NW Valley Times

The founder of the League of American Workers (LAW) said the expanded Republican majorities in the Arizona legislature is “great news for Arizona.”

“Great news for Arizona!” Steve Cortes, president and founder of LAW, posted on X. “America First Patriots assume leadership of the legislature! State Rep. Steve Montenegro is Speaker and Sen. Janae Shamp is the new Senate Majority Leader. I know them both and they will lead the most patriotic populist legislative majority in AZ history.”

Cortes was a spokesman and advisor to President Donald Trump’s 2016 and 2020 campaigns. He previously traded global currencies and interest rates for 25 years for large international hedge funds.

Steve Cortes | Provided Photo

He has been an on-air broadcaster for CNBC, Fox News, and CNN. Cortes founded LAW in 2022 with the mission of promoting “policies to protect the priorities of laborers.”

In the 2024 elections, Republicans increased their majority in the Arizona State Senate to 17 seats. The Democrats hold just 13 seats. Senate President Warren Petersen (R-Gilbert) will remain as the Senate President for his second consecutive term.

In the Arizona House, Republicans now hold 31 seats to the Democrats 29.

Montenegro was first elected to the Arizona House in 2008, representing District 12. He served until 2016, then served one term in the Arizona Senate for District 13 from 2017 to 2018. In 2022, Montenegro was elected again to the Arizona House, representing District 29.

A former operating room nurse, Shamp was first elected to represent Arizona’s 29th Legislative District in Nov. 2022. A resident of Surprise, she graduated cum laude from Arizona State University and received her nursing degree, also graduating cum laude, from Grand Canyon University.