Stephanie Simacek’s 2024 campaign for Arizona House of Representatives in Legislative District 2 (LD2) has been widely criticized as one of the most dishonest in recent Arizona political history. Elected on November 5, 2024, as a Democrat in a competitive north Phoenix swing district, Stephanie Simacek—a former teacher and member of the Deer Valley Unified School District Governing Board—defeated Republican incumbent Justin Wilmeth and newcomer Ari Daniel Bradshaw. While her victory was a rare Democratic win in a year when Republicans expanded their majority in the Arizona Legislature to 34 seats, Simacek’s path to office and her subsequent legislative actions reveal a troubling pattern of broken promises and political opportunism. Compounding the issue, media outlets like the Arizona Mirror have been accused of fabricating details about Bradshaw, falsely attributing the creation of a nonexistent organization to him, which further muddied the waters of an already contentious race. This article examines Simacek’s campaign dishonesty, her voting record betrayals on border and school security, and the media’s role in misrepresenting her opponent.
A Campaign Marred by Dishonesty: Targeting Ari Daniel Bradshaw
Stephanie Simacek’s campaign against Bradshaw was marked by deceptive tactics that prioritized winning over integrity. As a single-shot Democratic candidate replacing Rep. Judy Schwiebert, who ran for Senate, Simacek faced Wilmeth and Bradshaw in a district where Republicans and unaffiliated voters outnumber Democrats (48,211 Republicans, 46,830 unaffiliated, and 36,779 Democrats, per the Arizona Mirror). With Wilmeth considered a likely re-elect, the race for the second seat became a fierce contest between Simacek and Bradshaw, a fourth-generation Phoenician and small business owner.
Simacek’s campaign, which reportedly raised over $384,000 compared to Bradshaw’s $206,000, leaned heavily on progressive funding and misleading narratives about her opponent. One notable incident involved Bradshaw’s attempt to confront Simacek after she backed out of a Clean Elections Commission debate. Just before ballots went out, Bradshaw visited her listed residence potentially to confront her about her lies person-to-person, only to learn from her husband that the couple had separated and Simacek no longer lived there. This raised questions about her residency in LD2, a legal requirement for candidacy. However, Simacek’s campaign deceptively exploited the situation, bizarrely portraying Bradshaw as a harasser to deflect from the residency issue, further fueling a red herring narrative which avoided substantive policy debate.
An Organized Smear Campaign Against Bradshaw
Additionally, Simacek’s allies, including groups like Future Freedoms, spread falsehoods about Bradshaw’s positions. Despite Bradshaw’s public support for repealing Arizona’s 1864 abortion law and his advocacy for access to IVF and birth control—clearly stated on his campaign website—ads falsely claimed he opposed these measures. Bradshaw condemned these tactics, stating, “Organizations like Future Freedoms should be ashamed of themselves for lying to voters and misleading them about my position.” While Simacek may not have directly authored these claims, her campaign’s failure to disavow them suggests complicity in the dishonesty, prioritizing electoral gain over ethical campaigning.
The media’s role in this race added another layer of distortion. The Arizona Mirror and other outlets reported that Bradshaw was the “founder of Young Conservatives of Arizona (YCA),” a supposed group focused on mobilizing conservative voters aged 13 to 40. However, zero evidence exists to support YCA’s existence as a legitimate organization. Unlike established groups like the Arizona Young Republicans, YCA has no documented presence—no website, social media, or recorded activities. Bradshaw was involved with the North Valley Young Republicans (NVYR) as its president from 2021 to 2023, before it split into successor groups, but this is a completely different organization. The claim that he founded YCA appears to be a fabrication which Bradshaw states he contacted the press multiple times to correct the record on. This misrepresentation exaggerating things to fit a narrative which suited Simacek’s campaign strategy of portraying him as an extremist.
Stephanie Simacek and Broken Promises on Border Security
Simacek campaigned on addressing “kitchen-table issues” like education and housing. In a district where border security is a top concern—given Arizona’s proximity to the U.S.-Mexico border—she also positioned herself as a pragmatic voice on the border issue. However, since taking office in January 2025, Simacek has voted against every border security bill presented in the Arizona House, sharply contradicting her campaign rhetoric.
For instance, in early 2025, a Republican-sponsored bill aimed to reopen closed border checkpoints and increase funding for U.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel. This measure aligned with the priorities of many Arizonans, especially in light of the Tucson Border Patrol Sector’s 2024 report of over 366,000 encounters, including arrests of individuals with criminal histories and seizures of 88 pounds of fentanyl in April 2024 alone, as noted in a U.S. House Judiciary Committee hearing. Despite the clear need for action, Simacek voted against the bill, as well as other proposals to fund Border Patrol resources, invest in border technology, and update immigration laws. Her consistent opposition to these measures betrays the trust of LD2 voters who expected her to address border security with the pragmatism she promised.
School Safety: Another Campaign Promise Abandoned by Stephanie Simacek
As a former teacher and school board member, Simacek made school safety a cornerstone of her campaign. She highlighted the challenges of overcrowded classrooms and underfunded schools, stating in a September 21, 2024, X video, “I’ve seen firsthand what teachers are going through… Overcrowded classrooms, lack of funding… this is just unacceptable.” Her campaign website emphasized ensuring schools as safe spaces, a message that resonated with parents and educators in LD2.
Yet, in early 2025, Stephanie Simacek voted against a bipartisan school safety bill that aimed to fund school resource officers, provide mental health training for staff, and enhance campus security measures. This bill addressed growing concerns about school safety nationwide, including in Arizona, where parents have demanded stronger protections following national incidents of school violence. Simacek’s vote against the bill stunned constituents who expected her to champion such initiatives, given her background. While she has expressed frustration with Republican-led education bills—like those allowing teachers to carry firearms or placing chaplains in schools, as noted in a March 2025 Arizona Agenda Q&A—her opposition to a non-controversial school safety bill suggests a prioritization of hyperpartisan loyalty over her district’s needs.
The Media’s Role in Amplifying Dishonesty
The media’s portrayal of Bradshaw as the founder of a nonexistent YCA not only misrepresented his background but also contributed to the broader narrative of dishonesty in the LD2 race. Outlets like the Arizona Mirror lent credence to a fabrication that was not critically examined. This lack of journalistic rigor skewed public perception, potentially influencing voters by presenting Bradshaw as a more established figure than he was, which Simacek’s campaign could then exploit to paint him as a radical conservative. The media’s failure to correct this narrative underscores a broader issue of accountability in political reporting, particularly in competitive races where misinformation can sway outcomes.
A Pattern of Hypocrisy and Its Implications
Simacek’s actions reveal a pattern of hypocrisy that undermines her campaign promises. She presented herself as a moderate focused on LD2’s everyday concerns, but her voting record aligns with the Democratic Party’s progressive wing, even on issues where her district leans centrist. Her campaign’s reliance on deceptive tactics, coupled with her legislative betrayals on border and school security, has left many constituents feeling misled. In a district pivotal to Arizona’s political balance, Simacek’s behavior risks alienating voters who value integrity and bipartisan cooperation.
The media’s role in fabricating details about Bradshaw further complicates the narrative, highlighting the need for greater scrutiny of political reporting. As Stephanie Simacek continues her term, LD2 voters must hold her accountable for her promises and demand transparency. If she fails to deliver, the 2026 election may see a strong challenge from candidates who prioritize honesty and the district’s true needs.