Rene Lopez is a former Chandler City Councilman and a third-generation Arizonan. He was born and raised in Mesa, growing up in a working-class family.
His father worked as a miner and heavy mechanic welder. Rene graduated from Dobson High School, attended Maricopa Community College, and earned a B.S.
in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Arizona. He is the first in his extended family to graduate from college.
Rene earned a Commission through the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) for the U.S. Navy in 1995.
He served as a Cryptologic Naval Officer stationed at Ft. Meade, Maryland, and later worked with Navy Special Operations.
Rene is a third-generation Navy veteran, following in the footsteps of his father, who served in Vietnam, and his maternal grandfather, who served in WWII.
Rene developed an interest in politics in junior high school and became involved with the Republican Party upon returning to the East Valley in 2007. He worked his way up to Legislative District Chairman and Second Vice Chair of the Executive Guidance Committee.
Rene served on the Chandler Parks and Recreation committee before being elected to the City Council in 2014 and re-elected in 2018. He has also served as Vice Mayor of Chandler.
In 2017, Rene co-founded CeCe’s Hope Center, a non-profit organization in Chandler that helps young women rescued from sex trafficking. He serves as the Chairman of the center.
Rene lives in Chandler with his wife, Jessica, of 27 years. Their daughter, Brianna, is a graduate of Arizona State University and is pursuing a Ph.D.
at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Their son, Andrew, is attending the University of Arizona and will graduate in May 2024, earning his Commission as a Naval Officer.
Addressing Inflation: Rene is concerned about the rising costs of coal and natural gas, which have led to significant increases in utility rates nationwide. He plans to work to ensure that only necessary costs for operations, maintenance, and cost-effective reliable energy sources are passed on to rate payers.
Rene advocates for a diverse energy portfolio to ensure stability and cost-effectiveness for Arizona's long-term future. He supports the use of hydro, nuclear, coal, and natural gas, in that order of priority for baseload energy production.
For variable energy production to meet peaking and supplemental energy demands, Rene sees natural gas and solar as the main viable options in the immediate term. For the long term, he considers Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) and other forms, such as batteries and geothermal energy, once proven safe, cost-effective, and reliable.
Rene has a long history of serving his country and community. After his honorable separation from the Navy, he ran for Chandler City Council and was first elected in 2014.
He emphasizes his dedication to fighting for the rate payers of Arizona and his readiness to work tirelessly on their behalf.
The Republican Party has long championed fiscal conservatism, advocating for minimal government intervention in the economy. They believe economic prosperity is driven by free markets and individual initiative.
This philosophy includes support for laissez-faire economics, tax cuts, reduced government spending, privatization, and reducing government-run welfare programs in favor of private-sector solutions and personal responsibility. The party's current fiscal stance supports lower taxes, deregulation of corporations, and opposition to labor unions.
Historically, the Republican Party had strong ties to local businesses and large national corporations. However, in the 21st century, this dynamic has shifted, with corporate America increasingly aligning with more liberal values.
The GOP now focuses more on small businesses and family firms, viewing larger corporations, particularly in tech sectors, as cultural adversaries.
Modern Republicans often endorse supply-side economics, a theory popularized during Ronald Reagan's presidency. They argue that reduced income tax rates can spur GDP growth, ultimately generating the same or more government revenue from increased economic activity.
Republicans typically advocate for tax cuts, oppose graduated tax rates, and favor private over government spending. They generally oppose the estate tax and have a historical precedent of supporting tariffs to protect American industries.
The Republican Party opposes government-run welfare programs, arguing they promote dependency on government assistance. Instead, they advocate for personal responsibility and self-reliance, supporting measures like the welfare reform of 1996, which limited welfare eligibility.
Traditional Values and Social Conservatism: Social conservatism within the Republican Party is deeply rooted in traditional values, often with a Christian foundation. The party supports gun rights as outlined in the Second Amendment, the death penalty, and restrictions on abortion.
They also oppose same-sex marriage, transgender rights, and comprehensive sex education, favoring policies that uphold traditional family structures.
Republicans generally support school choice through charter schools and vouchers for private education. They criticize the performance of public schools and teachers' unions and advocate for greater accountability within the public school system, as seen with the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.
The party opposes a government-run single-payer healthcare system, advocating instead for a personal or employer-based insurance system, supplemented by Medicare and Medicaid. They support measures to increase health insurance portability, coverage for pre-existing conditions, and tax benefits to make insurance more affordable.
Since the 1920s, Republicans have generally opposed labor unions, supporting right-to-work laws that weaken union influence. They argue that unions can hurt businesses by driving up costs and reducing competitiveness.
Strong National Defense: The Republican Party typically favors increased military spending and a robust national defense. They often support unilateral action in foreign policy and have historically backed military interventions, such as the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, as part of the broader War on Terror.
The Republican Party has consistently supported a strong alliance with Israel, emphasizing the importance of this relationship in promoting peace and stability in the Middle East. This support extends to military aid, diplomatic backing, and efforts to secure Israel's security against regional threats.
The party views Israel as a key ally and partner in the fight against terrorism and in advancing democratic values in the region.
The party's stance on international trade has varied over time. Initially supporting protective tariffs, Republicans later embraced free trade agreements.
However, recent years have seen a return to protectionist policies, notably under President Donald Trump, who initiated a trade war with China and renegotiated NAFTA.
Environmental Protection: Historically, some Republican leaders have supported environmental protection efforts. However, the party is now divided on issues like climate change, with many Republicans skeptical of human-caused global warming.
The party generally supports market-based solutions to environmental problems and opposes cap-and-trade policies.
Republicans advocate for increased federal investment in alternative energy sources and support measures to achieve energy independence. This includes promoting oil drilling in protected areas, which has drawn criticism from environmentalists.
Immigration: The Republican Party is divided on immigration, with some advocating for migrant worker programs and easing citizenship guidelines, while others emphasize stricter border enforcement. The party's approach has shifted in response to changing political dynamics and voter demographics.
The Republican platform opposes same-sex marriage and other LGBTQ+ issues, although there are dissenting factions within the party. Some Republicans support anti-discrimination laws, but the party remains divided on how to approach LGBTQ+ rights.
Republicans often support strict constructionism or textualism in judicial interpretation, criticizing judicial activism and advocating for judicial restraint. They support legislative measures to limit federal court jurisdiction in certain areas, reflecting their preference for state over federal authority.