Steve B. Montenegro

Steve Montenegro

Republican Party

Arizona House of Representatives District 29

Tenure

2023 - Present

Term ends

2027

Years in position

2

Predecessor

Cesar Chavez

Prior offices

Arizona House of Representatives District 13

---

Arizona State Senate District 13

---

Compensation

Base salary

$24,000/year

Per diem

For legislators residing within Maricopa County: $35/day. For legislators residing outside of Maricopa County: $251.66.

Elections and appointments

Last elected

November 5, 2024

Education

Bachelor's

Arizona State University, 2004

Personal

Profession

Business executive

Contact

Official website

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

Personal Facebook

Personal YouTube

Personal LinkedIn

float:right;
border:1px solid #FFB81F;
background-color: white;
width: 250px;
font-size: .9em;
margin-bottom:0px;

} .infobox p { margin-bottom: 0; } .widget-row { display: inline-block; width: 100%; margin-top: 1px; margin-bottom: 1px; } .widget-row.heading { font-size: 1.2em; } .widget-row.value-only { text-align: center; background-color: grey; color: white; font-weight: bold; } .widget-row.value-only.white { background-color: #f9f9f9; } .widget-row.value-only.black { background-color: #f9f9f9; color: black; } .widget-row.Democratic { background-color: #003388; color: white; font-weight: bold; } .widget-row.Republican { background-color: red; color: white; font-weight: bold; } .widget-row.Independent, .widget-row.Nonpartisan, .widget-row.Constitution { background-color: grey; color: white; font-weight: bold; } .widget-row.Libertarian { background-color: #f9d334; color: black; font-weight: bold; } .widget-row.Green { background-color: green; color: white; font-weight: bold; } .widget-key { width: 43%; display: inline-block; padding-left: 10px; vertical-align: top; font-weight: bold; } .widget-value { width: 57%; float: right; display: inline-block; padding-left: 10px; word-wrap: break-word; } .widget-img { width: 150px; display: block; margin: auto; } .clearfix { clear: both; }

Steve Montenegro (Republican Party) is a member of the Arizona House of Representatives, representing District 29. He assumed office on January 9, 2023. His current term ends on January 11, 2027.

Montenegro (Republican Party) ran for re-election to the Arizona House of Representatives to represent District 29. He won in the general election on November 5, 2024.

Montenegro was selected as speaker of the House effective January 2025.

Biography

Steve B. Montenegro earned a B.S. in political science from Arizona State University in 2004. Montenegro's career experience includes working as the principal of Coronam Consulting.

Committee assignments

Note: This membership information was last updated in September 2023. Ballotpedia completes yearly updates of committee membership. If you would like to send us an update, email us at: [email protected]

2023-2024

Montenegro was assigned to the following committees:

• Government and Elections Committee
• House Health and Human Services Committee, Chair
• Transportation Committee

color: #337ab7,
}

2017 legislative session

At the beginning of the 2017 legislative session, this legislator served on the following committees:

Arizona committee assignments, 2017
• Appropriations
• Education, Vice chair
• Health and Human Services

2015 legislative session

At the beginning of the 2015 legislative session, Montenegro served on the following committees:

Arizona committee assignments, 2015
• Agriculture, Water and Lands
• Rules, Vice chair

2013-2014

At the beginning of the 2013 legislative session, Montenegro served on the following committees:

Arizona committee assignments, 2013
• Commerce
• Reform and Human Services

2011-2012

In the 2011-2012 legislative session, Montenegro served on these committees:

Arizona committee assignments, 2011
• Government
• Higher Education, Innovation and Reform
• Rules

2009-2010

In the 2009-2010 legislative session, Montenegro served on these committees:

Arizona committee assignments, 2009
• Government, Vice Chair
• Judiciary

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.

Elections

2024

See also: Arizona House of Representatives elections, 2024

General election

General election for Arizona House of Representatives District 29 (2 seats)

Incumbent Steve Montenegro and James Taylor defeated Tanairi Ochoa-Martinez and Thomas Tzitzura in the general election for Arizona House of Representatives District 29 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Steve Montenegro (R)	30.3	66,301
✔		James Taylor (R)	29.9	65,431
	Submit photo	Tanairi Ochoa-Martinez (D)	20.4	44,776
	Submit photo	Thomas Tzitzura (D)	19.4	42,535

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 219,043
= 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 29 (2 seats)

Tanairi Ochoa-Martinez and Thomas Tzitzura advanced from the Democratic primary for Arizona House of Representatives District 29 on July 30, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Tanairi Ochoa-Martinez	54.6	12,373
✔	Submit photo	Thomas Tzitzura	45.4	10,304

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 22,677
= 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

• David Raymer (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Arizona House of Representatives District 29 (2 seats)

Incumbent Steve Montenegro and James Taylor defeated Amy Heusted in the Republican primary for Arizona House of Representatives District 29 on July 30, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Steve Montenegro	54.5	22,153
✔		James Taylor	45.3	18,382
	Submit photo	Amy Heusted (Write-in)	0.2	85

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 40,620
= 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

• Austin Smith (R)

Endorsements

   .ballot-measure-endorsements p {
       display: inline;
   }
   .ballot-measure-endorsements td {
       width: 35% !important;
   }
   .endorsements-header {
       margin-top: 10px !important;
       margin-bottom: 5px !important;
   }
   .ballot-measure-endorsements ul {
       margin-top: 0 !important;
       margin-bottom: 0 !important;
   }
   .split-cols-bm {
       columns: 2;
       -webkit-columns: 2;
       -moz-columns: 2;
   }
   @media screen and (max-width: 792px) {
       .split-cols-bm {
           columns: 1;
           -webkit-columns: 1;
           -moz-columns: 1;
       }
   }

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Montenegro in this election.

2022

See also: Arizona House of Representatives elections, 2022

General election

General election for Arizona House of Representatives District 29 (2 seats)

Steve Montenegro and Austin Smith defeated Scott Podeyn in the general election for Arizona House of Representatives District 29 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Steve Montenegro (R)	36.4	46,831
✔		Austin Smith (R)	35.5	45,636
		Scott Podeyn (D)	28.1	36,162

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 128,629
= 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 29 (2 seats)

Scott Podeyn advanced from the Democratic primary for Arizona House of Representatives District 29 on August 2, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Scott Podeyn	100.0	14,812

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 14,812
= 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 29 (2 seats)

Steve Montenegro and Austin Smith defeated Trey Terry and Hop Nguyen in the Republican primary for Arizona House of Representatives District 29 on August 2, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Steve Montenegro	37.0	17,240
✔		Austin Smith	30.8	14,324
		Trey Terry	18.7	8,696
		Hop Nguyen	13.5	6,278

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 46,538
= 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.

2020

See also: Arizona House of Representatives elections, 2020

General election

General election for Arizona House of Representatives District 13 (2 seats)

Incumbent Tim Dunn and incumbent Joanne Osborne defeated Mariana Sandoval in the general election for Arizona House of Representatives District 13 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Tim Dunn (R)	37.7	71,049
✔		Joanne Osborne (R)	37.0	69,733
		Mariana Sandoval (D)	25.3	47,650

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 188,432
= 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 13 (2 seats)

Mariana Sandoval advanced from the Democratic primary for Arizona House of Representatives District 13 on August 4, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mariana Sandoval	100.0	16,708

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 16,708
= 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 13 (2 seats)

Incumbent Tim Dunn and incumbent Joanne Osborne defeated Steve Montenegro in the Republican primary for Arizona House of Representatives District 13 on August 4, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Tim Dunn	41.8	22,663
✔		Joanne Osborne	29.5	15,963
		Steve Montenegro	28.7	15,539

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source 1 Source 2	Total votes: 54,165
= 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.

2018

See also: Arizona's 8th Congressional District special election, 2018 and Arizona's 8th Congressional District special election (February 27, 2018 Republican primary)

General election

Special general election for U.S. House Arizona District 8

Incumbent Debbie Lesko defeated Hiral Tipirneni in the special general election for U.S. House Arizona District 8 on April 24, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Debbie Lesko (R)	52.4	96,012
		Hiral Tipirneni (D)	47.6	87,331

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 183,343
= 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

• Augie Beyer (Independent)

Democratic primary election

Special Democratic primary for U.S. House Arizona District 8

Hiral Tipirneni defeated Brianna Westbrook in the special Democratic primary for U.S. House Arizona District 8 on February 27, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Hiral Tipirneni	60.2	23,175
		Brianna Westbrook	39.7	15,288
		Other/Write-in votes	0.1	22

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 38,485
= 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

Special Republican primary for U.S. House Arizona District 8

The following candidates ran in the special Republican primary for U.S. House Arizona District 8 on February 27, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Debbie Lesko	35.4	27,047
		Phil Lovas	24.3	18,562
		Steve Montenegro	23.7	18,106
		Bob Stump	5.3	4,032
		Clair Van Steenwyk	2.3	1,787
		Christopher Sylvester	1.9	1,490
		David Lien	1.8	1,341
		Richard Mack	1.6	1,191
		Mark Yates	1.1	871
	Submit photo	Chad Allen	1.1	824
		Brenden Dilley	1.1	823
	Submit photo	Stephen Dolgos	0.5	377
		Other/Write-in votes	0.0	8

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 76,459
= 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

• Kevin Cavanaugh (R)

2016

See also: Arizona State Senate elections, 2016

Elections for the Arizona State Senate 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. Incumbent Don Shooter (D) did not seek re-election.

Steve Montenegro ran unopposed in the Arizona State Senate District 13 general election.

Arizona State Senate, District 13 General Election, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Steve Montenegro  (unopposed)	100.00%	62,124
Total Votes				62,124
Source: Arizona Secretary of State

Steve Montenegro defeated Diane Landis in the Arizona State Senate District 13 Republican Primary.

Arizona State Senate, District 13 Republican Primary, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Steve Montenegro	60.40%	12,943
	Republican	Diane Landis	39.60%	8,486
Total Votes				21,429

This district was included in the Republican State Leadership Committee's list of "16 in '16: Races to Watch." Read more »

2016 Republican National Convention

See also: Republican National Convention, 2016

Montenegro was an at-large delegate to the 2016 Republican National Convention from Arizona. He was bound to support Donald Trump for one ballot.

Delegate rules

See also: RNC delegate guidelines from Arizona, 2016 and Republican delegates from Arizona, 2016

In Arizona, district-level and at-large delegates were selected at the Arizona Republican State Convention. Under state law, these delegates were required to vote on the first ballot at the Republican National Convention for the winner of the statewide primary.

Arizona primary results

See also: Presidential election in Arizona, 2016

Arizona Republican Primary, 2016
Candidate	Vote %	Votes	Delegates
Jeb Bush	0.7%	4,393	0
Ben Carson	2.4%	14,940	0
Chris Christie	0.2%	988	0
Tim Cook	0%	243	0
Ted Cruz	27.6%	172,294	0
Carly Fiorina	0.2%	1,270	0
Lindsey Graham	0.1%	498	0
Mike Huckabee	0.2%	1,300	0
John Kasich	10.6%	65,965	0
George Pataki	0%	309	0
Rand Paul	0.4%	2,269	0
Marco Rubio	11.6%	72,304	0
Rick Santorum	0.1%	523	0
Donald Trump	45.9%	286,743	58
Totals		624,039	58
Source: The New York Times and Arizona Secretary of State

Delegate allocation

See also: 2016 presidential nominations: calendar and delegate rules

Arizona had 58 delegates at the 2016 Republican National Convention. Of this total, 27 were district-level delegates (three for each of the state's nine congressional districts). Arizona's district delegates were allocated on a winner-take-all basis; the candidate who won the plurality of the statewide vote received all of the state's district delegates.

Of the remaining 31 delegates, 28 served at large. At-large delegates were also allocated on a winner-take-all basis; the candidate who won the plurality of the statewide vote received all of the state's at-large delegates. In addition, three national party leaders (identified on the chart below as RNC delegates) served as bound delegates to the Republican National Convention. The RNC delegates were required to pledge their support to the winner of the state's primary.

2014

See also: Arizona House of Representatives elections, 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. Steve Hansen was unopposed in the Democratic primary. Incumbents Darin Mitchell and Steve Montenegro defeated Diane Landis in the Republican primary. Mitchell and Montenegro defeated Hansen in the general election.

Arizona House of Representatives District 13, General Election, 2014

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Steve Montenegro Incumbent	40%	28,028
	Republican	Darin Mitchell Incumbent	39.3%	27,550
	Democratic	Steve Hansen	20.7%	14,509
Total Votes				70,087

Arizona House of Representatives, District 13 Republican Primary, 2014

Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Steve Montenegro Incumbent	37.7%	11,548
Darin Mitchell	37.2%	11,372
Diane Landis	25.1%	7,684
Total Votes		30,604

2012

See also: Arizona House of Representatives elections, 2012

Montenegro won re-election in the 2012 election for Arizona House of Representatives District 13. He and Darin Mitchell defeated incumbent Russell Jones in the Republican primary on August 28, 2012. He won the general election on November 6, 2012.

Arizona House of Representatives, District 13, General Election, 2012

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Steve Montenegro Incumbent	51.7%	39,372
	Republican	Darin Mitchell	47.2%	35,968
	Republican	Robert Garcia (Write-in)	0.4%	323
	Republican	John Minore (Write-in)	0.3%	225
	Republican	Cheryl Brown (Write-in)	0.3%	194
	Republican	Clair Van Steenwyk (Write-in)	0.1%	110
Total Votes				76,192

Arizona House of Representatives, District 13 Republican Primary, 2012

Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Steve Montenegro Incumbent	39.1%	10,189
Darin Mitchell	32.9%	8,572
Russ Jones Incumbent	28%	7,294
Total Votes		26,055

2010

See also: Arizona House of Representatives elections, 2010

Montenegro won re-election to the 12th District seat in 2010. He and Jerry Weiers were unopposed in the August 24 primary election. They defeated Democrat Angela Cotera and Green Party candidate Justin Dahl in the November 2 general election.

Arizona House of Representatives, District 12 General Election (2010)
Candidates		Votes
Steve Montenegro (R)		36,623
Jerry Weiers (R)		35,724
Angela Cotera (D)		30,543
Justin Dahl (G)		6,762

2008

See also: Arizona House of Representatives elections, 2008

On November 4, 2008, Montenegro and Jerry Weiers were elected to the 12th District Seat in the Arizona House of Representatives, defeating opponents Eve Nuñez (D), David Scanlon (D), and Celeste M. Castorena (Green).

Montenegro raised $100,141 for the campaign, Weiers raised $72,878, Nuñez raised $40,312, Scanlon raised $41,887, and Castorena raised $59,727.

Arizona State House, District 12 (2008)
Candidates		Votes
Jerry Weiers (R)		55,861
Steve Montenegro (R)		52,819
Eve Nuñez (D)		36,669
David Scanlon (D)		36,669
Celeste M. Castorena (Green)		36,669

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Steve Montenegro did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.

2022

Steve Montenegro did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

2020

Steve Montenegro did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.

2018

“	The Trump Agenda Make America Great Again! We all know the slogan… Behind it is a simple philosophy that we need to return to proven truths about what works and what doesn’t work. We need to take the power away from the government and give it back to the people. We need to remember to care for the forgotten man, who works, produces, saves, and provides our country with its lifeblood, while largely being ignored by the media and those in power. This won’t be easy. The people who have the power today will not give it up without a fight, and we have seen that they will lie, cheat, and steal to try and keep it. They want Trump to fail because they want his agenda to fail. We are running out of time to save our country. We must not lose this fight! Immigration Much as our hearts might want to, we cannot take in everyone in the world who simply wants a better life. That is why America’s immigration policies must be designed with just one question in mind: What policy is in the best interests of America? The first steps to a sound immigration policy is to enforce our existing laws, build a real border wall, properly equip our U.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel, and eliminate all of the magnets that encourage illegal aliens to risk their lives to come here. If you watch Fox News or CNN then you may have already seen me arguing against Amnesty. I remain opposed to Amnesty because it is an affront to those who have done things right already as well as those who are waiting to come here legally, and it only encourages more illegal immigration. Repeal ObamaCare Too many politicians are talking about replacing ObamaCare and skipping the actual repeal of it. What they’re really talking about is modifying ObamaCare and that will never work. ObamaCare is rotten and must be pulled out by its roots, as soon as possible. No health care system is perfect, but the best system will be based on free-market solutions that empower consumers and doctors to make decisions that are best for them. That includes buying insurance across state lines, health savings accounts, and tort reform. ObamaCare is failing us here in Arizona. Insurers are leaving the state, costs are skyrocketing, care is suffering. The time to act is now. Restoring our Constitutional Rights I’ve been a leader in Arizona’s fight to restore our Constitutional rights and I’ll continue that fight in Congress. Liberals are after our 1st Amendment rights when what we need as a country is a greater freedom of speech. Liberals are after our 2nd Amendment rights even as the need for self-defense is proven in headlines with tragic regularity. Liberals are after our privacy rights as they seek to expand government control over everything they can. Here in Arizona we have said no more and we have fought back. Nowhere are our victories more apparent than in how we respect the 2nd Amendment. I’m proud to have helped pass Constitutional Carry to give Arizona the best gun laws in the country. As your Congressman, I will defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic! Economy/Jobs Liberals believe the government creates jobs. We know that’s a lie. The best we can hope for is a government that gets out of the way and allows the private sector and free markets to create jobs. So when liberals are in charge, they spend trillions to “stimulate” the economy while ignoring that the money they’re spending was pulled by brute force from the economy, or was borrowed, adding to the already suffocating debt our country carries. As a legislator, I have cut government spending and voted for policies to create a pro-job environment here in Arizona. The results? Our state is a national leader for job creation, we’re a top destination for employers leaving high-tax states like California, we’re a top state for new start-ups, and our economy is growing more diverse so we are less vulnerable to economic downturns. Taxes/Regulations High taxes kills jobs and slow the economy. Excessive regulations do the same. That’s why here in Arizona we cut taxes and regulations. The problem is far worse in Washington D.C., where the regulatory complex employs tens of thousands of people who spend their time coming up with new ways to control our lives and punish behavior they do not approve of. The Trump Administration is serious about eliminating job-killing regulations and I look forward to joining that fight. I will also attack the tax code with the same energy I did in the Arizona Legislature. National Security Eight years of Obama have emboldened our enemies, funded our enemies, and made our enemies stronger. Today, our world is an incredibly dangerous place as we deal with a nuclear North Korea, a resurgent Russia intent on reassembling the old Soviet Union, and an increasing aggressive China. Add to the mix the battle against radical Islam, ISIS, and other jihadists, and it is clear that we must rededicate ourselves to rebuilding a military largely hollowed out by the previous administration. Democrats hold military spending hostage, refusing to increase spending unless they are given an equal amount of pork spending. That is simply shameful. We cannot afford everything we are currently spending on, but we must prioritize the resources needed to maintain the world’s strongest fighting force. Freedom around the globe is at stake. Veterans God bless the men and women who serve or have served our country. We owe them everything. So why are so many lacking basic care? We need to fix the VA, offer private-sector alternatives, provide early intervention to veterans dealing with mental health issues, and we need to also be ready to help the families of those who have served and who carry heavy burdens as a result. Some gave all, but they all gave their best. They deserve the same in return from us. Social Security Congressman Trent Franks was the author of the Seniors Financial Security Act which is a commonsense proposal to end the practice of taxing social security income. Much as the estate tax is a tax on earnings you’ve already paid taxes on, being taxed on your Social Security benefits is another double tax, and it should be ended. Protecting Life I have a 100% pro-life voting record and believe that Life was the first God-given right listed by our founders for a reason. Without a right to life itself, what value do the rest of our rights hold? As a State Legislator I wrote and passed the nation’s first ban on abortions performed for the purpose of race or sex selection, and I will always vote to protect children and their mothers from the devastation offered by our nation’s abortion mills. I will also vote to defund Planned Parenthood. No taxpayer money should be paid to organizations that fund or perform abortions. Strong Families We don’t need to read the studies to know that strong families are in everyone’s best interests -- Best for our children, best for our communities, best for our nation. As a State Legislator I made sure that one of my litmus tests for bills we were considering was how it would effect Arizona families. As a Congressman I will do the same. Energy & the Environment The Trump Administration is serious about energy independence for America, and I agree wholeheartedly. It is not just a national security issue but an economic one as well. Energy exports strengthen our hand in international relations and it creates hundreds of thousands of well-paying jobs. Government must also be guided by real science and consider every energy resource available. Subsidizing or favoring fashionable technologies creates an unlevel playing field and cheats American taxpayers. Clean, abundant energy is not only a possibility, it is an inevitability if we are guided by sound policy. Accountability/Transparency I wrote the bill to give Arizona taxpayers access to detailed information on how government spends their money because I know that accountability and transparency go hand in hand. I know that I am going to have to fight that fight all over again in Congress but I look forward to doing so. We face a massive national debt and part of that is because Congress is not properly accountable for how it spends our money. I will work to let sunlight into the process so that American taxpayers have the same access to data that Arizona taxpayers now have. Defending the Electoral College Recently, some of my opponents have been telling people that I oppose the Electoral College or voted to eliminate the Electoral College. Both claims are false and utter nonsense. I remain a staunch supporter of the Electoral College as I do all parts of our Constitution, and any suggestion that I voted to eliminate the Electoral College can only come from someone who is ignorant of our Constitution. You can't vote to eliminate parts of the Constitution or liberals would have already gotten rid of most of it. I will always defend the Electoral College and the rest of our Constitution.	”
—Steve Montenegro for Congress

Campaign advertisements

"Meet Steve Montenegro" - Montenegro campaign ad, released January 23, 2018

"Limited Government/Constitution" - Montenegro campaign ad, released February 9, 2018

"Strong Conservative Record" - Montenegro campaign ad, released February 9, 2018

2016

Montenegro's campaign website highlighted the following issues:

“	Education I’m proud that Arizona is a national leader in school choice and that we have so many of the nation’s top performing schools. I also recognize that many of our districts are still suffering and are often failing our children. That’s why I continue to fight the politicians and their bureaucratic allies who put unions and administrators ahead of students. I’m pleased we were able to add hundreds of millions of dollars in new education dollars, but we still need to better support our teachers, reward good teachers with merit bonuses, and create alternate pathways to get highly educated professionals into the classroom, particularly in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. Our schools and school system are getting better. We need to finish the job. Illegal Immigration & Border Security I voted for SB1070 and have earned the endorsement of secure border leaders like Sheriff Joe Arpaio and Russell Pearce. 95 million Americans are out of the workforce, yet open-border advocates continue to block real border security, hurting our economy, our workers, and leaving us vulnerable to terrorist attacks. I will continue to fight to protect Arizona taxpayers from the negative effects illegal immigration has on our health care, education, and criminal justice systems, and I will continue to oppose amnesty in any form. It is long past time to secure the borders, but that will only happen when We The People put enough pressure on Washington D.C. to make it happen. Economy & Jobs Arizona is now a national leader in job creation, in where to start a new business, and in where businesses are relocating to. Why? Because we have been serious about balancing our budget and getting our house in order. Because we have gone after burdensome regulations that kill jobs. Because we offer companies a stable economic environment that is pro-growth. All of this is very attractive to companies that are trying to escape high-tax, high-regulation states like California. Add to all of this our climate and our people, and you have a recipe for success. Protecting the Family I fought to defend traditional marriage, I wrote the nation’s first ban on abortion for the purpose of race and sex selection, and I have a 100% pro-family voting record. Our values and our culture are under attack all across this country and it is up to all of us to speak loudly and clearly in defense of both, or we will lose them. The media will bully and intimidate in an effort to silence us, but we must speak up regardless. Please support those who fight to protect the family and the family values that make America great!	”
—Steve B. Montenegro,

2012

Montenegro's website highlighted the following campaign themes:

• Protecting The Taxpayers

Excerpt: "While most of our citizens have had to tighten their belts and cut their household budgets, big-spending politicians have forgotten how to say “No!” to the lobbyists and special interests that come to the state with their hands out. Enough is enough."

• Sanctity Of Life

Excerpt: "The Declaration of Independence states, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”. These words have great meaning to me."

• Private Property Rights

Excerpt: "I will continue to fight to protect private property rights, to eliminate burdensome regulations and to better manage our public lands. I was proud to support Proposition 207 (Private Property Rights Protection Act), a 2007 effort to protect private property rights from the abuse of eminent domain laws."

• Family And Traditional Marriage

Excerpt: "Families and traditional marriage benefit our society. I firmly believe that the institution of marriage should be protected, and that marriage is defined as one man and one woman. The decisions I make as a member of the House of Representatives will always be done with the best interests of families and children in mind."

• Secure Borders

Excerpt: "Whether your primary concern is national security, wasteful spending, education, healthcare, or our criminal justice system, the most important thing we can do is to secure our borders. The cost of illegal immigration in Arizona is nearly 2 billion dollars a year, and you, the taxpayer, are paying the bill."

Medicaid expansion lawsuit

See also: Can Arizona conservatives beat the clock to block Medicaid expansion from taking effect Jan. 1?

Steve Montenegro was one of the 36 Republican members of the Arizona State Legislature who signed onto a lawsuit brought by the Goldwater Institute in September 2013 against Arizona Governor Jan Brewer (R) over the expansion of Medicaid in Arizona under provisions of the Affordable Care Act. Brewer announced her support for Medicaid expansion in Arizona in 2013, and by June of that year the legislature had passed a bill expanding Medicaid in the state . In September 2013, the Goldwater Institute, a conservative think tank, filed a lawsuit seeking to block the law's implementation. They argued that the law contains a tax and its implementation under the control of the executive branch violates state laws enforcing the separation of powers. In 2015, a Maricopa County Superior Court judge ruled against the 36 Republican lawmakers and the Goldwater Institute, saying that the law contains an assessment, not a tax. The Arizona Court of Appeals upheld the Superior Court's 2015 ruling on March 16, 2017.

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.

---

Steve Montenegro campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2024*	Arizona House of Representatives District 29	Won general	$122,785	$19,748
2022	Arizona House of Representatives District 29	Won general	$97,469	$79,252
2020	Arizona House of Representatives District 13	Lost primary	$96,591	N/A**
2018	U.S. House Arizona District 8	Lost primary	$347,347	N/A**
2016	Arizona State Senate, District 13	Won	$98,261	N/A**
2014	Arizona State House, District 13	Won	$58,106	N/A**
2012	Arizona State House, District 13	Won	$36,825	N/A**
2010	Arizona State House, District 12	Won	$55,986	N/A**
2008	Arizona State House, District 12	Won	$100,138	N/A**
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

Noteworthy events

Admission of sexting with staffer (2018)

See also: Noteworthy sexual affairs in American politics (2017-2018).

As of December 2019, this misconduct story appeared to be concluded and Ballotpedia discontinued active coverage. Please contact us if new developments occur with this story.

Montenegro admitted to exchanging text messages with a staffer on February 22, 2018, including receiving a topless photo from her. Although Republicans had called on him to explain the situation or drop out of the race, he did not withdraw his candidacy.

Scorecards

See also: State legislative scorecards and State legislative scorecards in Arizona

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 Arizona scorecards, email suggestions to [email protected].

2024

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2024, click [show].

In 2024, the Arizona State Legislature was in session from January 8 to June 15. Americans for Prosperity - Arizona Legislators are scored on their stances on economic 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.

2023

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2023, click [show].

In 2023, the Arizona State Legislature was in session from January 9 to July 31. Arizona Free Enterprise Club: Senate and House 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. 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.

2018

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2018, click [show].

In 2018, the 54th Arizona State Legislature was in session from January 8 through May 4. Center for Arizona Policy: Senate and House Voting Records Legislators' votes are recorded by the Center for Arizona Policy on bills related to family issues. Children's Action Alliance Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to family issues. 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.

2017

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2017, click [show].

In 2017, the 53rd Arizona State Legislature was in session from January 9 through May 4. Americans for Prosperity Arizona Legislators are scored on their stances on conservative fiscal policy. Center for Arizona Policy: Senate and House Voting Records Legislators' votes are recorded by the Center for Arizona Policy on bills related to family issues. Children's Action Alliance Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to family issues. Humane Voters of Arizona Legislators are scored on their stances on animal issues. Secular Coalition for Arizona: Senate and House Voting Records Legislators are scored on their stances on secular policy. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues. Tucson Metro Chamber Legislators are scored on their support of business policies.

2016

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2016, click [show].

In 2016, the 52nd Arizona State Legislature was in session from January 11 through May 7. Americans for Prosperity Arizona Legislators are scored on their stances on conservative fiscal policy. Arizona Small Business Association Legislators are scored on their votes on ASBA's legislative priority bills. Center for Arizona Policy: Senate and House Voting Records Legislators' votes are recorded by the Center for Arizona Policy on bills related to family issues. Children's Action Alliance Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to family 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. Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona Legislators are scored on their stances on policies related to reproductive health 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 American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues. Tucson Metro Chamber Legislators are scored on their support of business policies.

See also

2024 Elections

What's on the ballot? U.S. President U.S. Congress U.S. Congress special elections State executives State legislatures State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards Election analysis hub

Government

Who represents me? U.S. Congress State executives State legislators State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards

Newsletters

The Daily Brew The Weekly Brew The Ballot Bulletin Checks and Balances Economy and Society Hall Pass Number of the Day Robe & Gavel

External links

   .contact_entity {font-size: 1.5em ;margin-top: 0.6em; margin-bottom: 0em;margin-right: 0.5em;}
   .contact_office { margin-top: 0.3em; margin-bottom: 0em;margin-right: 0.5em;}
   .external_links_table { width: auto !important; }
   @media (max-width:600px) {
       .contact_entity {font-size: 1.0em ;margin-top: 0.6em; margin-bottom: 0em; margin-right: 0.5em;}
       .contact_office { font-size: 0.8 em; margin-top: 0.6em; margin-bottom: 0em;margin-right: 0.5em;}  
   }

Search Google News for this topic

Candidate

Arizona House of Representatives District 29

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Officeholder

Arizona House of Representatives District 29

Website

Personal

Facebook

YouTube

LinkedIn

Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by Cesar Chavez (D)	Arizona House of Representatives District 29 2023-Present	Succeeded by -
Preceded by -	Arizona House of Representatives District 13	Succeeded by -
Preceded by -	Arizona State Senate District 13	Succeeded by -

[show]

Current members of the Arizona House of Representatives

Leadership

Speaker of the House:Steve Montenegro

Majority Leader:Michael Carbone

Minority Leader:Oscar De Los Santos

Representatives

District 1

Selina Bliss (R)

Quang Nguyen (R)

District 2

Stephanie Simacek (D)

Justin Wilmeth (R)

District 3

Joseph Chaplik (R)

Alexander Kolodin (R)

District 4

Pamela Carter (R)

Matt Gress (R)

District 5

Sarah Liguori (D)

Aaron Marquez (D)

District 6

Mae Peshlakai (D)

Myron Tsosie (D)

District 7

Walter Blackman (R)

David Marshall (R)

District 8

Janeen Connolly (D)

Brian Garcia (D)

District 9

Lorena Austin (D)

Seth Blattman (D)

District 10

Ralph Heap (R)

Justin Olson (R)

District 11

Junelle Cavero (D)

Oscar De Los Santos (D)

District 12

Patricia Contreras (D)

Anastasia Travers (D)

District 13

Jeff Weninger (R)

Julie Willoughby (R)

District 14

Laurin Hendrix (R)

Khyl Powell (R)

District 15

Neal Carter (R)

Michael Way (R)

District 16

Chris Lopez (R)

Teresa Martinez (R)

District 17

Rachel Jones (R)

Kevin Volk (D)

District 18

Nancy Gutierrez (D)

Christopher Mathis (D)

District 19

Lupe Diaz (R)

Gail Griffin (R)

District 20

Alma Hernandez (D)

Betty Villegas (D)

District 21

Consuelo Hernandez (D)

Stephanie Stahl Hamilton (D)

District 22

Lupe Contreras (D)

Elda Luna-Nájera (D)

District 23

Michele Pena (R)

Mariana Sandoval (D)

District 24

Anna Abeytia (D)

Lydia Hernandez (D)

District 25

Michael Carbone (R)

Nick Kupper (R)

District 26

Cesar Aguilar (D)

Quantá Crews (D)

District 27

Lisa Fink (R)

Tony Rivero (R)

District 28

David Livingston (R)

Beverly Pingerelli (R)

District 29

Steve Montenegro (R)

James Taylor (R)

District 30

Leo Biasiucci (R)

John Gillette (R)

Republican Party (33)

Democratic Party (27)