Key Facts
Background
Michelle Ugenti-Rita graduated from Arizona State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration. Ugenti-Rita has worked as a commercial real estate agent. While serving in both the House and Senate of the Arizona Legislature since 2010, Ugenti-Rita has served as the Chairman of the Government, the Elections, and the Ways and Means Committee. Ugenti-Rita currently resides in Scottsdale with her three children.
Key Issues
States Rights
Ugenti-Rita opposes federal policies that override Arizona state laws. For example, the federal bill For the People Act of 2021 overrides Arizona’s opt-in voter registration system. [1]
County Election Officials Accountability
Ugenti-Rita supports holding all county election officials including the board of supervisors and the county recorder accountable to state laws and the Elections Procedures Manual. This accountability is intended to create uniformity that increases voters’ confidence in results. [1] As a State Senator, Ugenti-Rita voted to hold the Maricopa County supervisors in contempt for refusing to hand over the county’s ballots in the 2020 state audit. [3]
Election Confidence
Ugenti-Rita supports realigning the Secretary of State’s office to regain the trust of voters in the election process. Through collaborating with experts in electronic voting systems and procedures, Ugenti-Rita believes voter confidence will increase. [1] As a State legislator, Ugenti-Rita supported Senate Bill 1485 and Senate Bill 1713 which increased the requirements for mail-in early voting and required state IDs to vote. [2]
Endorsements
N/A