LEGISLATOR PROFILE Serving the People is the Best Job Senator Gowan Has Ever Had
By Chardae Heim (Editor’s Note: Senator David Gowan spent the first eight years of his political career in the Arizona House of Representatives fighting for the families and businesses of Southern Arizona. He now serves as Arizona’s 14th Senate District Senator.) David Gowan, a conservative Republican, was first elected to the Arizona House of Representatives in 2008. He resides in Sierra Vista, a city located in the 14 th senate district of Arizona, which also includes Cochise County, Greenlee County, most of Graham County and a portion of Pima County—a district comparable in size to the state of Massachusetts with an 83.5 mile stretch on the Mexican border. Following Gowan’s graduation from the University of Arizona, former state Rep. Randy Graf had announced his resignation from the State House to run in the Republican primary for Congress. Gowan saw this as the perfect opportunity to pursue his interests in politics. While Graf ’s announcement came at what seemed like the perfect time, Gowan’s desire to make a change based on his
viewpoints motivated his run for office. In 2004, Gowan kicked off his first campaign for the Arizona House of Representatives. He lost both the 2004 and the 2006 elections. Instead of allowing these back-to-back defeats to discourage him, he used them as fuel to run for a third time. He won a runaway victory in 2008 and was sworn into office in January of 2009. He served a total of four terms before being termed out. During his tenure in the State House, Gowan served as both the Majority Leader and the Speaker of the House. After his four terms, he initially sought election to the U.S. House as Arizona’s 1 st Congressional District representative, but he withdrew before the end of the race, choosing to return to the private sector. After leaving the race, Gowan spent the following two years as a Realtor, but this wouldn’t be the last time he would be seen in the Arizona Legislature. During those two years, Gowan prepared for his State Senate election campaign. Politics was his passion and although seeking change motivated his decision to run, serving the people has been his motivation to stay in office. “The best job I’ve ever had is serving the people and taking care of my constituency,” Gowan said. “I enjoy it and I’m blessed to have it.” After winning the senate seat, Gowan hit the ground running with an appointment to serve as Appropriations Committee Chairman and member of the Water and Agriculture Committee, as well as the Natural Resources and Energy Committee. Representing a predominantly rural district, Senator Gowan has been an unyielding advocate for the agriculture industry. “Ask anybody, ag is the backbone of this state, [ag] created this state,” he exclaimed. One of Gowan’s most
significant achievements as a legislator has been helping the state fairs, which he believes is one of the last educational opportunities for the community members to familiarize themselves with the industry. “I want to make sure people stay educated
14
SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2020
Western Grower & Shipper | www.wga.com
Made with FlippingBook HTML5