2026 Arizona election guide: Learn more about the primaries for statewide offices

PHOENIX - Arizona will hold its general election in November of this year, but before that comes the primary, and the state's voters will take part in primaries that are scheduled to take place later in July.

Here's what to know about the statewide primaries.

When is Election Day?

What we know:

The 2026 primary election in Arizona will be held on July 21, according to the Arizona Secretary of State's Office.

Why July 21?:

According to Maricopa County Elections, the primary is on July 21 this year because of a new state law that moves the state's primary permanently to the second to last Tuesday in July.

"Previously, the date of the primary was the first Tuesday in August," Maricopa County officials wrote.

While election day is on July 21 for the primaries, early voting began on June 24.

When is the deadline to register to vote in the primary?

Per the Secretary of State's website, the last day to register to vote in the primary was June 22.

While it is no longer possible to register to vote in the July primary, those eligible can still register to vote in the November general election. Per the Arizona Secretary of State's Office, the last day to register to vote in the November election is Oct. 5.

What are the statewide races on the ballot?

The following statewide offices will be on the ballot:

• Governor
• Secretary of State
• Attorney General
• State Treasurer
• Superintendent of Public Instruction
• State Mine Inspector
• Corporation Commissioner

Why is there no Lieutenant Governor primary?

While it is true that Arizona voters will select a Lieutenant Governor this November, no primaries will be held for the Lieutenant Governor seat because of the way the candidate is chosen.

Dig deeper:

In the November 2022 election, voters approved Proposition 131, which created the office. Per information provided by the Arizona Secretary of State's Office in that year's publicity pamphlet for voters, the measure clearly outlines how a Lieutenant Governor will be selected.

"Not later than sixty days before the general election unless the legislature prescribes otherwise by statute, each nominee for the office of governor shall name a lieutenant governor nominee and shall run on a ticket as a joint candidate in the general election with that nominee for the office of lieutenant governor," read a portion of the ballot measure. "The name of the nominee for lieutenant governor shall appear on the ballot with or below the name of the joint nominee for governor in a manner that indicates they are running on a ticket as joint candidates. At the general election, a single vote for a nominee for governor shall constitute a vote for that nominee’s ticket, including the nominee for lieutenant governor. For any winning candidate for governor at the general election, that winning candidate’s joint candidate for lieutenant governor is the winning candidate for lieutenant governor."

This means that a lieutenant governor in Arizona will be selected just like how the country selects its Vice President: by voting them in along with the Presidential candidate they are paired with.

Who are the candidates?

Here's a look at who is running in each of the statewide primaries, according to the Arizona Secretary of State's Office.

Governor

The incumbent for this office is Katie Hobbs (D, pictured). She is running for re-election.

Democratic

Katie Hobbs is listed as the only candidate in the primary.

Green

Risa Lombardo is listed as the only non-write-in candidate in this race.

There are three other write-in candidates: Athena Maria Eastwood, William "Rex" Josué Pounds IV, and Carlos Melendez.

No Labels

Two candidates are listed for this primary: Teri Ann Hourihan and Hugh Lytle.

Republican

There are four candidates in this primary: Andy Biggs, Ken Miceli, Scott Neely, and David Schweikert.

Secretary of State

The incumbent for this office is Adrian Fontes (D, pictured). He is running for re-election.

Democratic

Adrian Fontes is listed as the only candidate in the primary.

Green

Duwayne Collier is listed as the only non-write-in candidate in the race.

Another candidate, Jon Robert Ralston, is listed as a write-in candidate.

Republican

There are two candidates in the race: Alexander Kolodin and Gina Swoboda.

Attorney General

The incumbent for this office is Kris Mayes (D, pictured). She is running for re-election.

Democratic

Kris Mayes is the only candidate in the primary.

Republican

There are two candidates: Rodney Glassman and Warren Petersen.

State Treasurer

The incumbent for this office is Kimberly Yee (R). She is not running for re-election due to term limits.

Democratic

There is only one candidate: Nick Mansour.

No Labels

While Michael Zepeda was listed as the only candidate in the No Labels primary, the candidate is listed as having withdrawn his candidacy.

Republican

There are two candidates in the primary: Katherine Haley and Elijah Norton.

Superintendent of Public Instruction

The incumbent for this office is Tom Horne (R). He is running for re-election.

Democratic

There are two candidates: Brett Matthew Newby and Teresa Leyba Ruiz. A third person, identified as Michael D. Butts, is listed as having been removed from the ballot.

Republican

There are two candidates: Tom Horne and Kimberly Yee.

State Mine Inspector

The person elected to the office in 2022 was Paul Marsh. Per a statement from the Governor's Office, Marsh resigned in August 2025, and Walter Lesley "Les" Presmyk was appointed as his replacement.

For the GOP primary, Presmyk is running unopposed. The Democrats, meanwhile, also have an uncontested primary for this seat, with Brian Matlock as the only candidate.

Corporation Commissioner

Unlike the other positions, voters will choose two candidates for this position.

Democratic

There are two candidates: Jonathon Hill and Clara Pratte.

Green

One candidate, identified as Mike Cease, is listed as a write-in candidate.

Republican

There are three candidates: Ralph Heap, Nicholas "Nick" Myers, and Kevin Thompson.

A fourth candidate, identified as David Marshall Sr., is listed as having withdrawn his candidacy.

What happens next?

Those who win their primaries will move on to the general election in November.

As mentioned before, each gubernatorial candidate in the general election will select a running mate. That running mate will serve as the state's Lieutenant Governor if their ticket wins the election.

What about the congressional primaries?

We have a list of congressional primary candidates in a separate story.

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