Issues

SECURE ELECTIONS

During his six years as Arizona Secretary of State, Ken oversaw 12 secure and successful elections, including the only automatic recount of a statewide election in the history of the state.  Although some were very close elections, voters had confidence they were accurate and verified.  Secretary Bennett fought to clean up voter rolls, identify and prosecute voter fraud, and maintain integrity and confidence in our elections.

To make elections transparent, trackable, and publicly verified, he has introduced legislation in the Legislature right now to require counties to publish:

Before each election

  • List of registered voters, active and inactive, by name, address, and precinct

After each election

  • List of who voted in that election, by name, address, and precinct

  • Ballot images (anonymous and unattributable to any voter)

  • Cast Vote Record (spreadsheet use to record and tabulate the votes)

With these records, the public can verify:

  • Every person who voted was registered and eligible to do so

  • No one is registered or voting more than once

  • There was one ballot, no more and no less, for each person who voted

  • The votes were tabulated correctly, and the totals match reported results

SECURE STATE FINANCES

During Ken’s eight years in the Legislature, he helped balance the state budget all eight years.  As Senate President, he led the largest tax CUT in the history of Arizona – reducing income taxes by 10% for all taxpayers and ELIMINATING the state property tax.  They rebuilt the State’s Rainy-Day Fund and cash balances to over $1 Billion while putting more new money into K-12 education than ever before, without raising taxes.  These accomplishments were made with Democrat Janet Napolitano as Governor.  Imagine what can be done with a conservative Republican Governor!

 SECURE THE BORDER

When Ken was Senate President, the Legislature passed comprehensive legislation to combat illegal immigration:

  • high-tech radar detection systems and National Guard at the border,

  • $55 million to state/local law enforcement for border interdiction,

  • 100 new DPS officers for border enforcement,

  • elimination of sanctuary policies,

  • tougher employer sanctions for employing illegals,

  • state criminal trespass laws and much more. 

This legislation was unfortunately vetoed by Governor Napolitano, who claimed it “week and ineffective”.  Imagine how better things would be at our southern border if these common-sense policies were in place.  With a Republican Governor, Ken will again help lead in securing our border.

Now he supports greatly increasing funding for the AZ Department of Emergency and Military Affairs to fill in the gaps where the Biden administration can’t or won’t protect our border.

protect the 2nd Amendment

Ken is a strong supporter of our right to keep and bear arms.  He is a Lifetime Member of the NRA and received “A” ratings when he previously served in elected office.  Ken understands that our right to keep and bear arms isn’t about hunting – it’s about defending ourselves, our loved ones and our property.  It’s about the people’s right and responsibility to come together as a militia, if necessary, to defend our country against enemies – foreign or domestic.

Protect unborn Life

As a Christian, Ken believes the greatest gift God has given us is life itself.  Throughout his public service, he has been a consistent supporter of life – for the yet-to-be-born, for the elderly, and for the most vulnerable.  With the overturning of Roe and Casey, Arizona will be again setting its own policies, and Ken looks forward to helping keep Arizona pro-life.

provide for School Choice

Ken has always supported the right of parents to choose where and how their children are educated and to have the funding to accomplish that follow their child.  When Ken served on the Arizona State Board of Education in the ‘90’s, Arizona passed the most aggressive charter school laws in the U.S. and Ken was asked to serve on the first State Board for Charter Schools.  He and his colleagues approved the first 250+ charter schools in Arizona.  That foundation has grown to over 550 charter schools and Arizona was recently recognized as being the most school-choice friendly state in the country.

VALUe OUR VETERANS

When Ken was President of the Senate, Arizona:

  • PERMANENTLY exempted Military and National Guard pay from state income taxes. 

  • Appropriated $10 million for construction of a Veteran’s home facility in Tucson. 

  • Expanded the use of the National Guard Relief Fund for Guard members’ families

  • Approved funds for a new Pearl Harbor memorial and visitors center in Hawaii.

Secretary Bennett personally led the creation of the World War II Memorial at the capitol with gun-barrels from the USS Arizona and USS Missouri.  “Guns to Salute the Fallen” has a personal name plate for every Arizonan killed in WWII.  This $800,000 project didn’t spend one dime of taxpayer monies – it was completely funded from volunteers and donations.