By Matthew Holloway |
Democratic state Rep. Lydia Hernandez (D-LD24) has accused DJ Quinlan, a political consultant identified in state filings as Attorney General Kris Mayes’ campaign treasurer, of contacting her personal cellphone to pressure her over her endorsement of Republican Warren Petersen for attorney general.
Hernandez described the contact in a statement on Facebook accompanied by screenshots of the exchange. She said Quinlan texted her to criticize her decision to support Petersen and characterized the contact as harassment.
“This morning, DJ Quinlan, a political consultant associated with Kris Mayes’ campaign, texted me directly on my personal cell phone to criticize me over my endorsement of Warren Petersen for Arizona Attorney General. There is a difference between political disagreement and crossing the line,” Hernandez wrote. “We are not friends. We are not colleagues. I have never worked with him.”
The screenshots display the contact name “DJ” and the initials “DQ.” Hernandez identified the sender as Quinlan. The first incoming message reads, “Wow, you endorse the guy who told dreamers to be prepared to be deported. Gross. Selfish politician.”
Hernandez’s replies read, “Who is this?” followed by, “A text to insult me? Please refrain from contacting me again.”
The next incoming message reads, “To shame you. But you have no shame.”
A second screenshot shows Hernandez responding with a personal criticism, part of which is redacted. The sender then replies, “Oh, you remembered that we have talked” and “Good for you.”
“Mayes campaign harassing one of my endorsers. Mayes should condemn this unacceptable behavior,” Petersen wrote in a post to X. “This is par for the course for Mayes and her unprofessional team. I will restore respect and professionalism to the office.”
A campaign finance report for Kris Mayes for Arizona, covering the second quarter of 2025, lists “Quinlan, DJ” as treasurer. Petersen identified the person accused of sending the messages as Mayes’ treasurer in a second post to X.
In his follow-up, Petersen called on Mayes to remove the treasurer, writing, “Mayes should drop him and condemn his unprofessional behavior.”
The accusation follows Hernandez’s endorsement of Petersen over Mayes. Hernandez represents Legislative District 24 and cited public safety and schools in explaining her support for the Republican Senate president.
In a statement to AZ Free News, Mayes Campaign Manager Delaney Corcoran wrote:
“Informing someone who represents Maryvale and Arizona’s Latino community that they have endorsed an extremist who has promised family separations and the mass deportation of 70,000 Dreamers is not a threat. Intimidation is what we’ve seen from Jake Hoffman, TPUSA and other Warren supporters: aggressively attacking and calling for retribution against the 50 Republicans who bravely endorsed Attorney General Kris Mayes. Those are two very different things.”
In the statement shared by Petersen, Hernandez again pointed to school safety and said Petersen had committed to working with state education officials, the Auditor General’s Office, and the Legislature on school oversight and accountability.
“My political endorsements are my decision,” Hernandez wrote. “You can disagree with me politically all you want, but respect my boundaries.”
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.
