Neither the Arizona House or Senate primaries in Legislative District 9 were competitive this year, meaning each candidate intends to win a seat in the general election on Nov. 3.
But at least two candidates thanked their supporters this week after the July 21 primaries.
District 9 encompasses parts of west Mesa and east Tempe, along with a section of the neighboring Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community — all within Maricopa County.
The district is currently represented in the legislature only by the Democratic Party. Sen. Eva Burch resigned in March 2025, citing gridlock and lack of compensation, and was replaced by the appointed Kiana Sears.
Sears, a former Mesa school board member and Arizona State University department director, will be opposed Nov. 3 by Bridget Fitzgibbons, who states she’s a medical doctor trained in naturopathy.
Sears received all 12,113 votes in the Senate Democratic primary, while Fitzgibbons got all 10,488 of the Republican votes.
“Thank you, LD9, for your trust and your support,” Sears wrote in a brief Instagram message this week. “We need you all now more than ever because we’re going to keep fighting all the way to November.”
Reps. Lorena Austin and Seth Blattman serve in the House for LD9. Blattman isn’t running this year, so Austin will be the lone incumbent representative seeking reelection.
Austin posted an Instagram message similar to Sears’ after she and fellow Democrat Jacob D. Martinez mostly split the primary vote. Austin received 11,206 votes and Martinez got 9,251, though both automatically advance.
“Community showed up in LD9 — we made it to the ballot in November,” Austin wrote. “Thank you to all who made it possible. The work is just getting started in LD9. Help us by donating or volunteering to keep one of the most competitive seats in the state.¡Adelante, Siempre adelante!” (Forward, always forward).
Martinez also posted on Instagram.
“I’m just a kid from Mesa who loves his community. To now be your nominee for the state house is an incredible honor,” Martinez wrote. “I’m ready to keep this momentum going and win big in November because we deserve someone from our community representing us.”
The Republicans running for LD9 House seats are Bradley Bettencourt and write-in candidate Sage Stroh. Bettencourt received 100% of the 10,395 votes listed by the Secretary of State in “election night results,” so it’s unclear yet if Stroh received any write-in votes.
Bettencourt, a master’s degree holder from Arizona State’s W. P. Carey School of Business, has been the president of the Dobson Ranch HOA.
Stroh is a 2019 ASU alumna with a degree in molecular bioscience and biotechnology and some experience working as a lab tech with Shamrock Foods and with Maricopa County as an environmental health specialist.
Jason W. Brooks News Editor | Chandler Independent
Jason W. Brooks joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in July 2021 as an associate editor. After a year covering Buckeye, he has covered Chandler since the fall of 2022, in addition to assisting the Daily Independent throughout his time at INI.
Education: University of New Mexico, bachelor of arts in journalism and mass communication, print emphasis, English minor.
Random Fact: He and his siblings witnessed a Space Shuttle launch and landing in the same year in person, on opposite coasts.
Hobbies: Karaoke, bicycling and American Sign Language.
Tempe,
Mesa,
elections,
state legislature,
House of Representatives,
Arizona Senate,
Sears,
Lorena Austin,
LD9,
Blattman,
Fitzgibbons,
Mesa school board,
Eva Burch,
Pima-Maricopa Indian Community
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