T. J. Shope

Shope was born in Florence, Arizona, in 1985, to Thomas "Tom" Shope Sr. and Luz Shope and resides in Coolidge, Arizona.{{cite web|title=TJ Shope Legislative Profile|url=https://www.azfamily.com/tj-shope/article_ec3414c8-79a8-54cd-86fb-6c24ef1ec187.html|website=CBS AZ 5|date=2017}} A third-generation elected official, Shope's father was a former mayor of Coolidge, and his grandfather was a member of the city council.Bryan Bender, [https://www.politico.com/news/2020/10/28/arizona-republicans-bipartisan-429392 In the wilds of Arizona, a hunt for bipartisanship], Politico (November 28, 2020). Shope's family owned a grocery store in Coolidge for over 70 years.[https://apnews.com/article/82ca994f808ad962319599d8dbf097a9 Coolidge store owned by Arizona lawmaker's family is robbed], Associated Press (February 20, 2020).

He received his bachelor's degree from Arizona State University in 2008.Hank Stephenson, [https://azcapitoltimes.com/news/2012/11/20/fresh-faces-legislature-will-welcome-near-record-number-of-newcomers/ Fresh faces: Legislature will welcome near record number of newcomers], (Arizona Capitol Times November 20, 2012).

File:Shope-AZSenate2025.jpg

Shope was a member of a local school board before seeking election to the Arizona House of Representatives as a Republican. He was first elected to the state House in 2012, at age 27, from the 8th Legislative District.[https://apps.azsos.gov/election/2012/General/ElectionInformation.htm State of Arizona Official Canvass - 2012 General Election, November 6, 2012], Arizona Secretary of State. Shope's district is heavily rural and Republican-dominated; it encompasses parts of Gila and Pinal counties,[https://azsos.gov/sites/default/files/2020_General_State_Canvass.pdf State of Arizona Official Canvass - 2020 General Election, November 3, 2020], Arizona Secretary of State. specifically Coolidge, Globe, Superior, Florence, San Tan Valley, and portions of Casa Grande and Eloy.Kelly Fisher, [https://web.archive.org/web/20170617205818/https://www.pinalcentral.com/casa_grande_dispatch/area_news/shope-will-seek-re-election-rather-than-run-for-congress/article_697bdb05-1a7f-577a-a410-be7542acaee4.html Shope will seek re-election rather than run for congress], Casa Grande Dispatch (May 31, 2017). He was reelected to the House in 2014,[https://apps.azsos.gov/election/2014/General/Canvass2014GE.pdf State of Arizona Official Canvass - 2014 General Election, November 4, 2014], Arizona Secretary of State. 2016,[https://apps.azsos.gov/election/2016/General/Official%20Signed%20State%20Canvass.pdf State of Arizona Official Canvass - 2016 General Election, November 8, 2016], Arizona Secretary of State. and 2018.[https://azsos.gov/sites/default/files/2018%201203%20Signed%20Official%20Statewide%20Canvass.pdf State of Arizona Official Canvass - 2018 General Election, November 6, 2018], Arizona Secretary of State. Shope was speaker pro tempore of the state House.Jeremy Duda, [https://apnews.com/article/62974948e44646dab311ceec4e37f702 House passes parts of budget in late-night action, but Senate still appears stalled], Associated Press (May 25, 2019).

In 2013–14, after initially taking a neutral position on Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act,Hank Stephenson, [https://azcapitoltimes.com/news/2013/05/10/rep-shope-goes-from-on-the-fence-to-mostly-on-board/ Rep. Shope goes from on the fence to (mostly) on board], Arizona Capitol Times (May 10, 2013). Shope became one of a handful of Republicans who joined Democrats in supporting Medicaid expansion (which extended health-care coverage to more low-income Arizonans). Medicaid expansion was supported by Governor Jan Brewer, but opposed by most Republican officials and right-wing activists.[https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/arizona/politics/2014/07/14/medicaid-gop-legislative-primaries/12614897/ Medicaid fight re-emerges in GOP legislative primaries], Arizona Republic (July 14, 2014).[https://www.azcentral.com/story/opinion/editorial/2014/07/16/worsley-carter-coleman-pratt-robson-shope-endorsement/12754923/ Editorial: Reward legislative courage: Re-elect the brave], Arizona Republic (September 29, 2014).

In 2019, Shope sponsored legislation that repealed a 1991 state law barring HIV/AIDS instruction that "promotes a homosexual lifestyle" or "portrays homosexuality as a positive alternative lifestyle"; Shope said that the language was antiquated.[https://apnews.com/article/e062b7ca71ec4883850200fadda74b3f Arizona House votes to repeal HIV/AIDS instruction law], Associated Press (April 10, 2019). The repeal passed the Senate on a 19–10 vote and the House on a 55–5 vote.[https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/legislature/2019/04/11/arizona-repeals-law-no-promo-homo-sex-education-forbids-promoting-homosexual-lifestyle/3437357002/ Arizona repeals law that forbids promoting a 'homosexual lifestyle' in schools], Arizona Republic (April 11, 2019).

Shope sponsored a measure in 2019, supported by Governor Doug Ducey, to amend the Arizona State Constitution to repeal its provision for legislative immunity during and before the state legislative session; however, the bill was blocked by Speaker of the House Rusty Bowers.Carmen Forman & Ben Giles, [https://azcapitoltimes.com/news/2019/02/15/legislative-immunity-measure-dead/ Legislative immunity measure dead], Arizona Capitol Times (February 15, 2019).[https://apnews.com/article/b798b8ac781745f58b1cc343d030a12b Arizona proposal to repeal legislative immunity may be dead], Associated Press (February 16, 2019).Laurie Roberts, [https://www.azcentral.com/story/opinion/op-ed/laurieroberts/2019/01/16/arizona-legislature-legislative-immunity-repeal/2593876002/ Key Arizona legislators: We should be immune from arrest], Arizona Republic (January 16, 2019).

In 2020, Shope was elected to the Arizona State Senate seat from the 8th Legislative District, defeating Democratic nominee Barbara McGuire.

In September 2020, ahead of the November 2020 presidential election, Shope endorsed Donald Trump and appeared at a Trump rally in Arizona.Yvonne Wingett Sanchez, Alison Steinbach, [https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/elections/2020/09/14/trump-returns-arizona-campaign-latino-votes/5771841002/VYMpU Enthusiastic, mostly maskless supporters cheer Trump's Latino pitch] Arizona Republic (September 14, 2020). In December 2020, amid acrimonious infighting among Arizona Republicans about Trump's efforts to overturn his defeat in the election, Shope said that he supported Trump while simultaneously saying that a Republican turn to the far right would lead to the nomination of unelectable candidates who would repulse moderate voters.Eliza Collins, [https://www.wsj.com/articles/arizona-republicans-are-racked-by-infighting-over-trump-coronavirus-11607871601 Arizona Republicans Are Racked by Infighting Over Trump, Coronavirus], Wall Street Journal (December 13, 2020).

In 2021, amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Arizona, Shope opposed an Arizona State University policy that required students who had not been vaccinated against COVID-19 to comply with CDC public health recommendations by taking twice-weekly COVID-19 tests and using face masks.Bob Christie, [https://apnews.com/article/az-state-wire-coronavirus-pandemic-education-government-and-politics-health-1a06f9cff616edbbd6d6326ecf51bb85 Ducey blocks ASU policy requiring masks for unvaccinated], Associated Press (June 15, 2021). (Republican governor Ducey subsequently issued an executive order blocking the ASU policy.) However, Shope sided with all Senate Democrats in opposing a bill, sponsored by Senate Republican Bret Roberts, to make it a crime for businesses to decline to serve customers who lacked proof of vaccination, and would authorize the state to shut down such businesses. Shope said he believed the proposal went too far and unfairly restricted the rights of private business owners.Howard Fischer, [https://www.myheraldreview.com/news/coronavirus/lawmakers-nix-plan-to-punish-businesses-for-requiring-vaccines-for-patrons/article_8cbf6fac-b9be-11eb-92cb-1bfebc61001f.html Lawmakers nix plan to punish businesses for requiring vaccines for patrons], Capitol Media Services (May 20, 2021).

Following the Arizona Supreme Court's decision to reinstate an 1864 Territorial abortion law that banned nearly all abortions without exceptions for rape and incest, Shope and Senator Shawnna Bolick were the first two legislative Republicans to call for its repeal.{{Cite news |last1=Dias |first1=Elizabeth |last2=Browning |first2=Kellen |date=2024-04-17 |title=Arizona Republicans Splinter Over Repeal of 1864 Abortion Ban |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/17/us/arizona-abortion-ban-repeal.html |access-date=2024-05-02 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}} On May 1, 2024, Shope and Bolick voted with all Democrats in the State Senate 16–14 to repeal the ban, one week after the State House voted 32–28 too.{{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}}{{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}}

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Category:1985 births

Category:American politicians of Mexican descent

Category:Central Arizona College alumni

Category:Arizona State University alumni

Category:Hispanic and Latino American state legislators in Arizona

Category:Living people

Category:People from Florence, Arizona

Category:People from Coolidge, Arizona

Category:Republican Party members of the Arizona House of Representatives

Category:School board members in Arizona

Category:Republican Party Arizona state senators

Category:21st-century members of the Arizona State Legislature