Coconino News

President Donald Trump faced more than one adversary during his debate with former Vice President Joe Biden late last month, the Republican candidate for the Arizona State Senate District 6 seat said during a recent interview.

"President Trump had to debate two people – Joe Biden and [moderator and Fox News Sunday Anchor] Chris Wallace," District 6 candidate Wendy Rogers told Coconino News. "In the future, there should be a moderator who is fairer and doesn't gang up on President Trump."

Rogers, a Kentucky native and retired 20-year U.S. Air Force veteran, is seeking the Arizona state Senate seat of Sylvia Allen (R-Snowflake).

Allen, president pro tempore of the state Senate who has represented the district since January 2015 and who previously represented District 5 for five years, was defeated by Rogers during the Republican primary in August.

Rogers faces a challenge for the District 6 seat from Democrat U.S. Army veteran Felicia French, who was unopposed in the Democrat primary.

Arizona state Senate District 6 includes portions of Coconino, Yavapai, Navajo and Gila counties.

Rogers, who comes from a long line of U.S. Army officers, holds a bachelor's and master's degree in Clinical Social Work and she was one of the first 100 women pilots in the U.S. Air Force, according to her bio at her campaign website. Rogers flew airlift and humanitarian missions before serving as a flight instructor at the U.S. Air Force Academy.

After her retirement, Rogers and her husband started a home inspection business and she currently is development director of an Arizona charter school, is a foster parent and a substitute teacher.

The presidential debate between Trump and Biden has been described as "contentious, chaotic and dominated by insults" but Rogers dismissed criticism of Trump over his behavior while facing off with Biden. Trump was just being Trump, Rogers said.

"President Trump was being himself," she said. "He is a fighter. We didn’t elect a president to be nice. We elected a fighter to get the things done, which Washington itself has failed to do for the past 50 years."