Arizona Republican longtime Gilbert resident Andrew Jackson outlined 20 policy commitments he will focus on during his run for the Arizona House of Representatives to represent Legislative District 14 (LD) in 2024.
Jackson (pictured above) told The Arizona Sun Times last week that he had officially announced his candidacy to represent Gilbert in the Arizona House of Representatives.
According to Jackson, he has created a list of 20 policy commitments for the Arizonans voting for him.
“I want to say these are the 20 policy commitments I will focus on for those voting for me,” Jackson told The Sun Times.
As a state representative in the Arizona House, Jackson said he would to these 20 policy recommendations, which included following the U.S. and Arizona Constitutions, advocating for families, supporting parental rights to their children, the Second Amendment, free markets, and low taxes.
I'm a candidate for the Arizona House of Representatives (representing Gilbert) 2024.
Below are my 20 commitments to those voting for me.
ANDREW JACKSON’s © 20 Policy Commitments
1. Always follow the U.S. and Arizona Constitutions.
2. Advocate for strong, healthy…
— Andrew Jackson (Candidate AZ House) (@DrAndrewJackson) July 27, 2023
Jackson told The Arizona Sun Times that he did not originally intend to run to represent LD 14; however, another candidate in his district asked him to “seriously consider it,” which opened the door. Jackson noted he has internally had conversations with Senate President Warren Petersen (R-Gilbert) and State Representative Laurin Hendrix (R-Gilbert) about his candidacy and has received nothing but support.
“There has been so much confirmation that I can bring something to the table in Arizona at this time,” Jackson said.
According to Jackson, his experience pastoring large congregations of people, exposure to other cultures and political systems, education, and relationships with Arizona’s lawmakers through his interviews will make him a good political leader.
Jackson told The Sun Times that as a state representative, he wants to play a role in bridging some of the gaps among the members of the Republican Party and help bring “relational unity” to the Republican Party.
“The Republican Party has some factions to it. It hurt us in the midterms. Not legislatively but there has been some name-calling and labeling where people get emotionally hurt. I’ve interviewed many of them and I have good relationships with them. I think I could play a role in bridging some of the gaps that exist. I think relational unity is the key,” Jackson said.
According to Jackson, sometimes state representatives aren’t engaged with their city, and he “wants to get involved in Gilbert’s development and be involved in representing them.”
The 14th Legislative District in Arizona, one of 30 in the state, includes a portion of Maricopa County. A total of 147,841 people are registered to vote throughout 44 precincts in the district as of 2023, all of which are located in Maricopa. 241,692 people live in the district as a whole.
Following the 2020 United States redistricting cycle, the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission (AIRC) redrew legislative district boundaries in Arizona. According to the AIRC, they consider the district to be Republican-leaning. The 2022 elections were the first in the newly-drawn district. Petersen and State Representatives Travis Grantham and Hendrix represent Legislative District 14.
Jackson is running to take the seat of Grantham, who is terming out of his seat.
Jackson is a pastor, teacher, and author who has lived in Gilbert for the last 28 years. He earned his Master of Divinity from Fuller Theological Seminary, and his specialized Doctor of Ministry in the “History of Church Renewal Movements” from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. He served as a senior teaching pastor at two large churches, as an adjunct seminary professor, and taught world religion courses at two colleges. Jackson leads annual tours in Israel and Turkey and has authored eight books. He has gained political notoriety for his longstanding Twitter Space interviews of Arizona’s lawmakers and candidates.
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Hannah Poling is a lead reporter at The Ohio Star, The Star News Network, and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Hannah on Twitter @HannahPoling1. Email tips to [email protected]
Photo “Andrew Jackson” by Andrew Jackson. Background Photo “Arizona House of Representatives Chamber” by Visitor7. CC BY-SA 3.0.
