Anthem is the 'political epicenter' of North Valley
Experts say demographic and political shift taking place
by Michael Murphy

NORTH VALLEY – Call them the Anthem Power Trio.

Or maybe they’re the new Anthem Political Tag Team.

When the legislature reconvenes in January, three Anthem residents–Pam Gorman, Sam Crump and Doug Clark–will be sworn into office as representatives of District 6, signaling a historic demographic and political shift for the growing north Valley.

“I think it’s a reflection of the new face of Arizona,” said Crump, an Anthem attorney.

Republicans Crump and Clark will fill two empty House seats. They are unopposed in the Nov. 7 general election.

Gorman, currently a Republican state representative, faces Democratic opposition in the general for the Senate seat. But her victory is virtually guaranteed because of the district’s 2‑1 GOP voter registration edge.

The Anthem sweep may represent the beginning of a new political power base in the north Valley.

“That just goes to show the political epicenter of that district has moved up to Anthem,” said Phoenix political consultant Doug Cole.

Cole likens Anthem to Ahwatukee, which 10 years ago became the hot new growth area of Phoenix. Like Ahwatukee, Anthem attracts families that tend to embrace Republican ideals, and who are interested in promoting quality of life, education and open space, he explained.

“It’s the Ahwatukee of the north,” said Cole, chairman of  the Ahwatukee Foothills Village Planning Committee. “Historically, Ahwatukee has attracted a lot of folks that tend to be very politically active. We’re seeing that model evolve in Anthem.”

Yet the sprawling Legislative District 6 extends far beyond Anthem.

It touches Maricopa County’s border to the north and follows I‑17 as far south as Thunderbird Road, taking in the communities of Tramonto, Deer Valley and Moon Valley. It also includes New River and Desert Hills, and large swaths of north Phoenix.

Clark, an Anthem real estate broker, said the election results reflect the political activism of Anthem residents.

“It really isn’t, in my opinion, that there’s been a shifting of the power base. I think what you saw is what happens when people get out to vote,” he said of Anthem residents. “They were motivated, they wanted to participate, and they wanted to have a say in government, so they went to the polls. Any community can do that.”

Crump and Clark both say they are particularly mindful of concerns they will only represent the Anthem area.

Gorman, who has represented the district since 2004, also points out she represents the entire district and says that will not change.

“In a state where the lines for districts are drawn according to curious political agendas, there is rarely a district where the representatives live in the same neighborhood as the represented. That is why it is important for voters to realize that they vote for an ideology... not geography,” she said.

“Location of the candidate is not everything,” Gorman went on to say. “The whole northern part of the district is outpacing the southern portions in terms of voter turnout at the polls. Whenever voters exercise their right to vote, they are, in effect, powerful.”

Living in Anthem and driving to the State Capitol, according to Clark, will allow him to traverse the entirety of District 6 almost daily. “To get down to the Capitol every day and to get back home, I’m going through different regions of my district every day,” he said.

Added Crump: “I’ll bend over backwards to be throughout the district.”

Crump and Clark represent two different faces of Arizona.

Crump moved to Anthem from California in 2002, while Clark is an Arizona native who has lived in the north Valley for over a decade.

“I just feel fortunate I’ve landed in District 6,” Crump said. “It’s an exciting district because  we’re going to have so many things happening in the next five to 10 years.”

He added: “It’s an emerging hotbed of activity–political, economic and otherwise.”