Thomas Ray "T. J." Shope Jr. (born August 12, 1985) is an American Republican Party (United States), Republican politician and businessman who has been a member of the Arizona Legislature from the 16th Legislative District, which covers central and eastern Pinal County and southern Gila County. First elected to the Arizona House of Representatives in 2012, he was a member of the House from January 2013 to January 2021; in the latter part of his time in the state House, he was Speaker Pro Tempore. Shope was elected to the Arizona State Senate in November 2020, and took office in January 2021.

Early life

Shope was born in Florence, Arizona, in 1985, to Thomas "Tom" Shope, Sr. and Luz Shope and resides in Coolidge, Arizona. A third-generation elected official, Shope's father was a former mayor of Coolidge, and his grandfather was a member of the city council.Bryan Bender
In the wilds of Arizona, a hunt for bipartisanship
''Politico'' (November 28, 2020). Shope's family owns a grocery store in Coolidge. He received his bachelor's degree from Arizona State University in 2008.Hank Stephenson
Fresh faces: Legislature will welcome near record number of newcomers
''Arizona Capitol Times'' November 20, 2012).

Political career

Shope was a member of a local school board before seeking election to the Arizona House of Representatives as a Republican. He was first elected to the state House in 2012, at age 27, from the 8th Legislative District. Shope's district is heavily rural and Republican-dominated; it encompasses parts of Gila County, Arizona, Gila and Pinal County, Arizona, Pinal counties,State of Arizona Official Canvass - 2020 General Election, November 3, 2020
Arizona Secretary of State. specifically Coolidge, Globe, Arizona, Globe, Superior, Arizona, Superior, Florence, Arizona, Florence, San Tan Valley, Arizona, San Tan Valley, and portions of Casa Grande, Arizona, Casa Grande and Eloy, Arizona, Eloy. He was reelected to the House in 2014, 2016, and 2018. Shope was speaker pro tempore of the state House. In 2013–14, after initially taking a neutral position on Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act, Shope became one of a handful of Republicans who joined Democrats in supporting Medicaid expansion (which extended health-care coverage to more low-income Arizonans). Medicaid expansion was supported by Governor Jan Brewer, but opposed by most Republican officials and right-wing activists. In 2019, Shope sponsored legislation that repealed a 1991 state law barring HIV/AIDS instruction that "promotes a homosexual lifestyle" or "portrays homosexuality as a positive alternative lifestyle"; Shope said that the language was antiquated. The repeal passed the Senate on a 19–10 vote and the House on a 55–5 vote. Shope sponsored a measure in 2019, supported by Governor Doug Ducey, to amend the Arizona State Constitution to repeal its provision for legislative immunity during and before the state legislative session; however, the bill was blocked by Speaker of the House Rusty Bowers. In 2020, Shope was elected to the Arizona State Senate seat from the 8th Legislative District, defeating Democratic nominee Barbara McGuire. In September 2020, ahead of the 2020 United States presidential election, November 2020 presidential election, Shope endorsed Donald Trump and appeared at a List of post-2016 election Donald Trump rallies, Trump rally in Arizona. In December 2020, amid acrimonious infighting among Arizona Republicans about Trump's Attempts to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election, efforts to overturn his defeat in the election, Shope said that he supported Trump while simultaneously saying that a Republican turn to the far-right would lead to the nomination of unelectable candidates who would repulse moderate voters. In 2021, amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Arizona, Shope opposed an Arizona State University policy that required students who had not been COVID-19 vaccine, vaccinated against COVID-19 to comply with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC public health recommendations by taking twice-weekly COVID-19 tests and using face masks.Bob Christie
Ducey blocks ASU policy requiring masks for unvaccinated
Associated Press (June 15, 2021). (Republican governor Ducey subsequently issued an executive order blocking the ASU policy.) However, Shope sided with all Senate Democrats in opposing a bill, sponsored by Senate Republican Bret Roberts, to make it a crime for businesses to decline to serve customers who lacked proof of vaccination, and would authorize the state to shut down such businesses. Shope said he believed the proposal went too far and unfairly restricted the rights of private business owners.Howard Fischer
Lawmakers nix plan to punish businesses for requiring vaccines for patrons
Capitol Media Services (May 20, 2021).

References

, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Shope, Thomas 1985 births 21st-century American politicians American politicians of Mexican descent Central Arizona College alumni Hispanic and Latino American state legislators in Arizona Living people People from Florence, Arizona Republican Party members of the Arizona House of Representatives School board members in Arizona