Remember When Steve Montenegro’s “Family Values” Campaign Went Up in Flames?

If you’ve been around Arizona politics long enough, you know that scandals come and go faster than a monsoon storm. But some are worth remembering, especially when the same people try to resurface as if nothing ever happened. Case in point: Steve Montenegro.

Back in 2018, Montenegro, then the golden boy of Arizona conservatives, was gunning for Congress in the special election to replace disgraced Rep. Trent Franks. The pitch was simple: a devout Christian, family man, and reliable conservative voice who could “restore integrity” to Washington. The reality? A scandal that looked ripped straight from the same swamp he promised to drain.

It started when a former legislative staffer came forward with a trove of text messages that Montenegro had sent her while he was still in office. The messages weren’t about policy or constituent services, they were flirty, late-night exchanges that led to her sending him a topless photo. Montenegro eventually admitted the texts were real, but insisted he hadn’t “solicited” the picture. His explanation? He’d shown the photo to his wife, as if that somehow made the situation better.

An attorney for the woman accused Montenegro of “grooming” her for a sexual relationship, an explosive claim at the height of the #MeToo era. Meanwhile, Montenegro tried to play defense, calling the story “tabloid trash” and blaming his opponents for orchestrating a smear campaign. The problem was, his own words were right there in black and white.

The damage was instant. Conservative voters who had once cheered his name suddenly went quiet. Montenegro’s congressional bid collapsed under the weight of his own hypocrisy. The self-styled moral crusader who’d run on faith, family, and integrity had been caught violating the very standards he preached.

Fast forward to today, and you’ll find Montenegro not disgraced, but Speaker of the Arizona House of Representatives. Which is why it’s worth dusting off the receipts. Arizona voters have short memories, but integrity doesn’t expire on a campaign cycle.

Montenegro wasn’t some rookie staffer who made a dumb mistake. He was a sitting state senator who knew better. And when the truth came out, he didn’t take responsibility, he minimized it, moralized about media bias, and hoped voters would forget. Many did. But conservatives who actually care about ethics, character, and leadership shouldn’t. Arizona deserves better than politicians who quote scripture in public and break it in private.