PHOENIX - The two candidates for the Arizona State Mine Inspector post in the upcoming general election are set to take part in a debate on Aug. 31, and here's what to know.
Who is organizing the debate?
Per their website, the Citizens Clean Elections Commission is the official debate sponsor.
Who are the candidates?
Brian Matlock (left) and Walter "Les" Presmyk (right)
The candidates who will take part are Republican Walter "Les" Presmyk and Democrat Brian Matlock.
It should be noted that there are no third party or independent candidates listed for this race, according to the Arizona Secretary of State's Office.
Walter "Les" Presmyk
Presmyk is the incumbent in this race. He was appointed to the role by Governor Katie Hobbs in September 2025 after the previous inspector, Paul Marsh, resigned.
"I bring 41 years of mining experience as a mining engineer to this job," Presmyk said in an interview on July 23.
On his campaign website, Presmyk states that he has worked with a number of mines in Arizona.
Brian Matlock
Per his campaign website, Matlock is a mechanical engineer with "decades of heavy industry experience including forestry, pulp & paper, foundry and mining."
"As a mechanical engineer, I have literally decades of heavy industry experience which includes mining operations here and around the world," Matlock said in an interview on July 23.
What does the Mine Inspector do?
Per our report on the post during the 2022 election cycle, the state mine inspector has the duty to inspect, at least once every three months, every active underground mine in the state that employs 50 or more people, and at least once each year, every other mine.
In addition, the Arizona Clean Elections Commission website states that the state mine inspector also has the authority to "suspend or close mining operations to ensure the proper safety measures are being applied."
The requirements to hold this position are extensive for a position that only pays $50,000. By statute, candidates must have at least eight years of operational and management experience in mines, including a minimum of four years within Arizona operations.
When is the general election?
What's next:
Officials with the Arizona Secretary of State's Office say the general election will take place on Nov. 3, 2026. The last day to register to vote is Oct. 5.
The Source: Information for this article was gathered from the Citizens Clean Elections Commission's website, as well as from the websites for Walter "Les" Presmyk and Brian Matlock. Supplemental information was gathered from a FOX 10 news article that was published on July 23, 2026.