Arizona’s Legislative District 29 (LD29) has only existed in its current form since 2022, but the number 29 has a longer story. Here’s how the district came to cover Surprise, El Mirage and the northwest West Valley, and who has represented it along the way.
How Arizona draws its legislative districts
Arizona’s Legislature has 30 senators and 60 representatives. The state is divided into 30 legislative districts, and each district elects one state senator and two state representatives to two-year terms.
For most of Arizona’s history, the Legislature drew its own district maps. That changed in 2000, when voters approved Proposition 106, which handed the job to the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission. The commission has five members: four are appointed by legislative leaders from a pool of screened nominees, and those four choose a fifth, independent chair. In 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld voters’ right to create the commission in Arizona State Legislature v. Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission.
The commission redraws all 30 districts after every U.S. Census. District numbers get reassigned when the maps change, which is why today’s LD29 shares a number, but very little else, with the old one.
LD29 before 2022: west Phoenix and Glendale
Under the maps drawn after the 2010 Census, used from 2013 through 2022, Legislative District 29 covered west Phoenix, including much of Maryvale, and part of Glendale.
During that decade, the district was represented in the Arizona Senate by Martín Quezada, who served from 2015 to 2023 after succeeding Steve Gallardo. In the House, LD29 was represented by lawmakers including Lydia Hernandez, Richard Andrade (2015–2023) and César Chávez (2017–2023).
2022: LD29 moves to the northwest West Valley
After the 2020 Census, the Independent Redistricting Commission drew a new map, finalized in early 2022. The LD29 label moved to the fast-growing northwest West Valley. Today’s district covers parts of Surprise, El Mirage, Glendale, Goodyear, Litchfield Park and Peoria, plus the unincorporated communities of Wittmann and Morristown.
The 2022 election was the first under the new lines. Republican Janae Shamp won the State Senate seat over Democrat David Raymer, 59% to 41%, and Republicans Steve Montenegro and Austin Smith won the two House seats.
In 2024, Shamp was re-elected, defeating Democratic nominee Eric Stafford 59.3% to 40.7%. Eric earned 48,608 votes in his first run for the seat. Republicans Steve Montenegro and James Taylor won the House seats.
A district defined by growth
The new LD29 is one of the fastest-growing parts of Arizona. Surprise alone has grown from roughly 30,000 residents in 2000 to more than 140,000 at the 2020 Census. As of 2023, the district had about 240,000 residents, 142,701 registered voters and 47 precincts.
That growth brings big decisions to the district’s doorstep: the proposed $3.2 billion BNSF logistics hub in Wittmann, new data centers that draw on scarce water, rising housing costs, crowded roads, and the future of Luke Air Force Base as a community partner. Whoever represents LD29 in the State Senate will have a direct hand in all of it.
2026: the next chapter
On Tuesday, November 3, 2026, LD29 voters will choose their state senator in a rematch of 2024: Democratic nominee Eric Stafford against Republican incumbent Sen. Janae Shamp.
Eric is a lifelong Arizonan, a certified A&P mechanic and machinist, and a Clean Elections candidate who takes no PAC or dark money. He’s running to make sure LD29’s growth works for the families who already live here, with lower housing costs, fair wages, fully funded public schools and a government accountable to voters instead of special interests.
- October 5: voter registration deadline
- October 7–30: early voting
- October 23: last day to request an early ballot
- November 3: Election Day
Not sure if you’re in LD29? Look up your address, then read our LD29 guide and how to vote in 2026.