No, he's not related to Tom. Meet Andrew Horne, Phoenix-area orthodontist running for Congress

Orthodontist Andrew Horne is one of four contenders in an ever-growing Democratic primary in Arizona's 1st Congressional District.

Horne, 36, a first-time political candidate, was the first to enter the race to become the party's nominee to take on incumbent Rep. David Schweikert, R-Ariz.

Phoenix-area native Horne was born in 1986 at Scottsdale Memorial North, which is now HonorHealth Scottsdale Shea Medical Center, and grew up in the district. While Horne is a familiar name in Arizona politics, Andrew Horne is no relation to Tom Horne, Arizona's Republican superintendent of public instruction.

Horne set up his orthodontic practice in Colorado Springs, Colorado, near where he did his residency and worked there for four years before deciding to move back to Arizona in 2020. He returned to be closer to his family and to enroll his daughter Eleanor, 9, in the Scottsdale area and in the same school system he attended.

What are his thoughts on the issues?

A multitude of issues have spurred him to enter politics, he said, including education, health care and the economy, and notes that the topics are connected.

With education, Horne cites a series of changes implemented under former Republican Gov. Doug Ducey, including lowering the qualifications needed for instructors to ease a teacher shortage. The federal government can do a lot, such as increasing funding for expanding free meals during the pandemic, he said.

The economy and education are linked, he said, citing how Arizona's economy is getting a big boost by becoming a manufacturing hub of chip manufacturing. The state was picked in part because of Arizona State University graduates needed to work at such plants.

In order to have a booming economy, workers without degrees also need sought-after skills that would allow them to work as, say, electricians and mechanics, Horne said.

"Having a robust economy that helps us all succeed requires skilled workers, not only in our higher education to be able to you do the fancy things like write code and bring in tech jobs, but also the more everyday items," he said.

As an orthodontist, Horne said, health care is important to him. He is concerned about access to health care for everyone, and in particular, senior citizens.

Having a daughter also puts women's rights front of mind for Horne, he said.

Who are the other challengers?

Horne faces competition to challenge Schweikert. Three other Democrats already have entered the 1st Congressional District's Democratic primary since he first announced his candidacy. The latest Federal Election Commission quarterly filings show that Horne raised a little more than $121,000 in contributions, with close to $771,000 in total receipts.

Former local nonprofit CEO Kurt Kroemer this month entered the primary.

State Rep. Amish Shah, an emergency room and sports medicine doctor at the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix, announced two weeks ago he was joining the race. Shortly thereafter, Andrei Cherny, former CEO of Aspiration, an environmentally-friendly financial services company, also declared that he was running.

There are others who are considering entering the race.

Delina DiSanto, who opposed Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., three years ago, is weighing another bid for Congress. She now lives in the 1st Congressional District as a result of redistricting. Former TV journalist Marlene Galan Woods earlier this year told 12 News that she is considering a run.

However, Schweikert's last two Democratic general election opponents, Jevin Hodge in 2022 and Hiral Tipirneni in 2020, both recently announced they are not running.

Horne says that what distinguishes him from the rest of the candidates is that he is from the area and is not a politician.

"I look at the other people who are running and they definitely have the gamesmanship. They've been running (for) office before. They've been involved with it for years and years and years. That's not who I am. That's not the way that I operate."

Openness and accessibility is important to Horne and he encourages voters to reach out to him.

"I'm a member of the community," he said. "I'm very accessible and they should email me. That's how politics should be."

Voters can contact him at [email protected]

The 1st district is among Arizona's wealthiest and encompasses Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Cave Creek, Fountain Hills and parts of Phoenix.

The U.S. House of Representatives, which is composed of 441 members, is a body that operates on seniority, and Schweikert is a senior member of the influential Ways and Means Committee.

When asked why the district's constituents should forego that power for a first-year member of Congress, Horne, citing Schweikert's 11 ethics and campaign finance violations, said: "More important than losing a committee spot with seniority ... is how well the candidate represents the district. And with those multiple ethics violations, he doesn't represent Arizona's values. When a current representative does not reflect the values of the district, then there needs to be a new representative."

Chris Baker, a Schweikert campaign consultant, declined to comment.

Tara Kavaler is a politics reporter at The Arizona Republic. She can be reached by email at [email protected] or on Twitter @kavalertara.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Andrew Horne, orthodontist, hopes to unseat Rep. David Schweikert