Arizona's 16th legislative district is one of 30 in the state, consisting of sections of Maricopa, Pima and Pinal counties. It was created in January 2022.
Meet the 2024 LD 16 state representative candidates:
Rob Hudelson
Republican Rob Hudelson is running for a second time to represent LD 16, He ran and lost in November 2022. (Courtesy Hudelson campaign)
The Republican Hudelson ran for election to the Arizona House of Representatives to represent Legislative District 16 in November 2022. He lost to Republican incumbent Teresa Martinez and Democrat Keith Seaman.
In a Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022, Hudelson described himself as “a Christian family man.”
“He has been married for 28 years and has seven children and four grandchildren. Rob is a U.S. Navy veteran, having fought in the Gulf War, and he has lived in Arizona for the past 17 years. Rob has been in Christian ministry for 27 years and has been the senior pastor of his current church for the past 16 years,” the survey stated.
His campaign website, https://robforstaterep.com/ , does not work.
Chris Lopez
Chris Lopez was born and raised in Casa Grande and the Republican has stated that he has dedicated his life to upholding conservative values. …
Lopez was born and raised in Casa Grande and the Republican has stated that he has dedicated his life to upholding conservative values. As a father, Lopez stated that he knows the importance of safe neighborhoods, a secure border, and the ability to provide Arizona families with school choice. As a small business owner, he understands the importance of a thriving economy, which he has stated means limited government, low taxes and an affordable cost of living.
Lopez is committed funding police, defending the Second Amendment, protecting neighborhoods and or fighting for small business owners throughout the state.
Lopez lives in Casa Grande with his wife, Jody, where they raised their five kids and love spending time with their seven grandchildren.
Teresa Martinez
Appointed as LD 16 representative in 2021 and elected to position for the first time in 2022, Martinez is now the Republican majority whip. (Courtesy …
Although appointed as LD 11 representative in 2021 and elected to LD 16 in 2022, Martinez has quickly risen through the ranks to become the Republican majority whip.
Born and raised in Casa Grande, Martinez is a single mother of a 19-year-old college student. She is the eldest of five children and her father was a miner at the San Manuel Mine.
Martinez has held multiple positions for two members of Congress, as well as for a former Republican Arizona Secretary of State. She has worked with candidates and political party officials for 20 years to get Republicans elected.
Before getting into politics, she worked as a long-term substitute teacher at her alma mater, Casa Grande Union High School. She also worked at the Frito Lay factory in Casa Grande.
She won her first-elected term in 2022, where she was joined by Democrat Keith Seaman.
Gabriela Saucedo Mercer
Republican Gabriela Saucedo Mercer made a failed run for the Pima County Board of Supervisors to in November 2020. (Courtesy Mercer campaign)
The Republican Mercer ran for election to the Pima County Board of Supervisors to represent District 3 in November 2020. Mercer lost in the general election to incumbent Democrat Sharon Bronson.
Mercer legally emigrated to the U.S. from Mexico in 1986 and became a U.S. citizen in 1991. She previously worked for a defense electronics firm but stopped to raise her three children.
She was an analytical linguist at MVM Inc. A native Spanish speaker, she has more than 30 years of experience translating verbal, written and spoken Spanish to English. She holds a Title III Certification. Security Clearance with Department of Justice, clearance to work with law enforcement and was cleared to work with DEA. Experience in streamlining processes which are essential in a busy work environment. Solid command of using multiple databases to resolve various cases dealing with law enforcement.
Her campaign website, gabbyforcongress.org, is not operating.
Keith Seaman
Democrat Keith Seaman is running for his second term as representative for LD 16. (Courtesy Seaman campaign)
Democrat Seaman is running for his second term as representative for LD 16. He moved to Arizona in 1974 to start his first teaching job in Lake Havasu City. He continued teaching and began raising his family there. He went back to school at Northern Arizona University and earned a master’s in teaching English.
Over the next 40 years, he dedicated his life to education while raising his daughter. Seaman worked as a teacher, principal and superintendent in Mohave County.
His time in education showed him the problems that teachers and students face, so he decided I wanted to be a part of the solution.
Upon his retirement in 2010, he started volunteering more frequently with the Casa Grande and Pinal County Democrats. Then in 2018, he ran for and won a seat on the Coolidge Unified School Board.
He ran to represent LD 16 in the state Legislature in November 2022 because he wanted to continue his life’s work of supporting his communities. He won the election, joining Republican incumbent Teresa Martinez.
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