Meet the Rising Star: Chris Lopez

The newly elected state representative for Legislative District 16 is Republican Chris Lopez, a small-business owner from Casa Grande who operates both a trucking firm and a food concessions business. Lopez’s campaign aligned him with fellow Republican leaders in the area, including Rep. Teresa Martinez and Sen. T.J. Shope. As part of his legislative role, Lopez has been appointed vice chairman of the House Natural Resources, Energy and Water Committee and serves on the House Government Committee and the Health and Human Services Committee.

Lopez has identified several key issues on his campaign platform, such as border security, economic growth, and police funding. He advocates for enhancing vocational training programs and expanding joint technical education district opportunities to stimulate the local economy. Additionally, Lopez is committed to safeguarding the Empowerment Scholarship Account program and supports increasing teacher salaries through House Bill 2800, a proposal aimed at granting teachers a $10,000 raise over two years. This measure, sponsored by Rep. Matt Gress, faced criticism from Democrats for its reliance on one-time funding without addressing other essential classroom support roles.

Despite multiple attempts, Lopez did not respond to requests for an interview from the Arizona Capitol Times before the deadline.