Arescurenaga, Lisbeth

Meet the Candidate

Running For:
State House
District:
24
Political Affiliation:
Democrat
Age:
37
Occupation:
Mental Health Clinician & Community and Public Relations Strategist
Education:
Licensed clinician; Master’s in Professional Counseling; Bachelor’s in Psychology.
Family:
Married, mother, spouse of a service member.
Religion:
Spiritual
Biographical Info:

Lisbeth Arescurenaga is a community leader and mental health advocate running for State Representative in Arizona’s Legislative District 24. She is running to bring lived experience, compassion, and community-rooted leadership to the Arizona Legislature.

Born in Peru, Lisbeth immigrated to the United States at the age of 15. Navigating a new country, language, and unfamiliar systems shaped her lifelong commitment to service and justice. Those experiences taught her how powerful access to resources, education, and trusted information can be and how often communities are left out of the decisions that impact them most.

For more than 15 years, Lisbeth has dedicated her work to bringing resources directly into communities, uplifting unheard voices, and creating opportunities for people to be informed, engaged, and empowered. As a director of advocacy and longtime community organizer, she has supported youth, partnered with families, and worked alongside community leaders to address real needs on the ground. Her approach has always been rooted in listening, relationship-building, and action.

Lisbeth has led and supported a wide range of community engagement and volunteer efforts focused on education, access, and empowerment. Her work has included helping residents better understand public systems and resources from public transportation and infrastructure projects to community health and civic education, as well as supporting voter education and Get Out the Vote efforts. She is known for leading with passion and purpose, using education as a tool to empower communities, and consistently showing up to listen, build trust, and amplify community voices.

Her background in mental health informs how she leads and advocates. Lisbeth understands the impact of trauma, instability, and lack of access on families and youth, and she approaches her work with compassion, clarity, and a deep sense of responsibility. Much of her work has been volunteer-driven and grounded in service, reflecting her belief that real change happens when communities are centered, not sidelined.

Lisbeth is a mother and a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community. She is running for office to ensure that policies are shaped by lived experience and community voice and that every family in Legislative District 24 has the opportunity to thrive.

Statement:

I’m running for State Representative of LD 24 because I believe our community deserves to be seen, heard, and invested in.

There is so much strength in Maryvale and Glendale. From families, the retired, veterans, young people to neighbors who show up for each other every day. However, too often, our community is overlooked when decisions are being made and change has been stagnant.

This is about changing that. About making sure our voices shape what happens in our schools, our neighborhoods, and our future

Survey

Response Legend

  • SSupports
  • OOpposes
  • *Comment
  • −Declined to respond
  • †Declined to respond, Position based on citation
Question Response Comments/Notes
1. Enacting state-level restrictions on firearm ownership beyond current Arizona law. S* Prioritize community safety through responsible, common-sense measures that reduce gun violence while respecting rights and ensuring families, schools, and neighborhoods are protected.
2. Adding sexual orientation and gender identity as protected classes in Arizona nondiscrimination statutes. S* Everyone deserves equal protection under the law. Expanding nondiscrimination protections ensures LGBTQ+ Arizonans can live, work, and access services safely and without fear.
3. Expanding state-level enforcement efforts to deter illegal border crossings. O* Enforcement alone is not a solution. We need humane, effective approaches that address root causes, protect families, and respect human dignity while ensuring community safety.
4. Prohibiting taxpayer funds from directly or indirectly funding abortion services, except where required by federal law. O* Health care decisions belong to patients, not politicians. Access to safe, legal abortion is essential to protecting bodily autonomy, health, and economic stability.
5. Maintaining the universal Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program without limiting eligibility. O* Public funds should prioritize strengthening public schools. We must ensure accountability, protect resources, and invest in the students and classrooms that serve the majority of Arizona families.
6. Legalizing physician-assisted suicide for individuals seeking end-of-life assistance, regardless of terminal illness. -
7. Allowing licensed counselors to provide therapy to minors seeking to reduce or manage same-sex attraction or gender dysphoria, with parental consent. O* Therapy should affirm and support youth, not attempt to change identity. Evidence shows these practices cause harm; minors deserve safe, ethical, evidence-based care.
8. Increasing criminal penalties for the sale and distribution of fentanyl and other illicit drugs. S* Fentanyl is devastating families. Strong penalties must target traffickers, paired with prevention, treatment, and harm reduction to save lives and address root causes.
9. Requiring stronger age verification and parental consent protections for minors accessing social media platforms and downloading mobile applications. S* Stronger safeguards help protect minors’ safety, privacy, and mental health online, while ensuring parents are informed and platforms are held accountable for responsible design.
10. Increasing criminal penalties for individuals who purchase sex. S* Hold buyers accountable while protecting victims. Prioritize services, safety, and pathways out for those exploited, focusing enforcement on demand and trafficking networks.
11. Requiring election procedures that ensure voter identification verification and ballot security. O* Arizona already has secure elections. We should focus on expanding access, not adding barriers that risk disenfranchising eligible voters, especially working families and communities of color.
12. Enacting a legislative referral that would ask voters to repeal Arizona Proposition 139, the constitutional right to abortion. O* Arizonans deserve the freedom to make their own health care decisions. Repealing this right would take us backward and undermine bodily autonomy and access to care.
13. Expanding current marijuana laws to increase accessibility to recreational marijuana for adults. S* Responsible adult access, paired with regulation and education, can reduce harm, support public health, and generate resources for communities while preventing criminalization.