Adam Kwasman (born October 28, 1982) is an American attorney, politician, and a former Republican member of the Arizona House of Representatives, representing District 11 from 2013 to 2015. Kwasman ran unsuccessfully for U.S. Congress in 2014. He lives in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Representative Adam Kwasman | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the Arizona House of Representatives from the 11th legislative district | |
| In office 2013–2015 Serving with Steve Smith | |
| Succeeded by | Vince Leach |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 28, 1982 (age 42) Tucson, Arizona, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Orit Kwasman |
| Children | Four |
| Alma mater | George Mason University Tulane University Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law |
| Occupation | Attorney |
| Website | adamkwasman.com |
Early life and education
editKwasman was born and raised in Tucson, Arizona. He earned his bachelor's degree (Cum Laude) from Tulane University, a master's degree in Economics from George Mason University, and a J.D. degree from the Arizona State University Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law.
Career
editKwasman interned on Capitol Hill for former Congressman Jim Kolbe. In 2009, Kwasman founded his own economic consulting firm advising both private companies and political clients.[1]
Kwasman later co-founded the law firm Wagner & Kwasman in Phoenix, Arizona, where he practices personal injury and wrongful death law.[2] Notably, Kwasman represented a former legislative aide in a suit against State Senator Wendy Rogers.[3]
Politics
editKwasman was elected to the Arizona House of Representatives in 2012 alongside Steve Smith defeating Democratic nominee Dave Joseph.[4]
He served as the Vice Chairman on the Ways and Means Committee and also sat on the Appropriations and Commerce Committees.
Policy positions
editKwasman was given a 100% rating by the American Conservative Union in 2014.[5] In 2013, Kwasman was rated "Hero of the Taxpayer" by Americans for Prosperity.[6]
Illegal Migrant Stance
editIn 2014, Kwasman was attending a morning protest over the expected arrival of migrant children being transported to a shelter near Oracle, Arizona. Kwasman spoke with a local reporter and voiced his opposition to using state resources to aid illegal migrants.[7] Kwasman later posted a tweet about the situation, and mistakenly used a photo of a school bus instead of the migrant bus.[8]
2014 CD1 Congressional Race
editKwasman placed third in the Republican primary in the formerly rural Arizona Congressional District 1 race, failing to break 30% of the vote in the Republican primary against Andy Tobin and Gary Kiehne. [9]
2020 State Senate Race
editKwasman announced his intention to run for the state senate in Legislative District 23, challenging incumbent republican Michelle Ugenti-Rita. Although he received sufficient signatures, Kwasman dropped out of the race and endorsed Alex Kolodin due to health concerns and the COVID-19 pandemic.[10] [11]
2024 Scottsdale City Council Race
editKwasman is currently running for a seat on the Scottsdale City Council. He is running on a platform of family-focused policies, public safety, and fiscal accountability.[12] However, he is an opponent of Scottsdale Prop 491, which would provide funding for law enforcement for Scottsdale’s parks, additional fire support, and city maintenance for parks. Kwasman has stated that one of his main focuses if he makes it onto the council will be to work towards alleviating the homelessness crisis in Scottsdale.
During the race, Kwasman complained about people who live in apartments in Scottsdale. At a Republican Club meeting he railed against people who live in apartments, saying: “let’s be honest you’re having people who are not part of our community coming in temporarily I am a family’s first candidate ok, and I don’t buy the BS that they’re trying to tell you and say if you want to solve the affordability problem in Scottsdale build more apartments. I’ve got four kids, what apartment am I moving into? It doesn’t make any sense, Scottsdale is for family’s and we have to deal with families first, and let’s also be honest of who’s moving into these apartments, it’s those who don’t share the values of this room.”
Awards
editDuring his time in the Legislature, Kwasman was awarded a number of honors by local organizations. He was awarded the "Hero of the Taxpayer" award by Americans for Prosperity, the "Champion of Small Business" award by the National Federation of Independent Businesses, and the "Friend of the Family Award" by the Arizona Family Project.[13]
Policies
editKwasman believes in strengthening the "social fabric" of his community by focusing on family-first policies. This includes policies that promote education and ensure that families have access to recreational spaces.
Kwasman has stated that he has a strong commitment to public safety. His plan to ensure public safety includes investing in police, fostering community-police partnerships, and implementing comprehensive crime prevention strategies.[14]
Kwasman has made a public pledge to bring "fiscal responsibility" to Scottsdale if he were to win the 2024 Scottsdale City Council race. His proposed approach includes implementing complete budget transparency, prioritizing essential services, and promoting sustainable economic growth.
Personal life
editIn August 2014, Kwasman revealed that he had been diagnosed with "a form of slow-growing blood cancer that has presented no symptoms."[15]
Kwasman is a regular political and economic contributor to various national publications.[16]
Kwasman is married to political consultant Orit Kwasman (née Sklar), who is the former Development Director of the Faith and Freedom Coalition[17] and a conservative political consultant.[18]
Kwasman proudly practices orthodox judaism and, along with his wife, is a leader of the Arizona chapter of the Republican Jewish Coalition.[19] He was appointed to this position in 2023. In this role, Kwasman has worked to expand the Coalition's reach in Arizona and advance conservative Jewish ideals in the state legislature.
Kwasman is a leader and advocate for Invest in Israel Bonds for the state of Arizona.[20]
References
edit- ^ "Member Page". Azleg.gov. Retrieved April 30, 2013.
- ^ "About".
- ^ MacDonald-Evoy, Jerod (21 December 2021). "Former staffer sues Sen. Wendy Rogers". Arizona Mirror. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
- ^ "State of Arizona Official Canvass 2012 General Election November 6, 2012" (PDF). Phoenix, Arizona: Secretary of State of Arizona. p. 10. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 24, 2012. Retrieved December 20, 2013.
- ^ "ACU Rating". votesmart.org. Archived from the original on August 29, 2016. Retrieved July 11, 2016.
- ^ "Arizona AFP 2013 Ranking" (PDF). Americans for Prosperity. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 21, 2016. Retrieved July 11, 2016.
- ^ "Adam Kwasman's 'sad' effort to protect border from 'YMCA kids'". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 3, 2018.
- ^ "Deleted tweet archived on Politwoops". politwoops.sunlightfoundation.com. Retrieved July 17, 2014.
- ^ {{cite https://ballotpedia.org/Adam_Kwasman
- ^ "Senate candidates vie for local, federal races in Arizona". April 29, 2020.
- ^ @AdamKwasman (April 3, 2020). "I entered this race so that @LD23azgop had a senator they could be proud of. By withdrawing today, I can help ensur…" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ "Adam Kwasman for Scottsdale". Adam Kwasman for Scottsdale. Retrieved June 10, 2024.
- ^ Levitt, Shannon (December 13, 2023). "Orthodox Jewish city council candidate 'hopes to ignite the flame of Yiddishkeit'". www.jewishaz.com. Retrieved June 10, 2024.
- ^ "Adam Kwasman for Scottsdale". Adam Kwasman for Scottsdale. Retrieved June 10, 2024.
- ^ Sanders, Rebekah (August 14, 2014). "GOP candidate Kwasman reveals he has cancer". AZCentral. Retrieved August 22, 2014.
- ^ http://theresurgent.com/author/adam-kwasman/ [bare URL]
- ^ "Search". October 17, 2017.
- ^ "Services – Madison Strategies".
- ^ "RJC Arizona Chapter Announces Orit and Adam Kwasman as New Chapter Leaders". Republican Jewish Coalition. Retrieved June 10, 2024.
- ^ "Israel Bonds | Invest in Israel". www.israelbonds.com. Retrieved June 10, 2024.