Meet the Candidate: Don Shooter - Arizona Senate

Name: Don Shooter

Age: 60

Office running for: State Senate

Family: Married with three adult children

Party: Republican/Tea Party

Education: Attended the University of Southern California

Employment: Retired from farming and real estate

To what organizations do you belong? Various farming and civic organizations

What in your past experiences helps qualify you for this seat? I am the incumbent senator and currently hold the position of chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, which controls the state budget.

If elected, what is the one issue on which you would focus to improve Yuma's quality of life? How? I will continue to make Arizona a stable and inviting business environment in order to bring jobs and economic activity to Yuma and all parts of the state.

What do you think is the biggest challenge right now facing Yumans, and how would you change it? I think the biggest challenge facing Yumans is the lack of economic opportunity. I will continue to support the business environment by reducing taxes, business regulations, bringing a technical high school to Yuma to teach practical trade skills, and bringing state-of-the-art high-speed Internet to Yuma schools so we can compete on a global level.

What would you do to make government more accessible? I would encourage more everyday people to run for office so we can get more common sense in government.

Who is your personal hero, and why? Politically, my hero is Ronald Reagan. He was an ordinary guy with extraordinary common sense and courage.