By Daniel Stefanski |
Arizona’s Senate President continues to stand in for an absentee attorney general in defense of key state and national laws.
Senate President Warren Petersen recently participated in a panel discussion with three state attorneys general, which was hosted by the Republican Attorneys General Association. In a post on his X account, Petersen said, “I sat on a panel discussion with 3 of the best AGs in the country to discuss possible legal action to take to secure the border. Thanks to the forsight of a prior legislature (see ARS 12-1841) as President I have been given standing to step in and defend our laws when our current AG fails to. In the last two years I have been involved with dozens of lawsuits. I will continue to do all I can to protect AZ when the AG fails.”
Petersen’s appearance with the attorneys general from New Hampshire, South Dakota, and Kansas, may have sent the strongest signal to date in Arizona about the likelihood and strength of a campaign for the job of the state’s top prosecutor in 2026.
The Republican Senate leader has quickly put his stamp of influence on the state over the past two years in Arizona’s divided government, forcing Democrat Governor Katie Hobbs to relent on her key priorities in two straight budgets, stopping left-wing agenda items from becoming reality, and protecting key state and national laws in the absence of Democrat Attorney General Kris Mayes. Under Petersen’s direction, the Arizona Legislature has joined over fifty legal matters across the nation, including lawsuits, amicus briefs, comments, and letters. He is also defending at least five state laws that Mayes declined to intervene in.
Many of the several briefs and lawsuits Petersen has signed onto are spearheaded by Republican attorneys general, giving him firsthand experience in the world of a state’s top prosecutor for select issues. If he would run for the office, it is unknown who – if anyone – might contend with him for the primary election nomination. Petersen is believed to have significant support within the different factions of the Republican Party in Arizona, which may help him to stave off a serious challenge and to save resources for the General Election with Mayes.
President Petersen recently acknowledged the “24 AGs who have written amicus briefs to SCOTUS for the case Warren Petersen et al. v. Jane Doe et al. in Support of AZs Save Women’s Sports act.” He added that, “Mayes refused to defend the law so I have intervened. … I will do all I can to make sure our girls can compete safely and on a fair playing field.”
Republican and Democrat attorneys general around the country are expected to flip their current legal roles with the incoming Trump administration in January. Republicans will likely assume positions in support of most of the White House’s agenda, while Democrats will take the lead on challenging executive actions from the various federal departments and agencies in Washington, D.C. Petersen, who will probably continue his growing partnership with Republican attorneys general, and Mayes, will assuredly be on opposing sides on a number of legal, policy, and political issues throughout the next two years, giving Arizona voters valuable insight on their values for the state and the office.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.