J.D. Mesnard is a state senator in the Arizona Senate, serving Legislative District 13 (Chandler, Gilbert, and Sun Lakes). He was elected to the Senate on November 6, 2018, after serving eight years in the Arizona House of Representatives, including as Speaker of the House during his final term.

J.D. is a Summa Cum Laude graduate of Arizona State University with a Bachelors degree in Music Composition. He also holds two masters degrees, one in Business and the other in Public Administration—exemplifying his interest in both the public and private sectors. Prior to running for office, J.D. spent eight years working at the Arizona Senate where he served as a policy advisor on issues ranging from education, transportation and retirement, to family services and government administration. He is a small business owner, investor and consultant, and has always sought to be an active participant at all levels of the community. He works with charities, churches and non-profits, and is adjunct faculty at Mesa Community College and Arizona State University, where he teaches political science courses. He has been teaching for nearly two decades.

J.D.’s compassion for those less fortunate—who struggle in places outside of the greatest country on earth—led him to help establish Voices of the World, a non-profit Christian charity whose mission includes providing humanitarian aid to the poor and destitute of the world.

Born at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, FL (his father is a retired fighter pilot), J.D. has lived in Arizona for more than 30 years. He resides in Chandler with his wife, Holly, a nurse practitioner, and their three children.