2026 Election: Here's who's running for governor in Arizona
PHOENIX - 2026's election season may seem far away, but some have already started to lay the groundwork for a gubernatorial run, in what could be a tight race.
Here's what to know.
Why is Arizona holding a governor vote in 2026?
Arizona is required to hold a gubernatorial election in 2026, due to the state's constitution.
Dig deeper:
Under Arizona's constitution, the state's executive offices, including the Governor, the Secretary of State, the Attorney General, and the Superintendent of Public Instruction, serve four-year terms beginning in January 1971, following the regular general election that happened months prior, in 1970.
Who's currently serving as governor in Arizona?
Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs (From Archive)
Katie Hobbs has been the state's governor since 2023. She took office after she won the November 2022 election against her Republican opponent, Kari Lake.
What is new for this election?
What's next:
As a result of Proposition 131, which was approved by voters in 2022, a gubernatorial candidate will select a running mate as lieutenant governor, and the two will be elected on a joint ticket.
Prior to the passage of Proposition 131, Arizona's Secretary of State would have succeeded as governor in the event of a governor's death, incapacitation, or removal from office.
Have people expressed interest in running for governor yet?
A number of candidates have expressed their intent to run for the state's top office.
What we know:
Per the Arizona Secretary of State's website, as of June 3, 2025, there are 15 people who have filed Statements of Interest to run for governor. They include:
Democratic Party
- Saint Omer "Captain" Kakou
Green Party
- Lisa Castillo
- Risa Lombardo
- William Pounds IV
Libertarian Party
- Barry Hess
Republican Party
- Christopher Ames
- Andy Biggs
- Isiah Gallegos
- Christian "Maverick" Grey
- Robert McVeigh
- Donald Mucheck
- Scott Neely
- George Nicholson
- Karrin Taylor Robson
- Alan White
It is important to note that, according to the Secretary of State's Office, filing a Statement of Interest only indicates a person is collecting petition signatures for a possible nomination. It is not a formal candidacy declaration because it requires the filing of a nomination paper.
Are some people refusing to run for governor?
A number of politicians have announced their decision to not run for governor, and that includes Kari Lake, who last ran for governor in 2022.
According to a report by Iowa-based newspaper Des Moines Register, a spokesperson for Lake confirmed that she is not running for office, amid speculation she will run Iowa's governor seat.
Another person previously deemed as a potential gubernatorial candidate is Adrian Fontes. According to a Washington Post article in December 2024, Fontes previously considered challenging Hobbs in the primary, but he has opted to run for re-election as Secretary of State instead.
Is Hobbs running for re-election?
What we know:
Hobbs has yet to make any official announcements on whether she will run for a second term. However, she is eligible for re-election under Arizona's constitution.
Have people made endorsements in the race?
Local perspective:
On April 22, 2025, Fox News reported that President Donald Trump has endorsed both Karrin Taylor Robson and Andy Biggs' respective campaigns for governor.
In a post on TruthSocial, President Trump called both Taylor Robson and Biggs "fantastic candidates" and "terrific people."
Trump endorses 2 candidates for AZ governor
In a post on Truth Social, President Donald Trump endorsed both Karrin Taylor Robson and Congressman Andy Biggs for governor.
"Either one will never let you down," Trump wrote.
On his social media page, Biggs said he has also received the endorsement of Charlie Kirk. A 2021 article by the Associated Press describes Kirk as a "conservative provocateur" and the leader of the group Turning Point USA.
What are the polls saying about the race?
Robson leads Biggs in AZ governor's race poll
The latest survey from Noble Predictive Insights shows Karrin Taylor Robson leading Andy Biggs with 24% of GOP voters choosing her.
The Primary:
According to figures from a poll conducted from May 12 to May 16, 2025, by Noble Predictive Insights, 24% of those surveyed support Taylor Robson in a four-way hypothetical primary that includes Biggs, Kirk, and incumbent State Treasurer Kimberly Yee. In that same poll, Biggs had 17% support, while 37% of those surveyed say they are not sure as to who they will support.
As noted above, Kirk has endorsed Biggs' campaign. Meanwhile, Yee has opted to run instead for the GOP's nomination as Superintendent of Public Instruction.
Officials with Noble Predictive Insights said due to Biggs' and Kirk's "shared ideological profile and overlapping favorability ratings among GOP voters," it is likely that some who support Kirk will rally around Biggs, going on to say that it is possible for Biggs to displace Taylor Robson and become the new front runner in the primary.
The poll's margin of error is +/- 4.76%, involving a sample of 1,026 registered Arizona voters.
The General Election:
Figures from the same Noble Predictive Insights poll show a tight race for Gov. Hobbs, with the incumbent Governor polling at 41% against Taylor Robson's 39%, and polling at 40% against Biggs, who was at 38%.
In both hypothetical match-ups, 17% of those surveyed said they are unsure as to who they will support.
This poll's margin of error is +/- 3.06%, involving a sample of 1,026 registered Arizona voters.