By Matthew Holloway |
Republican secretary of state nominee Rep. Alexander Kolodin (R-LD3) accused Democratic incumbent Adrian Fontes of trying to avoid a general election debate after Fontes proposed holding the debate on Sept. 21, which falls on Yom Kippur.
In a post on X, Kolodin wrote, “Adrian Fontes is trying to duck out of debating me.” He said Fontes had requested a change to the debate date and made himself available on Sept. 21, which Kolodin described as the “one and only date” offered. Kolodin also shared an image of an email from Gina Roberts, Voter Education Director with the Citizens Clean Elections Commission, showing September 21st at 6 PM as the only date and time.
Yom Kippur, which means the Day of Atonement, begins at sunset on Sunday, Sept. 20, and ends at nightfall on Monday, Sept. 21, in 2026. It’s the holiest day on the Jewish calendar and work is prohibited during its observance. Kolodin said he observes the holiday and would be unable to debate that day because of his religious obligations.
He wrote:
“Adrian Fontes has requested a change in the debate date and made himself available on the one and only date that religious obligation would prevent me from debating him.
“September 21st is Yom Kippur, a religious holiday that is adhered to by Jewish residents of the State of Arizona, including myself. Jews are forbidden from performing work of any kind on that day. Adrian Fontes already knows this, which is why the singular date he offered up was that date.
“This is cowardly, pathetic, and un-American.”
Fontes responded on X later Tuesday, rejecting Kolodin’s accusation that he planned to avoid the debate.
“Stop lying to Arizonans. We’re working to lock in a date that works for the production team and gives voters a chance to tune in,” he wrote.
The Arizona Media Association’s current public schedule lists the 2026 secretary of state debate date as “TBD.” The Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Commission, which is producing the statewide debate series with the association, said candidate coordination would guide the final schedule and that the debates would be produced at SNEAKY BIG studios.
The published schedules leave the previously proposed date and the candidates’ private scheduling exchanges unspecified. Kolodin’s post included no correspondence from Fontes, Clean Elections, or the production team. Fontes’ response gave no proposed dates.
Kolodin said he would clear his calendar for a debate on another day. He also used the post to renew campaign allegations concerning Fontes’ handling of proof-of-citizenship requirements, voting eligibility for law-enforcement officers, county election canvasses, and voter security. His post included no supporting documents for those four allegations, and Fontes’ scheduling response did not address them.
Kolodin, a Republican state representative for Legislative District 3, defeated former Arizona Republican Party Chair Gina Swoboda in the Republican primary. Fontes, a Democrat, has served as Arizona’s secretary of state since 2023 and is seeking a second term.
The state’s election calendar sets Oct. 5 as the voter-registration deadline and Oct. 7 as the start of early voting in Arizona’s general election.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the secretary of state debate remained without a publicly announced date.
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.
