Shawnna Bolick
{{Short description|American politician (born 1975)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2019}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| image = Shawnna Bolick 2022 (cropped).jpg
| caption = Bolick in 2022
| state = Arizona
| state_senate = Arizona
| district = 2nd
| term_start = July 21, 2023
| term_end =
| predecessor = Steve Kaiser
| successor =
| state_house1 = Arizona
| district1 = 20th
| alongside1 = Judy Schwiebert
| term_start1 = January 14, 2019
| term_end1 = January 9, 2023
| predecessor1 = Paul Boyer
| successor1 = Justin Wilmeth
| birth_name = Shawna Matthews{{Cite web|url=https://bolickforarizona.com/meet-shawnna|title=BOLICKFORARIZONA.COM|website=BOLICKFORARIZONA.COM}}
| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1975}}
| birth_place =
| death_date =
| death_place =
| spouse = Clint Bolick
| party = Republican
}}
Shawnna Bolick (born 1975) is an American politician who is a member of the Arizona Senate from the 2nd district since July 2023. A Republican, she was a member of the Arizona House of Representatives representing District 20 from 2019 to 2023.
Political career
Before being elected to the Arizona legislature, Bolick was a consultant to the Arizona Charter School Association and the Goldwater Institute.{{Cite web|last=Oxford|first=Andrew|title=Shawnna Bolick enters crowded race for Arizona secretary of state|url=https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/elections/2021/06/22/rep-shawnna-bolick-enters-crowded-race-arizona-secretary-state/5300926001/|date=June 22, 2021|access-date=June 25, 2021|website=The Arizona Republic|language=en-US}} She ran unsuccessfully for Arizona House seats in District 11 and District 28 before winning a 2018 election for the 20th District.{{cite web|date=August 28, 2018|title=Arizona primary election results 2018|url=https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/elections/2018/08/28/arizona-election-results-august-2018-primary-vote-tallies/1024657002/|access-date=January 14, 2019|work=The Arizona Republic}}
During the COVID-19 pandemic, she opposed the expansion of mail-in voting.{{Cite web|date=April 15, 2020|title=Arizona Republican Lawmakers Dismiss, Ignore Calls For Emergency Expansion Of Voting By Mail|url=https://kjzz.org/content/1529411/arizona-republican-lawmakers-dismiss-ignore-calls-emergency-expansion-voting-mail|access-date=2021-01-29|website=KJZZ|language=en}}
On July 21, 2023, she was sworn in after being appointed to the Arizona Senate by the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors.{{cite web |url=https://www.azfamily.com/2023/07/19/shawnna-bolick-fill-senate-seat-representing-parts-north-phoenix/ |title=Shawnna Bolick to fill Senate seat, representing parts of north Phoenix |publisher=Arizona Family |accessdate=July 24, 2023 |date=July 19, 2023 |author=Silavong, Kit}}
= Attempt to overturn the 2020 election =
After Joe Biden won Arizona in the 2020 presidential election{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/11/03/us/elections/results-president.html|title=Presidential Election Results: Biden Wins|newspaper=The New York Times|date=November 3, 2020|accessdate=May 20, 2022}}{{Cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/media/2020/11/07/fox-news-biden-president/ |title=First CNN, then within minutes, most other news organizations called the race for Biden |date=November 8, 2020 |newspaper=The Washington Post |first1=Elahe |last1=Izadi |access-date=November 11, 2020 |archive-date=November 11, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111114934/https://www.washingtonpost.com/media/2020/11/07/fox-news-biden-president/ |url-status=live}} and President Donald Trump refused to concede and made claims of voter fraud,{{Cite web|last=Stelter|first=Brian|authorlink=Brian Stelter|date=January 11, 2021|title=Experts warn that Trump's 'big lie' will outlast his presidency|url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/11/media/trump-lies-reliable-sources/index.html|website=CNN |access-date=April 7, 2021}}{{Cite web|last=Block|first=Melissa|date=January 16, 2021|title=Can The Forces Unleashed By Trump's Big Election Lie Be Undone?|url=https://www.npr.org/2021/01/16/957291939/can-the-forces-unleashed-by-trumps-big-election-lie-be-undone|website=NPR|access-date=April 7, 2021}}{{Cite web|last=Snyder|first=Timothy|date=January 9, 2021|title=The American Abyss|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/09/magazine/trump-coup.html|newspaper=The New York Times |access-date=April 7, 2021}}{{Cite web|last=Ben-Ghiat|first=Ruth|date=January 26, 2021|title=Opinion: Trump's big lie wouldn't have worked without his thousands of little lies|url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/25/opinions/big-lie-ben-ghiat/index.html|website=CNN }}{{Cite web|last=Castronuovo|first=Celine|date=January 8, 2021|title=Biden says Cruz, other Republicans responsible for 'big lie' that fueled Capitol mob|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/533449-biden-says-cruz-other-republicans-responsible-for-big-lie-that-fueled|website=The Hill }} Bolick urged Congress to throw out the presidential election results from Arizona and give the state's electoral college votes to Trump.
She also introduced legislation in January 2021 to rewrite the election laws in Arizona to give the state legislature the power to reject the election results "at any time before the presidential inauguration" (i.e., even after the results were certified by the Secretary of State and by the governor and the electoral votes counted by Congress).{{Cite web|title=Arizona GOP lawmaker introduces bill to give Legislature power to toss out election results|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/arizona-gop-lawmaker-introduces-bill-give-legislature-power-toss-out-n1256097|access-date=January 29, 2021|website=NBC News|date=January 29, 2021 |language=en}} At the time, the legislature was controlled by the Republican Party. Some contend that the bill is inconsistent with the state constitution. Bolick's legislation would also prevent judges from throwing out baseless court cases without evidence; the cases would instead have to be adjudicated by a jury.
The bill, Arizona House Bill 2720, died in committee.{{Cite web|title=Arizona House Bill 2720|url=https://legiscan.com/AZ/bill/HB2720/2021|language=en-us}}
Bolick was a candidate in the 2022 Arizona Secretary of State election, but lost to State Representative Mark Finchem in the Republican primary.{{Cite web|last=Duda|first=Jeremy|date=2021-06-22|title=Shawnna Bolick, author of bill to reject voters' presidential choice, running to be top elections official|url=https://www.azmirror.com/2021/06/22/shawnna-bolick-author-of-bill-to-reject-voters-presidential-choice-running-to-be-top-elections-official/|access-date=2021-06-23|website=AZ Mirror|language=en}} On July 19, 2023, she was selected by the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors to replace Steve Kaiser following his resignation from the Arizona Senate.{{Cite web |last=MacDonald-Evoy |first=Jerod |date=2023-07-19 |title=Bolick appointed to Arizona Senate |url=https://www.azmirror.com/2023/07/19/bolick-appointed-to-arizona-senate/ |access-date=2023-07-22 |website=Arizona Mirror |language=en-US}}
= Overturning the 1864 Territorial Abortion Law =
{{Main article|Abortion in Arizona}}
Following the Arizona Supreme Court's decision to reinstate an 1864 territorial abortion law, Shawnna Bolick was the first legislative Republican (alongside Senator T. J. Shope) who voted to repeal the ban, which contained no exceptions for rape or incest.{{cite news |title=Arizona Republicans Splinter Over Repeal of 1864 Abortion Ban |work=The New York Times |date=April 17, 2024 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/17/us/arizona-abortion-ban-repeal.html |access-date=26 April 2024 |last1=Dias |first1=Elizabeth |last2=Browning |first2=Kellen }} On May 1, 2024, Bolick and Shope voted with all Democrats in the State Senate to repeal the ban on a vote of 16–14, one week after the State House voted 32–28 to repeal the ban.{{Cite news |last=Shugerman |first=Emily |date=2024-05-01 |title=Two Republicans Break Ranks to Repeal Arizona's 1864-Era Abortion Ban |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/arizona-senate-votes-to-overturn-1864-abortion-ban |access-date=2024-05-02 |work=The Daily Beast |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Gomez |first=Gloria Rebecca |date=2024-04-24 |title=AZ House has voted to repeal the 1864 abortion ban upheld by the Supreme Court |url=https://azmirror.com/2024/04/24/az-house-has-voted-to-repeal-the-1864-abortion-ban-upheld-by-the-supreme-court/ |access-date=2024-05-02 |website=Arizona Mirror |language=en-US}}
Personal life
Bolick moved to Arizona in 2001. She is married to Arizona Supreme Court Justice Clint Bolick.{{cite web |url=https://azcapitoltimes.com/news/2017/11/08/shawnna-bolick-launches-third-run-for-state-legislature/ |title=Shawnna Bolick launches third run for state legislature |work=The Arizona Capitol Times |access-date=January 14, 2019 |date=November 8, 2017 |author=Pineda, Paulina}}{{Cite web|last=Fischer|first=Howard|date=2021|title=Proposed law would allow Arizona Legislature to overturn presidential election results|url=https://tucson.com/news/state-and-regional/proposed-law-would-allow-arizona-legislature-to-overturn-presidential-election-results/article_c2a70681-59c0-512f-ba86-2bf23128f9ee.html|access-date=2021-01-29|website=Arizona Daily Star|language=en}} Justice Bolick is a longtime friend of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, who is godfather to Bolick's son.{{cite web |url= https://www.azmirror.com/2022/05/20/emails-show-ginni-thomas-asked-gop-lawmaker-shawnna-bolick-for-help-overturning-bidens-arizona-win/ |title= Emails show Ginni Thomas asked GOP lawmaker Shawnna Bolick for help overturning Biden's Arizona win |work=The Arizona Mirror |date=May 20, 2022 |author=Rosenblatt, Dillon}} She has two children.
References
{{reflist}}
{{Arizona State Senate}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bolick, Shawnna}}
Category:Republican Party members of the Arizona House of Representatives
Category:21st-century American women politicians
Category:Women state legislators in Arizona
Category:Republican Party Arizona state senators
Category:Politicians from Phoenix, Arizona
Category:21st-century members of the Arizona State Legislature