Scottsdale-Area Legislative District 4 Race Highlights State Budget and Education Debates

In Arizona Legislative District 4, which spans northeast Phoenix, Scottsdale, and Paradise Valley, the contest for two state House seats carries significant weight for chamber control. Republicans have held an unbroken majority in the Arizona House of Representatives since 1966.

Incumbent Republican Representatives Matt Gress and Pamela Carter are competing against Democratic challengers Karen Gresham and Tammy Caputi. Gress, a former state budget director under Governor Doug Ducey, emphasizes his record of passing bipartisan legislation and supporting school safety, higher teacher pay, and universal school vouchers. Gress also sponsored the legislation behind Prop. 320, a ballot measure requiring school districts to direct at least 60% of funding toward classroom instruction.

Gresham, an accountant and member of the Madison Elementary School Board, previously defeated Gress in a 2021 school board race. She is prioritizing state spending on public schools, water, and infrastructure, while advocating for increased transparency in the legislative budget process. Gresham and Caputi have also criticized the expansion and oversight of the state's universal school voucher program.