warren petersen
Senate President Petersen Launches Bid For Arizona Attorney General

February 3, 2025

By Matthew Holloway |

Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen has formally announced his interest in running for State Attorney General and ousting Democrat incumbent AG Kris Mayes in 2026.

Petersen filed his statement of interest with the State of Arizona on last week, and the effort to gather signatures for his nomination has begun according to reporting from KJZZ. Petersen, who has been consistently critical of Mayes’ performance as AG, has regularly opposed her in litigation in his capacity as Senate President, supporting legislation challenged by the AG on largely political grounds.

He has also stepped in to defend state laws that Mayes has refused to defend in good faith, a core tenet of her role as Attorney General, and described her as an “activist.”

“We have been defending laws she has not. Not only have we done our job but hers as well,” Petersen told KJZZ via text.

In a statement reported by AZCentral, Petersen said, “Voters have delivered a message: they want legislators and top law enforcement officials to secure the border and make our neighborhoods safer. They want someone who will abide by and enforce our laws. Unfortunately, we have an activist Attorney General who has blatantly failed to enforce our laws.”

In an op-ed published by AZ Free News in December, Attorney Steve Twist and Phoenix radio host & Claremont Institute Senior Fellow Seth Leibsohn offered a fulsome endorsement of Petersen writing, “Whether as Judiciary Chairman, or now as Senate President; time and time again, he has demonstrated the ability, courage, and leadership to put Arizona first and fight for its interests, whether at the legislature, or in the courts. In many ways, for the last two years, Petersen has been the moral voice for justice in our legal affairs. Now is the right time for him to run to become the actual Attorney General.”

In a post to X announcing his intent to run, Petersen wrote, “Incredible endorsement from respected lawyer and former Assistant Attorney General Steve Twist and conservative radio show host Seth Leibsohn. At their behest and that of many in the legal community I have taken the first step to run for AG. Yesterday I filed a statement of interest.”

According to AZCentral, former Democrat and 2022 GOP Primary candidate Rodney Glassman has also filed a statement of interest for the 2026 race, and Duwayne Collier of the Green Party has as well.

Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.

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