Politicians regularly face tough choices, but those choices are especially difficult when they present an ethical dilemma with competing loyalties. Former Speaker of the Arizona House Rusty Bowers testified as a key witness during the House Jan. 6 Committee Hearings about pressure he faced from former President Trump and his allies to intervene in his state’s election results. “I voted for President Trump and worked hard to reelect him. But I cannot and will not entertain a suggestion that we violate current law to change the outcome of a certified election.”
About Russell Bowers
Russell "Rusty" Bowers (BFA '82), is the former Speaker of the Arizona House of Representatives (2019–2023). He is a member of the Republican Party and in the Arizona House represented the 25th legislative district from 2015–2023 and the 21st district from 1993–97. In the Arizona Senate, he represented the 21st district from 1997–2001.
Bowers is a classically trained artist who specializes in watercolor, oil painting, and sculpting. He grew up on a sheep ranch and is a fourth-generation Arizonan. In 2022, he received the John F.
Kennedy 2022 Profile in Courage Award and in 2023 President Biden presented him with the Presidential Citizens Medal. In 2022, lost his bid for a state Senate seat.