Contributions of Black Women in the Arizona Legislature

We continue Black History Month by offering profiles of four accomplished Black women who have served as Arizona state legislators.

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Ethel Reed Maynard

From Ethel Maynard Legislative Biography, State of Arizona Research Library

Elected in 1966, Maynard was the first African-American woman to serve in the Arizona House of Representatives. She represented Pima County District 7-B during the 28^th and 29^th Legislatures and Pima County District 11 during the 30^th Legislature, serving from 1967 through 1973.

Read our previous blog from June 2020 for a complete look at the career of Ethel Reed Maynard.

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Sandra Denise Kennedy

Photo of Sandra Kennedy from the Arizona Corporation Commission

Sandra Kennedy represented District 23 in Maricopa County in both the House and Senate. She served in the House during the 38^th through 40^th Legislatures from 1987 to 1993. She was a Senator during the 41^st through the 43^rd Legislatures from 1993 to 1999.

Kennedy worked across the aisle to co-author and introduce Arizona’s first Domestic Violence Bill. She sponsored successful legislation for Domestic Violence Shelters, Foster Care Placement, Pre-Natal Care Education Fun, and City Powers Regarding Fair Housing. While serving in the Legislature she was also elected to the Phoenix Union High School Governing Board and appointed to serve on the Arizona Employment and Training Council.

In 2008, Kennedy was elected to the Arizona Corporation Commission on a platform of promoting solar energy in Arizona and protecting consumers, making her the first and only African American in Arizona to hold statewide office. Characteristically, she worked with the Republican majority on the Corporation Commission. and together they boosted solar energy and energy efficiency. She was reelected in 2018 on a platform of restoring integrity and transparency to the Corporation Commission, reversing unjustified rate increases, and creating more solar and renewable energy in Arizona.

Always active in the community, Kennedy’s volunteer projects include youth programs, promoting business and community service groups, and her church. Kennedy’s many years in public service and her commitment to work on issues without regard to partisan labels have made her an exceptionally effective public servant.

More on Sandra Kennedy:

2008 Statewide and legislative candidate statement: Primary Election. (2008). Page 14(15). Retrieved from Arizona Memory Project: https://azmemory.azlibrary.gov/nodes/view/135444

2012 Statewide and legislative candidate statement: Primary Election. (2008). Page 12(13). Retrieved from Arizona Memory Project: https://azmemory.azlibrary.gov/nodes/view/135448

State of Arizona official canvass, general election- November 4, 2008. (2008). Page 13. Retrieved from Arizona Memory Project: https://azmemory.azlibrary.gov/nodes/view/102707

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Herschella L. Horton

Photo of Herschella Horton from the Arizona Legislators database

Herschella Horton represented District 14 in Pima County during the 40^th through the 44^th Legislatures, from 1991 to 2001. She was elected by her caucus to serve as the Minority Whip and served throughout the 43^rd Legislature. In 1999 she was elected Assistant Majority Leader and served during the 44^th Legislature. She served on the Health, Environment, Appropriations, Block Grants, and Rules committees. After leaving the Legislature she served as Director of Legislative Services with the Arizona Department of Economic Security.

A registered nurse with a degree in Management, Horton’s public service has reflected her interests in health care and social services, consistently bringing her management skills and empathetic approach to the work. In addition to her legislative work, she has been active in many professional and civic organizations, including the United Way, the National Order of Women Legislators, la Paloma Family Services, the National Black Caucus of State Legislators, the Arizona Child Advocacy Center, and the Sunstone Cancer Foundation.

Horton was named as Legislator of the Year in 1994 by the Maricopa Mental Health Association and the Arizona Association of Home and Housing for the Aging. The same year she was recognized as Citizen of the Year by the National Association of Social Workers. In 1995 she received the Tucson NOW Woman of Courage Award and the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Distinguished Leadership Award.

She was honored in 2007 with a brick added to the Women’s Plaza of Honor on the campus of the University of Arizona. One of the sponsors of her nomination explained:

Herschella has volunteered for so many organizations and done so many things! There have been many times when she is the only African American in the room or at the table. She has been asked why she was not part of the Urban League and responded that the Urban League has great representation. She wants to be at the table where a diverse perspective is needed…She is someone who will give you a hug because you look like you needed one.

Horton’s spirit of volunteerism and commitment to children and social issues have made immeasurable contributions to Arizona.

More on Herschella Horton:

State of Arizona official canvass, general election- November 3, 1998. (1998). Page 7. Retrieved from Arizona Memory Project: https://azmemory.azlibrary.gov/nodes/view/102693

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Leah Landrum Taylor

Leah Landrum Taylor from the Arizona Legislators database

Leah Landrum Taylor represented the 23^rd District in Maricopa County in the House during the 44^th and 45^th Legislatures and the 16^th District in the House during the 46^th and 47^th Legislatures. She continued representing District 16 in the Senate, where she served during the 48^th through the 50^th Legislatures. During the 51^st Legislature she represented District 27 in 2013 and District 28 in 2014 in the Senate. She served as Minority Whip and Assistant Minority Leader in the House and Assistant Minority Leader and Minority Leader in the Senate.  

Even before her election to the Arizona Legislature, Landrum Taylor had distinguished herself as a leader. She is an alumna of the American Council of Young Political Leaders, and is an Aspen Institute Rodel Fellow of Emerging Political Leaders in America. Her community service work includes volunteering as a board member of the YMCA Youth Initiatives Board, Arizona Caucus chair for the National Black Caucus of State Legislators, and as an advisor to the Arizona Children’s Association. She is a founder of the Landrum Foundation, a non-profit that provides financial support and preparation for students throughout their post-secondary education.

Landrum Taylor served in the Arizona Legislature for sixteen years, from 1999 to 2015, focusing on education, environmental, adoption, foster care, and homelessness issues. She worked as an adjunct faculty member at Maricopa Community College. Always interested in the wellbeing of children, she followed her work at the Legislature with a position as the Special Projects Director for the Arizona Department of Education and as a deputy assistant director for the Division of Child Support Services at the Arizona Department of Economic Security. She holds a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Political Science and has written and spoken on important civil rights issues, including the opportunities available to members of the African American community, educational programs for migrant students, and the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday controversy in Arizona.

More on Leah Landrum Taylor:

Landrum, L. N. (1991). The Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday controversy in Arizona : when politics becomes theater. Retrieved from https://bit.ly/3bvguLi

Haze Daniels, Cloves Campbell, Art Hamilton- Arizona Leaders

We continue to observe Black History Month by offering profiles of a few of the Black leaders who served as state legislators in Arizona. Our thanks to Haze Daniels, Cloves Campbell, and Art Hamilton. Thank you for your service to Arizona.

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Hayzel “Haze” Burton Daniels

Haze Daniels represented the 8th District in Maricopa County in the 20th legislative session from 1951 – 1952.

After attending Tucson High School, Daniels worked his way through college at the University of Arizona, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree and a master’s degree in education. He taught at Ft. Huachuca, then joined the army during WWII. When he returned, the G.I. bill enabled him to go to law school.

Daniels and Carl Sims were elected to the Arizona House of Representatives in 1951, the first Blacks to serve in the Arizona Legislature.

The first African-American to pass the Arizona bar exam, Daniels opened a law office in Phoenix in 1948. He was the lead attorney in Phillips v. Phoenix Union High Schools challenging school segregation. In 1953, trial court judge (and later Arizona Supreme Court Chief Justice) Fred C. Struckmeyer, Jr., found segregation unlawful. (See also Judgment and Order). The issue wasn’t over. Daniels also represented the plaintiffs in Heard et al. v. Davis et al., persuading Judge Charles C. Bernstein to rule that segregation in public schools violated the 14th Amendment of the United States Constitution. Both cases were on appeal in Arizona when the U.S. Supreme Court used Bernstein’s ruling in preparing its 1954 landmark decision in Brown vs. Board of Education, which struck down school segregation nationwide.

Appointed as a Phoenix City Court Judge in 1965, Daniels was the first Black judge in the history of Arizona, serving with distinction for 13 years. He was a founder of the Arizona Black Lawyers Association, now the Arizona Black Bar, which awards the Hayzel B. Daniels Scholarship to African American law students attending law school in Arizona.

More on Hayzel B. Daniels:

H.B. Daniels Quits Legislature Race. (1954, August 13). Arizona Sun, p. 1. Retrieved from https://azmemory.azlibrary.gov/nodes/view/118285

NAACP Holds Board Meeting. (1952, May 23). Arizona Sun, p. 1. Retrieved from https://azmemory.azlibrary.gov/nodes/view/118190

Richards, J. M. (1990). H. B. (Danny) Daniels. In History of the Arizona State Legislature 1912-1966 (Vol. 19, p. 17(206)). Phoenix. Retrieved from https://azmemory.azlibrary.gov/nodes/view/69

Two Negro Candidates are Nominated to Legislature. (1950, September 15). Arizona Sun, pp. 1,4. Retrieved from https://azmemory.azlibrary.gov/nodes/view/118078

Whitaker, M. C. (2007, January 19). Hayzel B. Daniels (1913-1992). Retrieved from BlackPast: https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/daniels-hayzel-b-1913-1992/

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Cloves C. Campbell, Sr.

Cloves Campbell represented his South Phoenix district in the Arizona Legislature for 10 years. He served Maricopa County District 7 in the House of Representatives for two terms from 1963 to 1967. In 1966, he was the first African-American to be elected to the Arizona State Senate and served Districts 8G and 28 from 1967 to 1972. Out of all of his legislative work, he was most proud of two pieces of legislation. One required expiration labels on milk and bread. The other required textbooks in Arizona schools to include the achievements and contributions of Blacks and other minority groups.

Campbell had overcome poverty and segregation. Orphaned at 14, he and 5 of his siblings supported themselves while they finished high school and college. He attended Phoenix Technical High School, Phoenix Community College, and Arizona State University, earning a degree in secondary education. He was an advocate for improving the quality of life in segregated neighborhoods, and never left his neighborhood near Jefferson and 15th Streets in Phoenix. In the early 1960s, he was a photographer and contributor to the Arizona Sun newspaper, including penning the “Social Note” and “About Town” columns.

In addition to his service as a legislator, he had a 33-year career at Arizona Public Service, was a substitute teacher, youth coach, and member of many civic organizations. Always a supporter of public education, he was instrumental in establishing GateWay and South Mountain Community Colleges. The Roosevelt Elementary School District named a school in his honor.

Campbell was a champion for the accomplishments of minorities. Disappointed that the Arizona news media did not cover the accomplishments and activities of the Black and Latino communities, in 1969 he became owner and co-publisher of the Arizona Informant. He worked as editor, reporter, and photographer until his death. He used the Arizona Informant to trumpet the good news about his community, especially of high school athletes and valedictorians. Today, the Arizona Informant is the longest running and only African American weekly newspaper in Arizona.

He was honored as a Historymaker in 2005 for his work as a legislator and newspaper publisher.

More on Cloves C. Campbell, Sr.:

Campbell is Sales Representative. (1963, July 5). Arizona Tribune, p. 1. Retrieved from https://azmemory.azlibrary.gov/nodes/view/120147

Negro Candidates Make Strong Bid for Offices. (1962, September 6). Arizona Sun, p. 1. Retrieved from https://azmemory.azlibrary.gov/nodes/view/118617

Richards, J. M. (1990). Cloves C. Campbell. In History of the Arizona State Legislature 1912-1966 (Vol. 19, p. 40(131)). Phoenix. Retrieved from https://azmemory.azlibrary.gov/nodes/view/69

Two Negro Legislators Hold Seats. (1964, September 11). Arizona Tribune, p. 1. Retrieved from https://azmemory.azlibrary.gov/nodes/view/120140

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Art Hamilton

Arthur M. Hamilton, known as Art, represented District 22 during the 31st through the 43rd Legislatures, from 1973 until 1999. He was elected as Minority Leader by his caucus in 1981 and served in that position for 17 years.

He was 24 when first elected to the House. Article 4, Part 2, Section 2 of the Arizona Constitution requires that a member of the Legislature be at least 25 years of age. The Committee on Credentials ruled that he could not be sworn in on Opening Day and declared the seat vacant. The Maricopa County Board appointed him to the vacancy in the seat he’d been elected to fill, and he was sworn in on his birthday 11 days after the opening of the Legislature.

After his first year as a legislator, Hamilton had a conversation with long-time Majority Leader Burton Barr that set the stage for his legislative career. Hamilton described Barr as a master of the legislative process and also a kind man who showed integrity. Barr, the leader of the opposition majority party, offered to mentor Hamilton to master the rules of the process. Hamilton gained a reputation as being an expert in procedure and in crafting agreements. Hamilton used those skills to advance the interests of his caucus and his constituents. He believed an effective legislator needed to know the rules, the process, and the people. The most important component was to know the people.

Hamilton also became an expert on the vast variety of issues that come before the Legislature. He was a key to the establishment of a Martin Luther King Jr. holiday in Arizona. He was a dignified and eloquent voice in floor action and known for his courtesy toward others. He showed consistent respect for the rules and traditions of the House. When tempers were frayed and issues at an impasse, it was usually Hamilton who forged the agreement that moved the session forward.

Hamilton now works as a consultant. In 2011 he participated in the Legislative Oral History Project of the Arizona State Archives, which documents the memories of former state legislators about their time in office. Hamilton’s contributions include his memories of Burton Barr, establishing a Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday, lessons of being a legislator, and Polly Rosenbaum.

More on Art Hamilton:

Arizona State Archives. (2011, July 21). Art Hamilton on Burton Barr. Phoenix, Arizona. Retrieved from https://azmemory.azlibrary.gov/nodes/view/95158

Arizona State Archives. (2011, July 21). Art Hamilton on Establishing Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday. Phoenix, Arizona. Retrieved from https://azmemory.azlibrary.gov/nodes/view/95159

Arizona State Archives. (2011, July 21). Art Hamilton on lessons of Being a Legislator. Phoenix, Arizona. Retrieved from https://azmemory.azlibrary.gov/nodes/view/95160

Arizona State Archives. (2011, July 21). Art Hamilton on Polly Rosenbaum. Phoenix, Arizona. Retrieved from https://azmemory.azlibrary.gov/nodes/view/95161

More on Martin Luther King Jr. holiday:

A concurrent resolution enacting and ordering the submission to the people of a measure relating to legal holidays. (1992). State of Arizona initiative and referendum publicity pamphlet general election 1992, 80-85. Arizona: Arizona Office of Secretary of State. Retrieved from Arizona Memory Project: https://azmemory.azlibrary.gov/digital/collection/statepubs/id/24380

Babbitt, B. E. (1986, May 18). Holiday honoring Martin Luther King, Jr., Executive Order Number 86-5. Retrieved from Arizona Memory Project: https://azmemory.azlibrary.gov/nodes/view/44339

Mecham, E. (1987, January 12). Rescission of Executive Order 86-5, Executive Order Number 87-3. Retrieved from Arizona Memory Project: https://azmemory.azlibrary.gov/nodes/view/44353

Proposition 300. (1992, November 3). State of Arizona official canvass- General election- November 3, 1992, 12. Arizona: Arizona Office of Secretary of State. Retrieved from https://azmemory.azlibrary.gov/nodes/view/102835?

Black Legislators Serving Arizona

In recognition of Black History Month, we present the following chronological list of Black Americans who have served in the Arizona Legislature.

(Note: The Arizona Constitution provides that legislative sessions begin on the second Monday of January. Arizona State Constitution, Article 4, Part 2, Section 3. The dates of legislators’ terms shown below include the days of January before their successors were sworn into office.)

1951-1953

From the August 25, 1950 Arizona Sun

Hayzel Burton Daniels, known as Haze, represented the 8th District in Maricopa County during the 20th Legislature. Daniels along with Carl Sims, elected the same year, were the first African Americans to be elected to the Arizona House of Representatives. Daniels was the first African American to pass the Arizona bar exam. He was a founder of the Arizona Black Lawyers Association (now the Arizona Black Bar) which awards scholarships to African American law students.

Headline on Daniels’ and Sims’ election wins from the September 15, 1950 Arizona Sun newspaper

1951-1961

Photo of Carl Sims from the September 15, 1950 Arizona Sun

Carl Sims Sr. represented District 19 in Maricopa County in the House during the 20th through 24th Legislatures. He was a champion of civil rights and active in the NAACP and active in the push for school desegregation. In the Legislature he sponsored Arizona’s first rabies control bill, which became law in 1962.

1953-1955

Photo of Doc F. Benson in the October 27, 1960 Arizona Sun

Doc Fitzgerald Benson was elected to the House to Representative Haze Daniel’s seat from District 8, serving during the 21st Legislature. In his community work, he was elected President of the Arizona Chapter of NAACP and served in many civic organizations, including the Lodge of Elks and Committee Chairman of Boy Scout Troop 17. He was also cofounder of the Arizona Sun newspaper in 1942 alongside Howard H. Pullins.

1961-1963

Gilbert Gray (left) and Jordan D. Holmes in the September 16, 1960 Arizona Tribune

Gilbert Gray, Sr. served in the House during the 25th Legislature, representing District 8. He sponsored a bill to repeal the Territorial statute which prohibited marriage between Caucasians and members of other races. He was active in many volunteer organizations, including the Phoenix Urban League, NAACP, the Prince Hall Masons, and the Shiloh Baptist Church. He was a founder of the Mount Calvary Baptist Church.

1961-1964

Photo of J. D. Holmes in the September 6, 1962 Arizona Sun

Jordan D. Holmes served in the House during the 25th and 26th Legislatures, representing District 9 in Maricopa County. Holmes was a businessman and owned the successful J.D. Holmes Construction Company. His legislative interests included civil rights, education, public safety, and consumer protection.

1963-1973

Photo of Cloves Campbell from the September 6, 1962 Arizona Sun

Cloves C. Campbell, Sr. represented District 7 in Maricopa County in the House during the 26th and 27th Legislatures, District 8G in the Senate during the 28th and 29th Legislatures, and District 28 during the 30th Legislature. In addition to a 33-year career at Arizona Public Service and his legislative work, he was a substitute teacher, youth coach, and member of many civic organizations. He was a photographer and contributor for the Arizona Sun newspaper and was the founder, owner, and co-publisher of the Arizona Informant, now the longest running and only Black community weekly newspaper in Arizona.

1963-1983

Photo from the August 27, 1976 Arizona Black Dispatch

Elishia Leon Thompson Sr., known as Leon, served in the House of Representatives. He represented District 9 during the 26th and 27th Legislatures, District 8G during the 28th and 29th Legislatures, District 28 during the 30th Legislature, and District 23 during the 31st through 35th Legislature. His committee work at the Legislature centered on health, human resources, transportation, and state and local government.

1967-1973

Ethel Maynard Legislative Biography, State of Arizona Research Library

Ethel Reed Maynard, a public health nurse, served in the House, representing Pima County District 7-B during the 28th and 29th Legislatures and District 11 during the 30th Legislature. Active in many civic organizations, her work at the Arizona Legislature focused on health, education, consumer protection, and civil rights. She was a key to the passage of state-supported kindergarten in 1971. She was known for her pragmatic and thoughtful perspective on chronic problems during a time of racial tension.

1971-1973

Picture of Horace Eddy Owens from the Arizona Black Dispatch newspaper, February 17, 1976

Horace Eddy Owens represented the 28th District in Maricopa County in the House during the 30th Legislature. Owens worked with youth, community, and church groups to provide counseling and minority job recruiting. After his service in the Legislature, he co-founded the Arizona Black Dispatch newspaper in 1976.

1973-1999

Photo of Arizona Representative Art Hamilton

Arthur M. Hamilton, known as Art, served in the House, representing Maricopa County District 22 during the 31st through the 43rd Legislatures. Just shy of his 25th birthday when elected, he was too young to be sworn in and the Committee on Credentials declared his seat to be vacant. He watched the opening day ceremonies from the gallery. The Maricopa County Board filled the vacancy by appointing him to the seat to which he had already been elected. On his birthday 11 days after the opening of the Legislature, Hamilton returned to the House for the oath of office. Eight years later he was elected minority leader and continued in that position for the remainder of his legislative service. He was known for his gracious courtesy, eloquence, and legislative skill. He was the first African American and only Arizonan to be elected President of the National Council of State Legislatures.

1983-1991

Photo of Carolyn Walker, a member of the Arizona State Legislature

Carolyn Ann Walker served in the House during the 36th and 37th Legislatures and in the Senate during the 38th, 39th, and a portion of the 40th Legislatures, representing District 23. She was elected by her caucus to the leadership position of Majority Whip. She was expelled by the Senate following her indictment in the AzScam sting operation.

1987-1999

Photo of Sandra Kennedy from the Arizona Corporation Commission

Sandra Denise Kennedy represented District 23 in the House during the 38th through the 40th Legislatures and in the Senate during the 41st through 43rd Legislatures. She was elected by her caucus to be the Assistant Minority Leader for the 42nd Legislature. She currently serves on the Arizona Corporation Commission.

1991-1993

Photo of Reverend Dr. George Benjamin Brooks, Sr. from the July 21, 1976 Arizona Black Dispatch

Reverend Dr. George Benjamin Brooks, Sr. represented the 23rd District in the House during the 2nd Regular Session of the 40th Legislature. Brooks was appointed to the vacant seat of Representative Armando Ruiz, who had been appointed to replace Carolyn Walker following her expulsion from the State Senate. Brooks started Arizona’s first Black community Presbyterian Church upon his move to Arizona in 1951. He founded Southminster Presbyterian Church in south Phoenix and served as its pastor until his retirement in 1996. Brooks was a tireless advocate of civil rights and social change, inspiring a new generation of civic leaders.

1991-2001

Photo of Herschella Horton from the Arizona Legislators database

Herschella Horton represented District 14 in the House during the 40th through the 44th Legislatures. She served as the Minority Whip during the 43rd Legislature and the Assistant Minority Leader during the 44th Legislature. An RN with a degree and experience in management, Horton worked on issues of Health, the Environment, and the powerful Appropriations committee. She was honored with the Dr. Martin Luther King Distinguished Leadership Award in 1995 and valued for her experience, leadership and sensitivity to the community.

1993-1999

David Armstead from the members of the 41st Arizona House of Representatives

David S. Armstead, who went by Dave, represented District 23 in the House during the 41st through 43rd Legislatures. He participated in a wide range of legislative issues, often centered on commerce, economic development, and the functions of state government but his diverse work also included civil rights measures, veterans, and neighborhoods.

1999-2015

Leah Landrum Taylor from the Arizona Legislators database

Leah Landrum Taylor represented District 23 in the House during the 44th and 45th Legislatures. She continued to serve in the House, representing District 16 during the 46th and 47th Legislatures. She represented District 16 as a Senator for the 48th through the 50th Legislatures, then the 27th District for the 1st Regular Session of the 51st Legislature and the 28th District for the 2nd Regular Session of the 51st Legislature. She has served as Assistant Minority Leader and Minority Leader. An adjunct faculty member of Maricopa Community Colleges, her legislative interests include education, environmental issues, adoption, foster care, and homelessness.

2007-2010

Cloves Campbell, Jr. from the Arizona Legislators database

Cloves C. Campbell, Jr., son of longtime Arizona legislator Cloves C. Campbell, Sr., represented District 16 in the House during the 48th and 49th Legislatures. He is active in many boards and civic organizations serving the Black community. He is the Board Chairman and Co-Publisher of the Arizona Informant newspaper.

2015-present

Reginald Bolding, Jr. from the Arizona Legislators database

Reginald Bolding, Jr. has represented District 27 in the House starting in the 52nd Legislature and continuing to the present, which is the 55th Legislature. He was the Minority Whip during the 54th Legislature and currently serves as the Minority Leader (2021). In addition to his responsibilities in leadership for his caucus, his priority issue is education.

2017-2021

Geraldine Peten from the Arizona Legislators database

Geraldine Peten, known as Gerae, was appointed to represented District 4 in the House following the resignation of Jesus Rubalcava in 2017. She served the remainder of the 53rd Legislature and was elected in 2018 to the 54th Legislature. An experienced educator, her priorities as a legislator were education, juvenile delinquency, and drug treatment.

2019-present

Walter Blackman from the Arizona Legislators database

Walter “Walt” Blackman represents District 6 in the House, elected to the 54th and 55th Legislatures. The first Black Republican elected to the Arizona Legislature, he is a veteran and a constitutional conservative. His legislative work focuses on criminal justice, education, and healthcare.

If our list is not complete, please let us know!

And stay tuned as we feature profiles of some of these legislators in future blog posts.