Shawnna Bolick

Shawnna Bolick

Updated 03/31/2026

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MAGA Republican extremist and serial homophobe Shawnna Bolick is a member of the Arizona State Senate, representing District 2. She assumed office on July 23, 2023. Her current term ends on January 11, 2027. Bolick ran for re-election to the Arizona State Senate to represent District 2. She won in the general election on November 5, 2024. The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors appointed Bolick to replace former state Sen. Steve Kaiser (R). Her husband Clint Bolick is an Arizona Supreme Court Justice. After Joe Biden won Arizona in the 2020 presidential election and President Donald Trump refused to concede and made claims of fraud, Bolick urged Congress to throw out the presidential election results from Arizona and give the state's electoral college votes to Donald 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). At the time, the legislature was controlled by the Republican Party. 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.

Legislative Biography - Senator Shawnna Bolick

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Arizona State Senator Shawnna Bolick has sponsored or co-sponsored several bills that LGBTQIA+ advocacy groups and critics argue target or negatively impact the community, particularly transgender youth in sports and healthcare. (ref)

As of early 2026, her legislative record includes the following key actions:

Key Legislation Targeting the LGBTQIA+ Community (ref)

SB 1165 (2022) – Save Women's Sports Act: Bolick was a co-sponsor of this bill, which prevents transgender girls and women from participating on sports teams that align with their gender identity at public and private schools.

Argument: Bolick stated the bill was "all about biology" and that it is "unfair to allow biological males to compete with biological girls sports".

Opposition: Critics and advocacy groups like the ACLU of Arizona argued the bill dehumanizes and discriminates against transgender youth.

SB 1138 (2022) – Prohibiting Gender-Affirming Care for Minors: Bolick supported this legislation, which prohibits healthcare professionals from performing gender-affirming surgeries on minors.

Scope: While the bill was scaled back from an original version that would have also banned puberty blockers and hormone therapy, advocates still view the final law as a restriction on necessary healthcare for transgender youth.

SB 1099 (2026) – Gender Transition Procedures; Informed Consent: In the current session, Bolick is a member of the Committee on Judiciary and Elections which considered this bill requiring specific informed consent for gender transition procedures. (ref 1) (ref 2) (ref 3) (ref 4) (ref 5) (ref 6)

General Legislative Context

Senator Bolick’s broader legislative profile often focuses on parental rights and traditional conservative values, which frequently intersect with LGBTQIA+ issues: (ref)

Parental Rights Focus: She has supported various "parental rights" measures, such as HB 2161, which gives parents access to a child's private school counseling and medical records, a move advocates warn could "out" LGBTQ+ students and place them in danger.

Education Policy: Bolick has been a strong proponent of expanding school choice and parental oversight, often supporting measures that allow parents to opt children out of curricula they find objectionable on religious or moral grounds.

In addition to SB1165, SB1138, SB1099, and HB2161, Arizona State Senator Shawnna Bolick has supported several other pieces of legislation that critics and LGBTQIA+ advocacy groups characterize as anti-LGBTQIA+. (ref)

Her legislative record includes:

SB 1001 (Pronoun and Name Use): Bolick supported this bill, which sought to prohibit school employees from using a student's preferred pronouns or name without express written parental permission.

SB 1700 (Book Bans/Library Restrictions): She voted in favor of this legislation, which would have allowed parents to request the removal of books from school libraries that were deemed "sexually explicit" or contained "gender ideology," a term often used by opponents of LGBTQIA+ representation in education.

SB 1040 (Restroom and Locker Room Restrictions): This bill, which Bolick supported, aimed to require public schools to provide separate restrooms, locker rooms, or shower rooms for the exclusive use of people of the same biological sex, effectively barring transgender students from using facilities that align with their gender identity.

SB 1698 (Drag Performance Restrictions): She also supported this measure, which sought to classify "adult-oriented" performances (widely understood to include drag shows) as harmful to minors and sought to restrict where such performances could take place.

SB 1694 (DEI Program Prohibitions): Bolick voted for this bill, which aimed to prohibit public entities, including state universities and agencies, from requiring employees to participate in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, which often include LGBTQIA+ sensitivity and inclusion training.

Additionally, Bolick has been active in broader legal efforts related to these issues. For example, in 2025, she joined the Arizona Legislature in an amicus brief supporting a biological sex policy for passports and another to "protect women's sports" in support of other states' restrictive laws. (ref)

Throughout her career in the Arizona State Legislature, Senator Shawnna Bolick has been central to several high-profile controversies, particularly regarding the 2020 presidential election, reproductive rights, and ethics investigations. (ref 1) (ref 2) (ref 3)

2020 Election and Efforts to Overturn Results

Bolick's most significant controversies involve her challenges to the 2020 presidential election results:

HB 2720 (Electoral Choice Rejection): In 2021, Bolick introduced legislation that would have granted the state legislature the power to reject voters' presidential choices and appoint their own slate of electors at any time before the inauguration. (ref)

Ginni Thomas Correspondence: Emails revealed that Bolick was one of the lawmakers personally contacted by Ginni Thomas (wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas) urging her to intervene and overturn Arizona's election results. (ref 1) (ref 2) (ref 3)

Alternative Electors and Nullification: She signed a letter to Congress urging the acceptance of "alternate" electors for Donald Trump or the complete nullification of Arizona's electoral votes pending a "full forensic audit". (ref 1) (ref 2)

Social Media and rhetoric: Bolick has faced criticism for social media posts calling the 2020 election "rigged" and the Maricopa County election department "bogus," and even using the hashtag "#JailTheSupervisors". (ref 1) (ref 2) (ref 3) (ref 4) (ref 5) (ref 6) (ref 7)

Abortion Policy and Intra-Party Conflict

Bolick has sparked controversy from both sides of the political aisle over abortion:

1864 Ban Repeal Vote: In 2024, Bolick was one of only two Republican senators who voted with Democrats to repeal Arizona's 1864 near-total abortion ban. This move drew jeers from Republican colleagues on the floor and criticism from anti-abortion groups.

Homicide Classification: Prior to her vote for repeal, she had faced backlash for supporting efforts to classify abortion-related healthcare as a homicide. (ref 1) (ref 2)

Spousal Conflict of Interest: Her husband, Clint Bolick, is an Arizona Supreme Court Justice who voted to reinstate the 1864 ban she later helped repeal. Critics have frequently raised ethical concerns about this "political power couple" dynamic and potential conflicts of interest. (ref 1) (ref 2) (ref 3) (ref 4) (ref 5) (ref 6) (ref 7)

Judicial Recusal Controversy

Her marriage to Arizona Supreme Court Justice Clint Bolick has led to multiple recusal issues. Justice Bolick has had to recuse himself from cases involving election records and laws where Shawnna was a primary sponsor or prominently identified supporter. (ref 1) (ref 2)

Other

Address Dispute: During her 2020 re-election campaign, a judge ruled she violated the law by listing a UPS store as her residential address on nominating petitions. She remained on the ballot because the judge deemed it a "technical" rather than "strict" violation thus allowing her to remain on the ballot which allowed the Republicans to maintain majority. (ref 1) (ref 2) (ref 3)

A List Of Over 45 Prominent Arizonans Involved In The Jan. 6 Insurrection

"It’s been five years since former President Donald Trump incited an insurrection at the US Capitol in order to remain in office. A lot of Arizonans were involved in this effort on Jan. 6, 2021—from writing legislation to overturn the will of the voters to attending the riot. Some have faced consequences; many are still in positions of power. Here’s a reminder of who they are:"

Jan. 5, 2026

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Election Threat Index

Jan. 5, 2024

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Fanatical Republican Extremist Of The Day: Shawnna Bolick

"Arizona State Senator Shawnna Bolick, who first was elected to the Arizona House of Representatives back in 2018, lost in her attempt to get elected to be Arizona’s Secretary of State in 2022. Bolick wasn’t just spreading Donald Trump’s “Big Lie” that the 2020 election was stolen from him, but in 2021, actually submitted legislation to change the law so the Arizona state legislature could ignore the vote count and will of the voting public and just pick “the winner” in 2024. That hasn’t been the end of her claims of “election fraud”, as after she lost in the 2022 election, she started posting conspiracy theories about election fraud for the second time in two years, this time that she and GOP gubernatorial candidate had been robbed of wins, and that new Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs was “the occupant” of Arizona’s Governor’s mansion. She formerly called for the Arizona board of Supervisors to be jailed for not telling her she and her fellow Republicans won with fewer votes. In her time in office as a legislator, she’s been pushing forth the dumbest conservative pablum to the fore"

Nov. 19, 2023

Fake Elector Proponent Appointed To Arizona State Legislature

"Shawnna Bolick, a former state legislator who tried to classify abortion-related healthcare as a homicide, is back at the Capitol. She was selected by the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors."

Jul. 31, 2023

Bolick’s Twitter Posts Indicate She Hasn’t Moved On From Past Elections

"Shawnna Bolick told the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors that she had moved on from the 2020 and 2022 elections but a review of her social media postings show a Republican who consistently shares election misinformation as well as posts from influencers in the conspiracy theory world."

Jul. 21, 2023

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There Are Clear Choices For Arizona Secretary Of State. Here's A Guide To Help You Choose

"Two of the four Republicans – state Reps. Mark Finchem and Shawnna Bolick – said had they been the secretary of state in 2020, they would not have certified the election showing a narrow Joe Biden victory over Donald Trump. Even if the law calls for it. The two were among a group of GOP lawmakers who signed on to asking that an alternate slate of electors for Trump be accepted instead, or for all the electoral votes to be nullified until an audit could be done."

Jul. 2, 2022

Forget Ginni Thomas. Look How Rep. Shawnna Bolick Wanted To Hijack Presidential Elections

"Ginni Thomas may have lobbied the Arizona Legislature to veto our vote in 2020, but state Rep. Shawnna Bolick did something even more appalling."

May 20, 2022

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In other words, as PROVEN by this bill, Republicans and ammosexuals find it wrong to discriminate against inanimate objects but have no problem discriminating against people.

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GOP Lawmakers Ask Gov. Ducey To Withhold Funding From School Districts Mandating Masks

"Several prominent Arizona Republicans issued a joint letter Wednesday afternoon asking Gov. Doug Ducey to withhold funding and begin legal action against school districts that are not following state laws."

Aug. 11, 2021

Shawnna Bolick, Author Of Bill To Reject Voters’ Presidential Choice, Running To Be Top Elections Official

"Bolick made headlines in Arizona and across the country early in the 2020 legislative session for her sponsorship of a wide-ranging elections bill whose most notable feature was the power it would have granted lawmakers the power to reject voters’ choices in presidential races. Bolick was also one of 20 Republican legislators who signed a resolution in December calling on Congress to either accept Arizona’s 11 GOP electors for Trump or to nullify the state’s electoral votes for Biden"

Jun. 22, 2021

Lawmakers Resort To Tricks, Bullying To Undo Prop 208

"Amid last month’s lighting-rod controversies around vaccines, the border, and election recounts, an under-reported and dangerous abuse of power was taking place at the Arizona Capitol. [...] We were front row witnesses to this blatant display of muzzling public debate and attempting to subvert a voter approved ballot initiative."

Apr. 9, 2021

Is Rep. Shawnna Bolick An Insurrectionist?

"Bolick was the sponsor of a bill that would have given the state legislature the authority over the selection of presidential electors and to revoke the elector’s certification any time before the Presidential inauguration—essentially giving the state lawmaker the power to override election results."

Feb. 24, 2021

Rep. Shawnna Bolick Says Your Vote For President Shouldn't Count (but hers should)

"While some legislators ponder how to make it more difficult to vote in presidential elections, Rep. Shawnna Bolick is proposing that your vote not even count."

Jan. 29, 2021

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Rep. Shawnna Bolick Wants To Undermine The Election

Oct. 28, 2020

Vulnerable Republicans Are Fighting To Hold Onto Power By Attacking LGBTQ Rights

"Arizona legislators Sen. Sylvia Allen (LD6), Rep. Anthony Kern (LD20), and Rep. Shawnna Bolick (LD20), have all made it clear that their top priorities include making life harder for their LGBTQ constituents. All three lawmakers declared in a 2018 Center for Arizona Policy Survey that they opposed protecting their constituents from discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity."

Jul. 23, 2020

COVID Cases Are Rising Across Arizona. Yet Rep. Bolick Still Opposes Mail-In Voting

"Bolick has joined a task force that aims to purge voter rolls and stop ballots from being automatically mailed to voters."

Jul. 9, 2020

Utility Regulator Bounced From The Ballot, Legislator Who 'Lives' In UPS Store Survives

"State Rep. Shawnna Bolick broke three laws but stays on the ballot. Meanwhile, regulator Boyd Dunn fell 92 signatures short."

Apr. 30, 2020