2026 Election debate: Arizona gubernatorial candidates face off
PHOENIX - Three candidates running to be Arizona's next governor will take the stage in a debate organized by the Citizens Clean Elections Commission on Oct. 6, and here's what to know.
Who's taking part in the debate?
According to the CCEC's website, the following candidates will take part in the debate:
- Andy Biggs (Republican)
- Teri Hourihan (No Labels)
- Risa Lombardo (Green)
It should be noted that on Hourihan's nomination paper from March 2026, she listed herself as seeking the nomination of the Arizona Independent Party for this congressional district. However, the website for "Arizona Independent Party" prominently lists the party's name as "No Labels Party of Arizona."
Who are the candidates?
Andy Biggs
Biggs is the incumbent Congressman for Arizona's 5th Congressional District. Per his biography on his Congressional website, he was elected to Congress in 2016, and served in the Arizona State Legislature prior to his time in Congress.
On his issues page of his campaign website, Biggs states he supports, among other things:
- Eliminating the state income tax and "working with local entities to reduce the property tax burden."
- Lower fuel prices by reducing the state's reliance on California, and increasing fuel supplied to Arizona from other sources
- "Ending medical mandates and ensuring vaccine freedom"
Teri Hourihan
Per her campaign website, Hourihan was born and raised in Glendale, and she became a Licensed Professional Counselor in 2017, founding a health practice a year later.
Some of her political positions include:
- A moratorium, or temporary stop, on data centers as a way to ensure these new developments "protects Arizona's water, energy, and communities."
- Conducting a "comprehensive audit across Arizona agencies, systems, and political nonprofits to identify fraud, waste, abuse, and conflicts of interest."
- Launching a water security plan on day one of her administration that expands conservation, recycling and new water supplies.
Risa Lombardo
Lombardo's campaign website does not list any of her political positions. Rather, it lists what is described as the Four Pillars of the Green Party, as well as the party's key values.
In addition, Lombardo's campaign has not posted on her Facebook page since Aug. 31.
Dig deeper:
It should be noted that while Lombardo is listed as the Green Party candidate for governor, the Arizona Green Party's website has her candidacy listed as "actively opposed."
Per a statement released on Aug. 31, the Arizona Green Party asked Arizona's Secretary of State to remove Lombardo from the general election ballot, and replace her with a candidate they actually endorsed. The party said in late 2025, they raised questions publicly about Lombardo and a number of other candidates seeking party nominations, stating that these candidates were unknown to the party, and had not previously been involved with their group.
What about Governor Katie Hobbs?
Katie Hobbs
Per the Citizens Clean Elections Commission's website, Governor Hobbs is not taking part in the debate.
The backstory:
This is not the first time Gov. Hobbs declined to take part in a gubernatorial debate. In 2022, the Associated Press reported that Hobbs, who was then running for what is now her first term in office, announced that she would not take part in that year's debate. She also didn't debate her primary opponent in that year's election, Marco Lopez.
For the 2026 election cycle,
Are there other candidates in the race?
According to the Arizona Secretary of State's Office, there are two write-in candidates who identify as Republicans: Gertritrude Gonzalez and Alice Novoa. Neither were listed as having been invited to take part in the debate.
When is the general election?
The general election takes place on Nov. 3 this year. The deadline to register to vote was Oct. 5, meaning it is now too late to register to vote in the November election.
Timeline:
The Arizona Secretary of State's Office lists the following timeline for voting:
- Start of early voting and mailing of early ballots: Oct. 7
- Deadline to request ballot-by-mail: At least 11 days before Election Day
Featured
Arizona 2026 voter checklist: Important deadlines, ID rules, and voting options
Everything you need to know to make your voice heard. Get the facts on mail ballot cutoff dates, emergency voting hours, and reporting election violations.
The Source: Information for this article was gathered from the Citizens Clean Elections Commission's website, the website for Andy Biggs, Teri Ann Hourihan and Risa Lombardo, the website for the Arizona Green Party, and an article published by the Associated Press on Sept. 11, 2022.