Preceded by Michele Reagan Nationality American Spouse(s) Linda Kavanagh | Preceded by Colette Rosati Political party Republican Party Republican Party | |
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Alma mater New York University
St. John's University
Rutgers University Office Member of Arizona House of Representatives since 2013 Residence Fountain Hills, Arizona, United States Education St. John's University, Rutgers University, New York University | ||
John Kavanagh (born June 5, 1950) is an American politician and a Republican member of the Arizona Senate representing District 23 since January 12, 2015. Previously Kavanagh served as a member of the Arizona House of Representatives representing District 23 from January 14, 2013 to January 12, 2015, and (due to redistricting) representing District 8 from January 8, 2007 until January 14, 2013. He was a police officer with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and retired as a detective sergeant, after 20 years of service. He is currently a professor of criminal justice at Scottsdale Community College (AZ), where he is Program Director of the Administration of Justice Studies and Forensic Science Programs. He is married to Linda with two children and one grandchild.
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Education and early life
The son of an Irish immigrant, he was born in Queens, New York.
Kavanagh earned his BA in liberal arts from New York University, his MA in government from St. John's University, and his PhD in criminal justice from Rutgers University.
Elections
News comments
John Kavanagh recently made news for his controversial comment on inmate Regan Clarine being asked to treat her C-section with sugar. He reportedly commented "That doesn't sound like a true allegation. That sounds ridiculous. Prisoners have 24/7 to think of allegations and write letters. I'm not saying that some of them can't have a basis in fact, but you gotta take them with a grain of salt, or, in the case of the hospital, maybe a grain of sugar."
Kavanagh was the lead sponsor of a bill to remove the name of Balbir Singh Sodhi from the state's memorial to the victim of the September 11, 2001 attacks. Claiming that Sodhi, who was murdered four days after the attacks by a white supremacist seeking revenge for the 9/11 attacks, was "not a victim of 9/11," Kavanagh further stated “It’s part of a myth that, following 9/11, Americans went into a xenophobic rage against foreigners. That’s not true. America’s reaction towards foreigners was commendable.” The bill passed, but was vetoed and did not take effect.
Kavanagh sponsored a bill to make it illegal to record the police within twenty feet, even of ones own interaction with them. Another bill he sponsored would have prevented municipalities from requiring private businesses to allow transgendered people to use the bathrooms of their choice. In 2017 he introduced S.B. 1142 which would allow police to arrest protesters before the event actually took place.