Senate Member

Senator Sean Bowie represents Legislative District 18, which includes Ahwatukee, west Chandler, southwest Mesa, and south Tempe. Sean is serving his third term, after first winning office in November 2016 and winning re-election in November 2018 and November 2020.

Sean and his family first moved to Legislative District 18 in 1994. A product of the Kyrene Elementary and Tempe Union High School districts, Sean graduated from Mountain Pointe High School in 2002. Sean then went on to ASU, receiving degrees in Political Science and History. Sean received his Master’s degree in Public Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University in 2013.

Prior to serving in the Senate, Sean worked for the Provost's office at his alma mater, Arizona State University. He worked daily on issues including expanding need-based financial aid for working Arizona families, increasing resources for first-year students, and expanding online educational opportunities and increasing access for students.

Sean serves on the Senate Appropriations, Senate Finance, and Senate Commerce Committees. In addition to those committees, he is intently focused on restoring education investment to our K-12 schools and higher educational institutions.

During his time in the Senate, Sean has received a number of state awards highlighting his work. He has been named a Business Champion by the East Valley Chamber of Commerce, Economic Development Champion by the Arizona Association for Economic Development, Champion for the Arts by the Arizona Citizens for the Arts, Tech Champion by the Arizona Technology Council, Advocate of the Year by the Arizona Lodging and Tourism Association, a Legislative Champion by the League of Arizona Cities and Towns, a Legislative Leader by the ASU Center for Applied Behavioral Health Policy, and received the Trailblazer Award from A for Arizona in 2019.

Sean has also earned national recognition for his work, including awards from Mental Health America and the National Emergency Management Association, and received a 20 under 40 Award from the Council of State Governments in 2021.

Sean was also selected to serve as an Early Learning Education Fellow by the National Conference of State Legislators in 2017, is a graduate of the Emerging Legislative Leaders Program by the State Legislative Leaders Foundation in 2019, and a graduate of the Henry Toll Fellowship by the Council of State Governments in 2019.

In addition to his work at the Senate, Sean also works as a Professor of Practice at ASU’s School of Public Affairs, where he teaches courses on leadership, ethics, and research methods.

Sean lives by the motto of his alma mater, Carnegie Mellon University, “my heart is in the work.”