Senator T.J. Shope

Thomas Ray “T. J.” Shope Jr. was born on August 12, 1985, in Florence, Arizona. He is an American Republican politician and businessman. Shope has been a member of the Arizona Legislature from the 16th Legislative District, which covers central and eastern Pinal County and southern Gila County.

Shope was first elected to the Arizona House of Representatives in 2012, and he served as a member of the House from January 2013 to January 2021. In the latter part of his time in the state House, he held the position of Speaker Pro Tempore.

In November 2020, Shope was elected to the Arizona State Senate and took office in January 2021. He has served as the President pro tempore of the Arizona Senate since January 9, 2023. Prior to this, he was a member of the Arizona Senate from the 8th district from January 11, 2021, to January 9, 2023.

Before his political career, Shope was a member of the Coolidge Unified School District Governing Board from January 1, 2009, to December 31, 2016. He is a third-generation elected official. His father was a former mayor of Coolidge, and his grandfather was a member of the city council. The Shope family owns a grocery store in Coolidge.

Shope was born to Thomas “Tom” Shope, Sr. and Luz Shope and resides in Coolidge, Arizona. He graduated from Coolidge High School in 2003 and earned a B.S. in political science from Arizona State University in 2008.

In the Senate, Shope serves as the Vice Chairman of three committees: Senate Committee on Natural Resources, Energy and Water; Transportation & Technology; and Education. He is also a Member of the Senate Committee on Health & Human Services.