Full Biography for Marc Spitzer

Candidate for
State Senator; District 18

Marc Spitzer's political tradition in Arizona dates back to the 19th century, when his great-grandfather was a Republican activist in Bisbee. Part of the Spitzer family cross-migrated back east and Marc was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1957. Marc learned middle class values from his father,who labored in a smelting plant, and his mother, a public school teacher.

Marc graduated second in his class from Dickinson College in Pennsylvania, earning Phi Beta Kappa and academic scholarships. Marc graduated with honors from the University of Michigan Law School in 1982 and fulfilled a dream later that year when he passed the Arizona Bar exam and was admitted to practice law in this state.

Marc continued his family's tradition of political involvement serving as leader of the Arizona Young Republicans, a Precinct Committeeman and officer in Republican District 18 and a member of the Maricopa County and Arizona State Republican Committees.

Professionally, Marc is a tax lawyer with KPMG Peat Marwick representing taxpayers against the Internal Revenue Service. Marc handles taxpayer cases from audit through administrative appeals, tax court, appeals to the Ninth Circuit and once, to the United States Supreme Court. Since 1988, Marc has been certified by the Arizona State Bar as a specialist in tax law.

Marc represents indigent taxpayers on a PRO BONO basis and works with numerous charitable and civic organizations as both lawyer and volunteer. From his service on charitable boards, Marc has become familiar with the law of Non-profit associations.

In 1992 Marc was persuaded to run for the State Senate in District 18, North-Central Phoenix. Marc survived a difficult primary battle and became one of those rare challengers to unseat an incumbent member of the Arizona Senate. Marc was re-elected in 1994 and 1996; in each case his margin of victory exceeded thirty percent. In his second term Marc served as chairman of the Senate Finance Committee and authored the largest Tax cut in Arizona history. In November 1996 Marc Spitzer was elected by his peers to the position of Senate Majority Leader.

Marc's greatest victory, Political or otherwise, occurred on October 10, 1992 when he married the former Jacqueline Raub, a Phoenix native and graduate of Washington High. Marc has one child, Bennett Alexander, born November 17, 1995.