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Steven Sensmeier Running for Legislative District 1



Article audio is made possible by CAST11 Prescott Podcast Network. A Talking Glass Media production.

Hi, my name is Steven Sensmeier and I am running to be your State Representative for Legislative District 1. LD 1 is a large district that covers all of Yavapai County except for the Verde Valley, Anthem, Carefree, and Cave Creek. Unfortunately, because this area covers about 8,000 square miles and nearly 200,000 voters, I haven’t been able to get out and meet as many of you as I would like, so I’m writing this to introduce myself.

My family moved to Prescott Valley in the summer of 2000, and we’ve been here ever since. Growing up here I attended Prescott High School and eventually Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University where I graduated with my degree in Global Security and Intelligence Studies. As a member of Troop 7 at Prescott First United Methodist Church, I earned my Eagle Scout. This community was and is a great place to grow up. I loved it and that’s why I’m still here.

I’m a lifelong conservative Republican. People say that when they mean that they have been Republicans since they were able to vote, but I mean it a bit more literally. I was probably the only three-year-old you would have ever met that could have told you Newt Gingrich was the Speaker of the House. In fact, the Republican party is in my blood. My great grandfather, Otto Neithammer, was a Republican County Councilman in southern Indiana for more than two decades. My grandparents helped run the Stark County Ohio Republican Party in the 1960s and 70s. My father was an active member of the College Republicans at Purdue University and served as Chairman of the Yavapai County Republican Committee for almost 4 years. I have been an active member of the local Republican scene for 12 years now, volunteering for many campaigns, from city council candidates to presidential races. I worked for the Arizona Republican Party and the Martha McSally for Senate Campaign, organizing volunteer efforts for critical elections. While in school, I also served as the President of the College Republicans at Embry-Riddle and as Chairman of the Arizona Federation of College Republicans.

I’m running for this office because I see a problem in our rural communities. We have many retirees that move to our area, and I’m glad to have them, but we don’t retain or bring in many young people or people of a working age. A community like ours needs balance. Without it we can’t survive because we don’t have the workforce and tax base we need in the long run. Right now, the best and brightest coming out of our high schools and colleges are leaving because there is no opportunity for them here. Sociologists call this phenomenon brain drain. We must do more to keep these young families here and attract more.

At the state level, I see three avenues to approach the underlying cause of these issues, lack of economic opportunity. First, we need education. We need to make sure that we have a strong education system built on the principle of competition. A strong, lean public school system, public charter schools, and private schools pushing each other to get better and compete for students while giving parents choices in their child’s education is a must. Second, we need to maintain our infrastructure. Anybody that has driven any of our state highways can attest to the poor condition of our roads. But infrastructure does not just mean roads, it means water too. And high-speed internet, something still not available to some rural Arizona communities. And third, we must maintain a conservative, low tax, pro-business environment. As business flees California for places like Arizona, Nevada, Texas, and North Carolina, we need to do what it takes to bring those employers and their thousands of jobs to Arizona, particularly in rural areas. These types of ready-made businesses can employ thousands and provide major boosts to our state and local economies. We should also be working to reduce the barriers of entry for new businesses starting up. Arizona pioneered occupational licensing reform and we can continue to be the standard-bearer for new and innovative ways to help the economy. And lastly, we need to support the businesses that are already here and make sure they have a fair and level playing field.

I’ll expand more on these issues in future articles and on my YouTube channel, but if you have any questions, concerns, or comments please feel free to contact me at Steven@StevenSensmeier.com. Visit my website at StevenSensmeier.com and you can find out more about my stances on the issues, ask questions, donate, volunteer, or request a yard sign.

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