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Michele Pena
Michele Pena (Republican Party) is a member of the Arizona House of Representatives, representing District 23. She assumed office on January 9, 2023. Her current term ends on January 11, 2027.
Pena (Republican Party) is running for re-election to the Arizona House of Representatives to represent District 23. She is on the ballot in the general election on November 3, 2026. She advanced from the Republican primary on July 21, 2026.
Sponsored legislation
The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.
Committee assignments
2025-2026
Pena was assigned to the following committees:
- House Education Committee
- International Trade Committee, Vice-Chair
- Land, Agriculture, and Rural Affairs, Vice-Chair
2023-2024
Pena was assigned to the following committees:
- House Education Committee
- Land, Agriculture, and Rural Affairs, Vice Chair
- Regulatory Affairs Committee
Elections
2026
See also: Arizona House of Representatives elections, 2026
General election
The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.
General election for Arizona House of Representatives District 23 (2 seats)
Incumbent Mariana Sandoval (D), incumbent Michele Pena (R), Emilia Cortez (D), and Gary Garcia Snyder (R) are running in the general election for Arizona House of Representatives District 23 on November 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Mariana Sandoval (D) | |
 | Michele Pena (R) | |
 | Emilia Cortez (D)  | |
 | Gary Garcia Snyder (R) | |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary
Democratic primary for Arizona House of Representatives District 23 (2 seats)
Incumbent Mariana Sandoval (D) and Emilia Cortez (D) defeated Juan Guerrero (D) and Naomi Miguel (D) in the Democratic primary for Arizona House of Representatives District 23 on July 21, 2026.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Mariana Sandoval | 38.4 | 6,950 |
| ✔ | | Emilia Cortez | 25.5 | 4,617 |
 | Juan Guerrero | 18.3 | 3,316 | |
 | Naomi Miguel | 17.8 | 3,225 | |
| Total votes: 18,108 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary
Republican primary for Arizona House of Representatives District 23 (2 seats)
Incumbent Michele Pena (R) and Gary Garcia Snyder (R) advanced from the Republican primary for Arizona House of Representatives District 23 on July 21, 2026.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Michele Pena | 53.1 | 6,795 |
| ✔ | | Gary Garcia Snyder | 46.9 | 6,004 |
| Total votes: 12,799 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- James Holmes (R)
Campaign finance
Endorsements
Michele Pena received the following endorsements. To send us additional endorsements, click here.
2024
See also: Arizona House of Representatives elections, 2024
General election
General election for Arizona House of Representatives District 23 (2 seats)
Incumbent Michele Pena and incumbent Mariana Sandoval defeated Matias Rosales in the general election for Arizona House of Representatives District 23 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Michele Pena (R) | 34.2 | 37,967 |
| ✔ | | Mariana Sandoval (D) | 33.6 | 37,375 |
| Matias Rosales (D) | 32.2 | 35,788 | ||
| Total votes: 111,130 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Arizona House of Representatives District 23 (2 seats)
Incumbent Mariana Sandoval and Matias Rosales defeated James Holmes in the Democratic primary for Arizona House of Representatives District 23 on July 30, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Mariana Sandoval | 48.6 | 9,194 |
| ✔ | Matias Rosales | 36.0 | 6,811 | |
 | James Holmes | 15.4 | 2,919 | |
| Total votes: 18,924 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Arizona House of Representatives District 23 (2 seats)
Incumbent Michele Pena advanced from the Republican primary for Arizona House of Representatives District 23 on July 30, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Michele Pena | 100.0 | 9,597 |
| Total votes: 9,597 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Campaign finance
Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Pena in this election.
Pledges
Pena signed the following pledges.
2022
See also: Arizona House of Representatives elections, 2022
General election
General election for Arizona House of Representatives District 23 (2 seats)
Mariana Sandoval and Michele Pena defeated Jesus Lugo Jr. in the general election for Arizona House of Representatives District 23 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Mariana Sandoval (D) | 36.2 | 26,986 |
| ✔ | | Michele Pena (R) | 33.9 | 25,268 |
 | Jesus Lugo Jr. (D) | 29.8 | 22,191 | |
| Total votes: 74,445 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Arizona House of Representatives District 23 (2 seats)
Mariana Sandoval and Jesus Lugo Jr. advanced from the Democratic primary for Arizona House of Representatives District 23 on August 2, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Mariana Sandoval | 55.9 | 11,201 |
| ✔ | | Jesus Lugo Jr. | 44.1 | 8,827 |
| Total votes: 20,028 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Arizona House of Representatives District 23 (2 seats)
Michele Pena advanced from the Republican primary for Arizona House of Representatives District 23 on August 2, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Michele Pena (Write-in) | 100.0 | 1,144 |
| Total votes: 1,144 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Joshua Pembleton (R)
Campaign themes
2026
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Michele Pena has not yet completed Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey. Send a message to Michele Pena asking her to fill out the survey. If you are Michele Pena, click here to fill out Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey.
Who fills out Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey?
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You can ask Michele Pena to fill out this survey by using the buttons below or emailing pena4arizona@gmail.com.
2024
Michele Pena did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.
2022
Michele Pena did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Scorecards
A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.
Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.
Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.
Below you can find the scorecards found for the Arizona State Legislature in 2025.
- Arizona Republican Assembly — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to limited government, individual liberties, and fiscal responsibility.
- Christian Employers Alliance — Legislators are scored on "how consistently their votes support limited government" and "whether their decisions protect or restrict freedom in the marketplace."
- Humane Voters of Arizona — Legislators are scored on their stances on animal issues.
- Progress Arizona — Legislators are scored on their votes on the association's policy platform.
- Secular Coalition for Arizona — Legislators are scored on their stances on secular policy.
- The Arizona Center for Economic Progress — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to economic policy.
- The Freedom Index — Legislators are scored on their adherence to the limited government principles of the U.S. Constitution.
Below you can find the scorecards found for the Arizona State Legislature in 2024.
- Americans for Prosperity - Arizona — Legislators are scored on their stances on economic issues.
- Center for Arizona Policy Action — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to family issues.
- Children's Action Alliance — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to family issues.
- Club for Growth Foundation — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to economic issues.
- Humane Voters of Arizona — Legislators are scored on their stances on animal issues.
- National Federation of Independent Business — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.
- Secular Coalition for Arizona — Legislators are scored on their stances on secular policy.
- Sierra Club Grand Canyon Chapter — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to environmental policy.
- The Arizona Center for Economic Progress — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to economic policy.
Below you can find the scorecards found for the Arizona State Legislature in 2023.
- Arizona Free Enterprise Club — Legislators are scored on their votes on the association's policy platform.
- Center for Arizona Policy Action — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to family issues.
- Children's Action Alliance — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to family issues.
- Club for Growth Foundation — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to economic issues.
- Humane Voters of Arizona — Legislators are scored on their stances on animal issues.
- Progress Arizona — Legislators are scored on their votes on the association's policy platform.
- Secular Coalition for Arizona — Legislators are scored on their stances on secular policy.
- Sierra Club Grand Canyon Chapter — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to environmental policy.
- The American Conservative Union — Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.
- The Arizona Center for Economic Progress — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to economic policy.
- The Institute for Legislative Analysis — Legislators are scored on their adherence to the limited government principles of the U.S. Constitution.
See also
2026 Elections
External links
|
Candidate Arizona House of Representatives District 23 |
Officeholder Arizona House of Representatives District 23 |
Personal |
Footnotes
