Arizona Republican longtime Gilbert resident Andrew Jackson told The Arizona Sun Times that he plans to make an announcement for a run for the Arizona House of Representatives to represent Legislative District 14 (LD) in 2024 “soon.”
“I am very close to running. There is just a process in our district of making sure I talk to everyone and prepare myself. I just want to make sure it’s the right decision. I want to give it time and not make a quick decision. If I’m going to represent Gilbert (Legislative District 14) I want to make sure that I will put in the effort. I expect to finalize my decision in two to three weeks,” Jackson told The Sun Times.
According to Jackson(pictured above), a run to represent LD14 is “100 percent” based on how he “feels things are leading.”
Jackson told The Sun Times that he did not 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 potential 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 would 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, he “definitely wants to represent Gilbert.” He also noted that sometimes state representatives aren’t engaged with their city and that he “would want to get involved in Gilbert’s development and be involved in representing them.”
Some of Jackson’s policy commitments include following the U.S. and Arizona constitutions, advocating for families, protecting children, protecting the right to bear arms, protecting all human life, standing against biological men competing in women’s sports, advocating for border security, and protecting Gilbert from the government growth, intrusive policies, and increased taxes of Maricopa County.
Once he announces his candidacy, Jackson will be running to take the seat of State Representative Travis Grantham (R-Gilbert), 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.
– – –
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 Capitol” by Gage Skidmore. CC BY-SA 2.0.
