Mark Finchem is a Republican Arizona State Senator representing Legislative District 1. Born on April 24, 1957, in Detroit, Michigan, he served 21 years with the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety as a firefighter/paramedic and law enforcement officer before moving to Arizona in 1999. He is married to Tanya and has resided in Tucson. Notable achievements include his election to the Arizona House in 2015, serving until 2023; running as the Trump-endorsed GOP nominee for Arizona Secretary of State in 2022; co-founding the Election Fairness Institute in 2018; and election to the State Senate in 2024, taking office in 2025. He currently serves on committees including Federalism , Appropriations, Public Safety, and Judiciary & Elections, and chairs the Joint Legislative Audit Committee.

Education and Political Experience

• Education: AAS in Criminal Justice, Kalamazoo Valley Community College ; attended Western Michigan University ; Bachelor's in Government Administration , Grand Canyon University ; Master's in Legal Studies and Economics, James E. Rogers College of Law, University of Arizona .
• Political Experience: Arizona House Representative, District 11 , serving on committees such as Judiciary, Military Affairs and Public Safety, and Federalism ; Candidate for Arizona Secretary of State ; Arizona State Senator, District 1 .
• Professional Background: Senior Sales Manager at Intuit ; lived as a farmer/rancher while in law enforcement; Six Sigma process improvement certification.