshlakai 27.6% 7,803
Phil Stago 23.2% 6,570
Total Votes 28,263

Campaign contributions

From 2002 to 2016, candidates for Arizona House of Representatives District 7 raised a total of $1,010,363. Candidates who raised money in contributions earned $18,710 on average. All figures come from Follow the Money.

Campaign contributions, Arizona House of Representatives District 7

Year Amount Candidates Average
2016 $5,384 2 $2,692
2014 $30,572 4 $7,643
2012 $26,782 3 $8,927
2010 $215,269 10 $21,527
2008 $97,598 4 $24,400
2006 $176,466 7 $25,209
2004 $134,385 6 $22,398
2002 $231,030 7 $33,004
2000 $92,877 11 $8,443
Total $1,010,363 54 $18,710