Senator Juan Mendez Contact information

Juan Jose Mendez, born on May 18, 1985, is an American politician and a member of the Democratic Party. He is currently serving as a member of the Arizona Senate from the 8th district.

Born and raised in Arizona, Mendez attended Tolleson Union High School and later pursued higher education. He received an associate degree from Phoenix College and a bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University, majoring in political science.

Mendez began his political career when he was elected to the Arizona House of Representatives in 2012. During his tenure, he served on the Insurance and Retirement Committee and the Reform and Human Services Committee. His political stance includes supporting the closure of “tax loopholes” for out-of-state corporations, advocating for increased education funding, and pushing for more restrictions on gifts to legislators.

In addition to his political career, Mendez is known for his religious beliefs. He is a Satanist, making him one of the few satanist politicians serving in the United States. This aspect of his life gained national attention in 2013 when he chose to open a House meeting with a secular speech, rather than a traditional religious prayer.

In 2016, Mendez, along with fellow representatives Clark, Hale, Larkin, and Mach, introduced HB2283 to enact Ranked-Choice Voting for all Arizona elections. The bill contained provisions for Instant Runoff Voting, for single-seat positions, and for Single Transferable Vote, for multi-seat positions. It also contained provisions to educate voters on Ranked-Choice Voting, and to ensure voting machines would be compliant with ranked ballots.

Mendez also serves on the City of Phoenix Human Services Advisory Committee and manages the nonprofit Community Voice Mail, an organization devoted to helping the impoverished.

In 2018, The Arizona Republic confirmed that Mendez plagiarized some responses to a questionnaire. Additionally, in 2018, he was the only member of the Arizona Senate to vote against a bill designating the Sonorasaurus as Arizona’s state dinosaur. In his vote explanation, Mendez stated that he voted against the bill because it didn’t have an amendment acknowledging that the dinosaur was a vegetarian.

In 2023, Mendez became the Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Elections. In February 2024, Mendez welcomed members of the Satanic Temple of Arizona to the Arizona Senate, saying that he was “graced” with their presence and that the church is undergoing “noble pursuits.”