Ed Ableser
Edward Zachary Ableser (born March 16, 1978) is an American Democratic politician and mental health counselor from Tempe, Arizona. He served in the Arizona Senate from 2013 to 2015, representing the 26th district (parts of Mesa, Tempe, and south Scottsdale). Before that, he was a member of the Arizona House of Representatives from the 17th district, serving 2007 to 2013. He resigned from public office in September 2015 to work for the Nevada Department of Education.
Ableser was appointed to fill the Senate seat after former state senator Harry Mitchell and later won election for the 26th district in 2012.
Education and work outside politics: He holds two bachelor’s degrees from Arizona State University in political science and Chinese, a master's degree in Counseling Psychology, and a PhD in Justice Studies from ASU (May 2014). He also runs Ableser Family Counseling, a mental health counseling practice. He has been involved in community roles such as Assistant Pastor at Exchange Tempe and Worship Service Producer at University Presbyterian Church, and he is a member of the League of Conservation Voters. He received the 2004 Tempe Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Diversity Award.
Personal life: Ableser married Hilary Heller on July 11, 2009. Hilary is the daughter of former U.S. Senator Dean Heller. They have three children: Brielle, Ava (adopted from China), and Zachary.
In 2019, the Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners reached a consent agreement with Ableser prohibiting him from practicing counseling for five years due to not meeting professional standards.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 20:07 (CET).