Democrat Adam Metzendorf is running in the 6th Congressional District – The Arizona Republic

Adam Metzendorf announced Tuesday his candidacy for Congress, hoping to challenge incumbent Republican Rep. David Schweikertin Arizonas 6th Congressional District.

Metzendorf, a 33-year-old Scottsdale resident, isrunning as a Democrat in a historically conservative and affluent area that includes Scottsdale, Paradise Valley and Fountain Hills.

Metzendorf is making his first move in the political arena after steppingdown last week as the director of membership experience for the Phoenix Suns, the Phoenix Mercury and the Arizona Rattlers.

Seeking public office is something he felt compelled to do after the events that have transpired this year in Washington, such the Jan. 6Capitol riot and the findings of ethical violations among members of Congress.

What really got me interested in a political career was how I was brought upwith my faith and my family. When something is wrong, I was taught that you cant just sit on the sidelines, Metzendorf said.In Washington, people are putting party and politics over actual human beings and constituents, and it is leading us down a path that is wrong. I cant sit idly by anymore.

Metzendorf joins Democrats Jevin Hodge and Eric Ulis in the party's 2022 primary race in the district. Republican Elijah Norton is challenging Schweikert in the GOP primary.

Like the other candidates, Metzendorf makes Schweikert's ethical lapses a centerpiece of his pitch to voters.

Last year the House of Representatives reprimanded Schweikert, for 11 ethics violations and fined him $50,000.

Investigators found Schweikert had undisclosed loans and campaign contributions; misused campaign funds for personal purposes; had improper spending in his congressional office; and created an environment where office staffers were pressured to do political work.

Metzendorf said another term for Schweikert could further jeopardize Arizonas economy and reputation in the House.

I am a proud resident of Scottsdale, and the person that represents me in Washington, as painful as it is to say, epitomizes everything that is wrong with the government right now," Metzendorfsaid. "He is unethical and he sits on the sidelines on major issues that affect Arizonans every day."

Metzendorf, who left a decade-long career in professional sports to run, said that bringing change to Arizonas economy is something that has been on his mind for a long time.

His congressional goals will primarily focus on job creation, but he also has plans to tackle environmental and health care issues in the state.

The big rocks of the campaign are going to be the economy,specifically job creation, along with improving accessibility and transparency in health care and preserving our environment for future generations," he said.

We are in a time where if we dont act, I dont know what Arizona will look like for our kids, our grandkids or the future at all. There is a real opportunity here to create good-paying jobs: new jobs that focus around this new emerging sustainability industry, and if Arizona acts now, we will be at the forefront of a larger movement.

While Metzendorf is a Democrat, he emphasizes that he wants to be as inclusive as he can when it comes to policy. He does not view solutions to economic and social issues as partisan.

Sometimes people are going to have preconceived notions about what you are going to say because of party affiliation," he said. "What I really want to make sure people know is that my campaign is not about red and blue.It is about right and wrong.

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Metzendorf, who spent time during the COVID-19 pandemic last year volunteering for organizations like St. Marys Food Bank and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, said that his career with the Suns, as well as his personal values, make him uniquely qualified to represent Arizona in Congress.

As director of membership experience, Metzendorf was responsible for the Suns season ticketholder experience, meaning that he was tasked with retaining the fans during the pandemic. He said that he often had to make tough decisions in a quick time frame. Metzendorf took calls from season ticketholders throughout that time. Many of them had dissentingopinions on COVID-19 precautions, such as the Footprint Center's mask mandate, he said.

I have worked with people across the full political spectrum, especially during the pandemic. It was an uncertain time for everybody in Arizona, and the sports world was no different. You had to invest more into it, and listen more and help everywhere you could," he said. "Through the pandemic, I built better relationships with the community, and I led with empathy, integrity and transparency, and these are things I can bring to Washington.

Metzendorf said that being around the Suns players during the pandemic helped inspire him to run.

"They spoke out about what they thought was right, and it takes a great deal of sacrifice to do that, especially when you don't know how people will react," he said. "If they were going to use their platform for that, I felt that I had a right and a duty to do the same."

Metzendorf, who is Jewish and a member of Temple Solel in Paradise Valley, saidthat his desire to help represent the state he lives in comes down to three main things: "faith, family and fairness."

"Faith and family taught me not to sit on the sidelines, and fairness taught me how to see right and wrong instead of red and blue. I want to be fair, and I want to listen, he said.

Metzendorf faces an uphill battle running as a Democrat in one of the most affluent districts in the country. Despite his political baggage, voters returned Schweikert to Congress for a sixth term in 2020.

The Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission is redrawing the entire state's congressional district lines, but Metzendorf is confident that he can representwhatever becomes of the 6th district.

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Democrat Adam Metzendorf is running in the 6th Congressional District - The Arizona Republic