Eric's Platform
What I Stand For
Arizona families are being priced out of their own communities. Why? Because corporate interests and out-of-state developers have shaped policies that benefit the wealthy few while hardworking Arizonans struggle to get by.
I'm running to put Arizona families first—not special interests or corporate donors.
We deserve leaders who are clear about where they stand. Here is my platform.
Most importantly, I want to hear from you as this platform grows and develops. Please reach out to info@ericstaffordforsenate.com with any thoughts or additions you might have, or to schedule a further conversation.
Overview
Arizona stands at a crossroads. Maricopa county is now the second largest county in the U.S.A and growing rapidly, but that growth isn't benefiting everyone equally. While corporations rake in record profits, working families face skyrocketing housing costs, water insecurity, and an education system that's been systematically de-funded for decades.
The average age of an AZ politician is around 60 years old, and members of our legislature are actively defunding Arizona's government and destroying many programs aimed at helping working-class people get by.
There have been numerous bills proposed to make voting harder for AZ citizens, removing support for people in poverty, and cutting taxes for the filthy rich in Arizona - all while young and working-class people have to choose between a gallon of gas and a carton of eggs.
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Families across Arizona being priced out of homeownership, and owning a home has gone from attainable to impossible. Big Wall Street investors and corporate landlords are trying to transform homeowners into lifelong renters, and buy houses en masse only to jack up prices for you and me. Housing should not be a rare luxury, we need to put it back in reach for working families.
- Tax incentives for first-time homebuyers
- Crack down on corporate landlords and house-hoarders driving up rents
- Increase funding for affordable housing development
- Support local communities by protecting residents from homelesness
- Address predatory lending and unfair eviction practices
- Ensure new development includes affordable housing commitments
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I have worked in blue-collar work for a decade and have been in machine shops, airport hangars, veterinary clinics and in service work, and I know firsthand what it feels like to put your body on the line to be able to pay the bills. Now, threats from AI, Poor Job Markets, and Union Busting has lowered the quality of jobs so far that 40 hours a week is not ewnough to live off of. Arizona's workers keep the lights on in this state, and need protections, living wages, and a seat at the table.
- Protect and expand the right to organize and collectively bargain
- Fight for prevailing wage standards on public projects
- Strengthen workplace safety standards and OSHA enforcement
- End wage theft and misclassification of employees as independent contractors
- Support apprenticeship and adult technical programs for skilled trades
- Ensure essential workers earn a living-wage with real benefits
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Arizona ranks DEAD LAST nationally in education funding. Our teachers are underpaid, classrooms overcrowded, and our state is lagging behind by not producing #1 in-the-nation high school educations. At the same time, we're facing shortages of skilled tradespeople of all ages, and need to invest in affordable public education for Children and Adults.
- Competitive teacher salaries to attract and retain quality educators
- Increased funding for school infrastructure and resources
- Massively expand vocational, technical, and apprenticeship programs for all ages
- Ensure voucher handouts are audited to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse
- Mandating teacher background checks, financial audits, and nondicrimination for all schools receiving public funds
- Support free community college grtants for first-time students to help people step into future careers.
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If we deserve Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness, Affordable Healthcare is a good start. My mom suffered permanent brain damage because she couldnt afford her life-saving medicine due to corporate greed. No family should ever have to choose between health and finances in the United States. We need comprehensive reform now.
- Expanding access to affordable healthcare for all Arizonans through AHCCCS and state programs
- Lowering prescription drug costs through state-level bulk purchasing and price transparency laws
- Protecting coverage for pre-existing conditions under Arizona law
- Increasing mental health and addiction treatment services statewide
- Expanding addiction treatment services statewide to help addcits in need and to keep needles of the streets for good.
- Holding un-ethical pharmaceutical companies accountable through state consumer protection laws
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LD29 is one of the fastest-growing areas in Arizona. Surprise alone has grown from 30,000 to over 150,000 residents in just two decade, and goodyear is one of the fastest growing cities in the nation. Massive projects like the proposed $3.2 billion BNSF logistics hub in Wittmann, or massive data centers will reshape our communities. Growth must work for residents—not just developers.
- Ensure community input on major development projects like the Wittmann rail hub, the Surprise ICE Facility, or the Water-Draining Data-Centers
- Expand public transit like Busses, & Light rail to help reduce traffic, and keep transit convenient and affordable for the West-Valley
- Invest in shaded infrastructure, safe bike lanes, and public transit options to help make our streets, cool, clean and walkable
- Protect existing neighborhoods from overdevelopment and industrial encroachment
- Demand environmental impact assessments for large-scale industrial projects, and prioritize water & utility infrastructure before approving new developments
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Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, but they're being squeezed to death by mega-corporations that dominate entire industries, and produce F-Tier products that will not last. From shops along town halls to family farms in the West Valley, we need to level the playing field before local businesses are a thing of the past.
- Enforce antitrust laws and break up monopolies
- Provide tax relief and support for small businesses
- Expand access to capital for local entrepreneurs
- Protect Main Street from Wall Street consolidation
- Support local agriculture and food producers
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One of Arizona's greates exports is our Climate. As of 2026 Wittmann has recorded temperatures of 119°F. Record heat, water scarcity, and poor air quality threaten our communities, our skyline views, and make ourdoor work & recreation unsafe for our skin, lungs, & mental health.
- Adopt extreme heat protections for outdoor workers
- Accelerate the transition to renewable energy and good-paying green jobs
- Strengthen air quality standards to protect public health and our beautiful mountain views
- Invest in urban cooling infrastructure—shade, green space, and cooling centers
- Protect Arizona's groundwater and support smart water conservation
- Invest in wildfire prevention and forest management
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Luke Air Force Base is right in our backyard, and thousands of veterans and military families call LD29 home. We owe them more than gratitude—we owe them real support, from healthcare to housing to good jobs when they return to civilian life.
- Expand state-funded veteran healthcare services and reduce wait times
- Increase state funding for mental health and PTSD treatment for veterans
- Support veteran employment programs and skills-to-trades pipelines
- Protect military families from predatory lending and housing scams through state regulation
- Ensure Luke Air Force Base remains a vital community partner
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Arizona's border communities deserve real solutions, not political theater. As a state senator, I'll fight for practical state-level policies that support our border communities while treating people with dignity.
- Protect Dreamers' access to in-state tuition and state services
- Support border communities with state resources and infrastructure funding
- Ensure immigrant workers are protected by Arizona labor laws
- Oppose state legislation that promotes racial profiling or targets immigrant families
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The government has no place in personal medical decisions that affect the life and health of Mother and Child, and I trust adults to make their own decisions about their health, and family planning choices.
- Codify reproductive freedom protections into Arizona state law
- Protect access to contraception and family planning services statewide
- Ensure Arizona healthcare providers can practice without political interference
- Support comprehensive, medically accurate sex education in Arizona schools
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Many bills are being passed in 2026 to ban vaccine requirements at workplaces and public schools where diseases sprerad like wildfire and can permanently maim or kill people who are vunerable. Policies like this pretend that dangerous diseases cannot, or do-not exist, and prevent emergency health measures from existing ever.
- Continue protecting OSHA workers and students from diseases like measles, polio, and genital warts by maintaining vaccine rules in public workplaces.
- Keeping vaccine desicions between patients, and their doctors, and keeping politics out of the equation
- Protecting public health now, and planning ahead to defeat the disease of the future.
- Portecting kids from preventable diseases, and ensuring medicines and vaccines are safe, healthy, and effective
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Our futures and our childrens futures are being sold to the highest bidder. Arizona needs fundamental campaign finance reform to ban corportaions and private interests from paying our politicians to pass unpopular policies.
- Strengthen Arizona's dark money disclosure laws and close loopholes
- Expand and protect Arizona's Clean-Elections public financing system
- Strict limits on corporate political spending in state elections
- Full transparency in all political donations to Arizona candidates
- End the revolving door between the state legislature and lobbying firms