John Kavanagh has held a legislative seat since 2007, alternating between the House and Senate across 10 terms, and became Senate majority leader in June 2025 while chairing the Appropriations Committee. He worked as a police detective sergeant and a college professor. He won his 2026 primary over Robert Wallace and ran unopposed in 2024. He defends the school voucher program, saying the Education Department caught improper purchases and made families repay. He’s also been a champion of “bathroom bills” that would ban students from using a restroom that doesn’t align with their gender at birth.
Prominent Endorsements
Arizona Chamber of Commerce & IndustryAzNA PACGreater Phoenix ChamberNFIB Arizona PAC
Candidate resources
Self-reported endorsements
- Arizona Medical Association
- Arizona Police Association
- National Rifle Association
- Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry
- National Federation of Independent Businesses
- Humane Voters of Arizona
- Humane Voters Action Fund.
Candidate Questionnaire
Professional Experience
- N.Y.S. Army National Guard
- Port Authority Police Detective Sergeant
- Arizona State University Instructor
- Scottsdale Community College Professor and Program Director.
Education
- BA in Liberal Arts from N.Y.U.
- MA in Government and Politics from St. John's University (NYC)
- PhD in Criminal Justice from Rutgers University
- Small Flock Poultry Management Certificate from Rutgers University Extension Service
Political Offices
- State Senate
- State House
- Fountain Hills Town Council and Lafayette, N.J. Town Council
Political Organizations
- Young Americans for Freedom
- Conservative Party of N.Y.S.
- Young Republicans
- Fountain Hills Rreublican Club
- local legislative dfistrict committees.
Debate
In Other News
Still at square one: Republican lawmakers are finally anteing up in the budget stalemate with Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs. Republican Sen. John Kavanagh tells Capitol Media Services’ Bob Christie that they plan to send her a budget — backed by only Republicans — this week. It will almost certainly get vetoed. “We don’t negotiate with the Democrat legislators and make compromises and then go to the Democrat governor and make more compromises,” Kavanagh said. “Besides, this is not a compromise budget.” (April 27, 2026)
2026-04-27
Would it apply to newsletters?: The Arizona House signed off on a bill that would criminalize letting people know they are about to be arrested by ICE agents, Capitol scribe Howie Fischer reports. The somewhat watered-down version of SB1635, which Republican Sen. John Kavanagh drafted after Democratic Sen. Analise Ortiz posted on social media about ICE activity in her neighborhood, was narrowed to only apply to notifying a specific person you know is being sought by law enforcement. But Democrats pointed out the bill still categorizes as an illegal warning everything from whistles to emails to hand gestures. (April 16, 2026)
2026-04-16
Heads in the clouds: Arizona lawmakers are considering whether the state should send drones into clouds to boost snowfall, Bob Christie reports for Capitol Media Services. Republican Rep. Gail Griffin’s “cloud-seeding” bill passed the committee she chairs two weeks ago, but it might run afoul of other GOP lawmakers who are trying to ban weather modification measures. However, Republican Sen. John Kavanagh said he’d exempt cloud-seeding from his proposal to ban using chemicals in the atmosphere to affect temperatures. (January 27, 2026)
2026-01-27
That post-fight glow: State budget negotiations appear to be wrapping up, and each side is taking a softer tone with the other, Craig Harris reports for 12News. The negotiations have been unfolding behind closed doors as Hobbs and GOP leadership in the state House and Senate hammer out the details. So far, neither side has said publicly what those details might be. GOP budget guru Sen. John Kavanagh says he expects to reach an agreement as early as next week, while Hobbs says it could take a bit longer. The deadline to approve the budget is June 30. “A lot of what we see in the public is political gamesmanship,” Hobbs said. “And we’ve had that before, and we’ve gotten past that and gotten to the table in negotiations, and I feel confident we will do that.” (May 28, 2026)
2026-05-28
Too easy to pass up: Arizona candidates are turning to AI for their campaign material, including Republican Sens. John Kavanagh portraying himself as a Ghostbuster and Mark Finchem creating an image of Secretary of State Adrian Fontes in handcuffs, Reagan Priest reports for the Capitol Times. The practice might repel anti-AI voters, but as long as the candidates disclose that the images were created by AI, they’re within the bounds of the law. (June 2, 2026)
2026-06-02
Hey, I just work here: Republican Sen. John Kavanagh introduced a bill that would crack down on chemtrails, but it’s not because he thinks they’re a problem. He says it’s just that so many of his constituents are concerned about chemtrails and he wants to “put their minds to rest,” Bob Christie reports for Capitol Media Services. Meanwhile, Republican Rep. David Farnsworth has a bill targeting chemicals in the atmosphere and another that would set up a state licensing system for weather modification activities. (February 3, 2026)
2026-02-03
Unlawful freedom of speech: A bill from Republican Sen. John Kavanagh ostensibly deals with tipping off suspects that law enforcement is nearby, but the “unlawful alerting” in the bill would outlaw acts that are protected by the First Amendment, the New Times’ Morgan Fischer reports. Kavanagh says telling your neighbors that ICE is nearby wouldn’t be a violation, but rapid response groups (like those that appear to have stopped the federal occupation of Minneapolis) that post about ICE activity on social media (like Democratic state Sen. Analise Ortiz did last year) could spend six months in jail. (February 13, 2026)
2026-02-13
It’s like the opposite of a hall pass: Lawmakers shot down Republican Sen. John Kavanagh’s SB1074, which would have required students who are temporarily removed from class for misbehaving to get a note from the school principal in order to be readmitted to the classroom. (June 10, 2026)
2026-06-10
Nothing (for) burgers: Republican Rep. Teresa Martinez doesn’t want Arizonans to be able to use food stamps at fast-food restaurants, Capitol scribe Howie Fischer reports. Meanwhile, Republican Rep. Leo Biasiucci and nine other Republican lawmakers want Arizonans to be able to fund Turning Point USA by buying a specialty license plate, the Mohave Valley Daily News reports. And Republican Sen. John Kavanagh wants school districts to be able to sell or lease vacant schools so they can be turned into affordable housing for teachers or other government workers, per Fischer. (January 6, 2026)
2026-01-06
Pet pigs at your own risk: After children got sick with E. coli at a petting zoo at the Arizona State Fair last year, Republican Sen. John Kavanagh introduced a bill requiring petting zoos ensure visitors wash their hands, Capitol scribe Howie Fischer reports. Fun fact: It’s not his first bill dealing with animals at fairs. (January 8, 2026)
2026-01-08
Europeans have all the answers: Republican Sen. John Kavanagh is looking to the Swedes for a solution to Arizona’s penny problem, Capitol scribe Howie Fischer reports. The U.S. Mint stopped making pennies last year, which left store owners with a quandary: Should they round up or round down when making change? Kavanagh’s SB1108 would use what’s known as “Swedish rounding.” If the price ends with a 1,2,6 or 7, then the bill is rounded down. If the price ends in 3,4,8 or 9, the bill is rounded up. “Some of these merchants that are dealing with tens of thousands of sales a day can rack up a lot of cash,” he said. “It’s a matter of uniformity and making sure nobody takes advantage of it.” (February 11, 2026)
2026-02-11
Now that’s a cautious analysis: The head of Arizona’s Department of Economic Security doesn’t know how many of the 400,000 Arizonans (including 180,000 children) who lost their SNAP benefits were actually still eligible but were ensnared by new paperwork requirements, Capitol scribe Howie Fischer reports. While GOP lawmakers like Sen. John Kavanagh contend the decline in enrollment is the result of “massive fraud” being rooted out, DES Director Michael Wisehart attributed it at least partially to last summer’s federal HR1 and the fact that Arizona invests less than other states in determining whether someone is eligible (which sounds a lot like what we heard last month). (May 5, 2026)
2026-05-05
Tighten those belts: State agencies sent their budget requests to Gov. Katie Hobbs, who says they should prepare for a tough financial year, Reagan Priest reports for the Arizona Capitol Times. The big clouds on the horizon are federal funding cuts and dwindling pandemic money. Republican Sen. John Kavanagh says the lack of extra money could simplify life at the Legislature. “It makes it easier,” Kavanagh said. “You can’t argue over nothing.” (September 8, 2025)
2025-09-08
A preemptive derailing: Valley Metro wants to extend the light rail west toward the state Capitol, but it has to get approval from the Joint Legislative Budget Committee to do so, the Republic’s Mary Jo Pitzl reports. Co-chair and Republican Sen. John Kavanagh called the extension a waste of money. (June 11, 2025)
2025-06-11
Pay bump: Lawmakers are debating whether to ask voters to give them a big pay raise, Capitol Media Services’ Howard Fischer reports. Republican Sen. John Kavanagh’s SCR1003 would make lawmakers’ salaries keep pace with inflation, dating back to their last pay raise in 1998. If they end up agreeing to send it to voters, and if voters give the green light, lawmakers’ annual salaries would jump from $24,000 to at least $48,000. (March 13, 2025)
2025-03-13
That post-fight glow: State budget negotiations appear to be wrapping up, and each side is taking a softer tone with the other, Craig Harris reports for 12News. The negotiations have been unfolding behind closed doors as Hobbs and GOP leadership in the state House and Senate hammer out the details. So far, neither side has said publicly what those details might be. GOP budget guru Sen. John Kavanagh says he expects to reach an agreement as early as next week, while Hobbs says it could take a bit longer. The deadline to approve the budget is June 30. “A lot of what we see in the public is political gamesmanship,” Hobbs said. “And we’ve had that before, and we’ve gotten past that and gotten to the table in negotiations, and I feel confident we will do that.” (May 28, 2026)
2026-05-28