John Winchester

Republican | Arizona

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Candidate Profile*

John Winchester — State Representative, District 17 (Arizona Republican Primary | July 21, 2026)
State Rep., Dist. 17 Arizona General | November 3, 2026
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Leans Conservative

*Additional information appears below for educational purposes; however, only data received prior to the candidate deadline was considered during Panel Evaluation.

BIOGRAPHY

EDUCATION

University of Arizona, Tucson, Bachelor of Arts, 2001-2007

University of Arizona, Tucson, Master of Public Administration, 2015-2018

Arizona State University, Tempe, Master of Civic, Economic, and Thought Leadership, 2022-2025

WORK & MILITARY

Arizona State University, Senior Director, 2022-2026

YMCA of Southern Arizona, Executive Director, 2019-2022

AFFILIATIONS

Rivers of Grace Church, Board of Directors, 2024-2026

The Chamber of Southern Arizona, Board of Directors, 2021-2026

Southern Arizona Leadership Council, Member at Large, 2022-2026

Arizona Civic Leadership Institute, Fellow, 2018-2026

POLITICAL OFFICES HELD

Candidate did not provide

POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT

Candidate did not provide

ENDORSEMENTS*

*These endorsements were received after the deadline and were not considered in the Panel Evaluations and are for additional educational purposes only.
CONSERVATIVE (2)

National Federation of Independent Business NFIB Federal PAC

Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry

OTHER (3)

*Greater Phoenix Chamber PAC

Arizona Technology Council

NicoPac

OTHER INFORMATION

QUESTIONNAIRE

RIGHT TO LIFE

Abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, should not receive taxpayer funds from federal, state, or local governments (including Title X grants).

Strongly Agree

Under what circumstances should an elective abortion be allowed?

In case of the life of the mother. In this case, there is a horrific choice between lives. I do not believe there is a moral mandate to choose one life over another, and families must decide for themselves. These circumstances are rare and should be treated as such.

Human life deserves legal protection from conception until natural death.

Strongly Agree

According to the Declaration of Independence, Life is the a right inherent in the human condition, and as such government is explicitly organized to secure it.

The lives of human embryos created through artificial methods ought to be protected from purposeful destruction.

Strongly Agree

The Comstock Act, which bans interstate transportation of abortion-inducing drugs, should be enforced.

Strongly Agree


ECONOMY

What is your position on the minimum wage?

Counter to principles of capitalism, no data to show it has achieved the goals it set out to achieve, creates onerous impediments to businesses, drives out entry level jobs from the market.

Free enterprise and the right to private property are essential elements of a productive economic system.

Strongly Agree

List your top 3-5 priorities to eliminate government waste.

Medicaid - the vast majority of fraud has come from behavioral health. greater detail in industry services is needed to avoid these Education - school district administrations need need to be looked Arizona Budget - eliminate the legislatures scheme of allotting money to members to vote for budgets


RELIGIOUS LIBERTY

What does "separation of church and state" mean to you?

Separation of institutions, but not the influence of values on government.

Individuals and businesses should be required to provide services even if it would violate their moral and/or religious beliefs.

Strongly Disagree


HEALTHCARE

What most closely matches your view on healthcare: A) Healthcare for all should be guaranteed and funded by the government with no private healthcare option. (includes "universal healthcare," "medicare for all," etc.) B) Healthcare insurance funded by the government should be available for all who want it, along with private healthcare options. C) Medicaid and Medicare should remain available, but no other taxpayer-funded programs are necessary. D) Taxpayer funded health care should be abolished in all forms, and Medicaid and Medicare should be defunded.

C) is the closest but I wouldn't say closely. On principle, healthcare is not a natural right. It does not exist outside political society. However, many in the U.S. want government to support the health of those in need, so we have Medicaid and Medicare. Neither works very well because they are entitlement programs that originate at the federal level, making them imprecise and wasteful. Because the money is available, industry gluts on it, inflating prices, making them more wasteful.

The government should keep a database of people with various ongoing medical illnesses to assess the economic burden of treatment.

Strongly Disagree


NATIONAL SECURITY

The Chinese Communist Party poses serious military, cyber security, intellectual property, and global economic threats to the United States.

Strongly Agree

Is the United States' relationship with Israel important, and if so why?

Absolutely, from the perspective of trade, security, and values, Israel is a vital international ally.


IMMIGRATION

I support the existence of sanctuary cities to protect undocumented persons.

Strongly Disagree


EDUCATION

I support eliminating the U.S. Department of Education and giving control back to states and communities.

Strongly Agree

Foreign governments should be prohibited from funding American education.

Strongly Agree


VALUES

Government should recognize and support the fundamental right and essential duty of parents to direct their child's health and educational well-being.

Strongly Agree

Attempts to physically or socially transition a child to the opposite sex constitute child abuse.

Strongly Agree

Marriage is a God-ordained, sacred and legal union of one man and one woman. No government has the authority to alter this definition.

Disagree

I support the expansion of gambling in my state.

Strongly Disagree

Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.

I was raised on a Southern Baptist foundation, but nondenominational in practice. I believe in the fallen state of mankind and the world, the need for redemption through Christ's death, burial, and resurrection, and the hope of the resurrection of those who believe in Him. I derive my social and political values principally from the Scriptures and the set of political ideas from the Enlightenment and more particularly the American Revolution.


ELECTIONS AND VOTING

People should be able to vote without photo identification.

Strongly Disagree


EQUALITY

Reparations should be given to people on the basis of race.

Strongly Disagree

Biological males should not be allowed to participate in women's sports or occupy biological women's spaces whether it be bathrooms, locker rooms, sorority houses, women's shelters, or prison.

Strongly Agree


ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT

Man-made climate change is a global threat and requires urgent political action.

Disagree

What do you believe is the most reliable energy source that will supply the growing demand for electricity?

Natural gas is currently the most reliable for the near-term, nuclear is critical for medium to long-term. Eventually, solar will become cheap and reliable enough, but we are not there yet.


ABOUT YOU

When you consider your views on a wide range of issues from economic and social matters to foreign policy and religious liberty, which of the following best describes you overall?

Very Conservative

I rigorously pursue outcomes derived from the principles of American political philosophy, dictated in the Declaration of Independence, embodied in the Constitution, and explained in the Federalist Papers. I hold to free market economics because they are compatible to American Ideals.

Have you ever been penalized for sexual misconduct in either civil or criminal court? If so, please explain.

no

Have you ever been convicted of a felony? If so, please explain.

no


CRIMINAL JUSTICE & PUBLIC SAFETY

What should be the goal of the criminal justice system?

Restoration to the victim and reformation of the convicted. Both are critical to a system of justice.

Government has a responsibility to protect children from sexual exploitation during online activities.

Strongly Agree

This is tricky, because I do not want my answer to be construed to allow for inappropriate government intervention. However, in as much as the government protects children from sexual exploitation beyond the internet, they have the same responsibility online.

Sharia law should not be accepted or incorporated in any form within the legal framework of the United States.

Strongly Agree


2ND AMENDMENT

What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?

None. An immoral population will find a way to act violently with or without a particular weapon.

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