Kristie O'Brien is a divorce mediator and co-parenting specialist who served as vice chair of the Arizona Democratic Party. She has presented herself as a lawyer on social media and on a sworn financial disclosure form, though New York suspended her law license in 2019 for failing to register with the bar and she has never been licensed in Arizona. Her spokesman said she had not realized the license lapsed. She last ran for this Senate seat in 2014, losing to Steve Yarbrough.
Prominent Endorsements
Candidate resources
Self-reported endorsements
- AFSCME
- MALF AFL-CIO
- AZ Liat
- Boilermakers
- Building Trades
- Climate Cabinet
- DLCC
- Western States Carpenters
- EMILY’s List
- Ironworkers
- LiUNA
- Moms Fed Up
- Painters
- Pipefitters and Plumbers
- SMART
- States Win
- UFCW
- Unity Rising
Candidate Questionnaire
Top Issues
(1) Economy/Affordability: Counter rising costs by introducing price-gouging legislation and expanding consumer protections.(2) Water/Sustainability: AZ needs to build upon the Groundwater Management Act of 1980 and plan conservation and management for the next 50-100 years and address aging infrastructure and energy grid. (3) Putting guardrails on the ESA voucher program to prevent fraud and abuse.
Professional Experience
- U.S. Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works (Majority)
- King Pagano Harrison (now Crowell & Moring LLP
- Recording Industry Association of America General Counsel’s Office
- Bond University
- Coalition for the International Criminal Court
- private practice mediation
Education
- Trinity Washington University, Bachelor’s International Relations
- Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, Graduate Certificate
- Bond University Law School Juris Doctor
- Pepperdine University School of Law Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution, Mediation Training
Political Offices
- AZ Senate LD-17 (2014)
Political Organizations
- Democratic Party