by Warren Petersen | Jun 26, 2026 | Opinion
By Sen. Warren Petersen |
Earlier this spring, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) released a new policy on protecting women’s sports in future Games. The Committee concluded that “for all disciplines on the Sports Programme of an IOC Event, including individual and team sports, eligibility for any Female Category is limited to Biological Females.”
The IOC’s rationale was very thorough and scientific. The Committee found that “to protect fairness in sports and events that rely on strength, power, and/or endurance, as well as safety particularly in contact sports, it is necessary and adequate to base eligibility for competition on biological sex.” The IOC’s new policy should be applauded, yet it came on the backs of decisive and unapologetic leadership from President Donald J. Trump, former female athlete Riley Gaines, and so many others.
For the vast majority of Americans, this finding was celebrated. Most people still believe in science and common sense to drive their thoughts about everyday life, including the line between men’s and women’s sports. A 2025 NBC News Stay Tuned Poll showed that 75% of respondents disagreed with biological male athletes competing in female sports. In a January 2025 Iposos survey, 94% of Republicans, 67% of Democrats, and 64% of Independents also indicated their preference for protecting the integrity of women’s sports.
While the IOC and the majority of the American public may agree on the scientific facts behind biological men and women and the necessities of safeguarding women’s sports, many elected Democrats around the nation, including in Arizona, do not. It was unfortunate to see that while only a minority of national Democrats think boys should be able to play in girls’ sports, one hundred percent of Arizona’s out-of-touch liberal legislators voted to allow boys in girls’ sports. These Democrats are holding on to crazy, unscientific, and dangerous fantasies about opening women’s sports for any and all comers. They would rather jeopardize the safety of girls and women to protect the feelings of men pretending to be women.
The issue transcends women’s sports, as it has included a malicious desire to allow men into women’s private spaces, such as bathrooms, showers, and locker rooms. Across the country, Democrats have continually blurred the lines between men and women and what we have historically held sacred in this country (for very good reasons). Again, most reasonable people do not believe that a biological man should be allowed to walk into a woman’s restricted area. Yet this has been happening for years and celebrated by the left.
The ultimate gaslighting is telling a boy that he is a girl or that he can invade girls’ private spaces and arenas. I can’t wake up one day and decide I want to identify as a cat – no matter how much I match my appearance to our feline friends. If I did so, then people would rightly think I’ve lost my mind. This is what has been happening, though, around America. People are showing their insanity by working to bend the rules of biology.
That’s why as Senate President, I’ve refused to capitulate to the crazy and dangerous ideas of the left – and I’ve actually gone on the offensive for what’s right. I’ve led the charge on safeguarding girls’ bathrooms, locker rooms, and sports. I’ve even spearheaded the defense of Arizona’s commonsense law protecting the integrity of women’s sports, taking our case (Jane Doe v. Warren Petersen) all the way to the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS). Currently, SCOTUS is considering two of these women’s sports cases (from West Virginia and Idaho), and the forthcoming opinion will decide the fate of other laws being held up in federal litigation, including Arizona’s. In fact, I was sitting in the Supreme Court next to Attorneys General McCuskey and Labrador during the oral arguments for this case at the beginning of the year. It was sadly unsurprising to hear that some of the Justices didn’t know the biological definition of a woman. Fortunately, though, for the rest of real America, most of the Justices did know the biological definition of a woman – and I believe we will receive a 6-3 ruling in favor of science and common sense.
Unfortunately, for Arizonans – especially the girls and women depending on their government officials to protect their safety and decency in public spaces – our state has a Democrat governor and attorney general who are both unwilling to listen to the majority of reasonable people and stand for the integrity of women’s sports or the decency of privacy in bathrooms, showers, and locker rooms. Governor Katie Hobbs vetoed several reasonable attempts by the Republican-led Arizona Legislature to protect females in these arenas and spaces, while Attorney General Kris Mayes has been absent throughout the process to defend Arizona’s Save Women’s Sports Act.
As the IOC found in creating its new policy for future Olympic Games, “biological sex, which is divided into categories (Male and Female, based on their reproductive biology, including their sex chromosomes, gonads and hormones, is distinct from gender identity, which is a person’s sense of themselves as a woman or a man or neither/non-binary.” This finding didn’t used to be controversial at all, and it still isn’t in most American circles. The problem is that we’ve allowed a few (though growing number of) radicals to influence our policies across our states, nation, and world, leading to chaos and insanity about these unalterable scientific laws.
Though this debate has been raging now for several years, we are still relatively in the early stages of the war over women’s sports and private spaces. We cannot lose this battle or allow future generations of Americans to grow up in a new normal, where boys and men are allowed unfettered access to girls’ and women’s restricted areas or sports. That’s why I’m fighting every day to protect women’s sports and private spaces.
Warren Petersen is the President of the Arizona State Senate and represents Legislative District 14. He is currently running to be Arizona’s next Attorney General.
by Warren Petersen | Jun 18, 2026 | Opinion
By Sen. Warren Petersen |
Earlier this spring, a federal judge in Phoenix had to step in and protect law-abiding Americans from a prosecutor who had lost all sense of limits. He struck down Kris Mayes’s case against the prediction market Kalshi and, in doing so, exposed one of the more reckless abuses of government power our state has seen in recent memory.
The story should alarm every Arizonan, regardless of whether you have ever placed a trade. In March, Mayes made Arizona the first state in the nation to bring criminal charges against a federally regulated exchange—twenty counts against an American company operating under the direct supervision of the federal Commodity Futures Trading Commission. And she didn’t stop at the criminal docket, either; her allies in the state government pressed a parallel civil campaign to choke an American innovator out of existence.
It took a respected federal judge, appointed by President Trump, to end the spectacle. In finding that federal law leaves “no room for state regulation” of these markets, he warned against precisely the “inconsistent regulatory patchwork that Congress intended to avoid,” and that Mayes tried to foist on Arizonans. Mayes’s crusade was doomed from the start, and any honest lawyer in her office could have told her so. Instead, she torched your tax dollars and Arizona’s reputation, all to chase a headline.
This is what the weaponization of a prosecutor’s office looks like. We have watched the radical left turn the law into a club against the people they dislike: parents, police, people of faith, and President Trump himself. Mayes has now turned that club on the future. Prediction markets let ordinary citizens put their own judgment, and their own money, behind what they actually believe will happen in the economy and the world. They cut through the noise of the mainstream media and pundit class, and they are one piece of a sweeping wave of financial innovation that is remaking the global economy in real time.
President Trump understands this in his bones. While Mayes was busy criminalizing the future, the President was busy building it. His CFTC Chairman, Michael Selig, has led the charge, defending federal authority in courtrooms across the country, advancing clear and sensible national rules, and declaring that America’s financial markets are ready for a new Golden Age. The President has been emphatic that the CFTC must retain exclusive authority over these markets, and he is right. That is America First leadership: clear rules, room to grow, and the confidence that fifty different prosecutors won’t be allowed to strangle American innovation in its crib.
Arizona ought to be racing to the front of that parade. Instead, our Democratic officials keep stomping on the brakes. I led the fight to make Arizona the first state in the country with a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, only for Governor Katie Hobbs to veto it. I pushed to let Arizonans pay their taxes in digital currency. Again and again, the message from this state’s Democrats has been the same: if you dare to build something new, we will tax it, ban it, or drag you into court. Innovators don’t flee to Texas and Florida by accident. They flee politicians who treat builders like criminals.
I have spent fourteen years at the Capitol doing the opposite—defending the Constitution, guarding taxpayers, and standing up for the right to build without first begging permission from the government. As your attorney general, I will never turn the power of that office into a weapon against a company for the crime of innovating. I will use it to defend Arizonans, to enforce the law as it is actually written, and to show Washington’s worst instincts, and our own state’s, exactly where the line is drawn.
This task is too important to leave to my opponent in the Republican primary. Rodney Glassman didn’t merely vote for Democrats, he ran for the U.S. Senate as a Democrat at the request of another liberal Democratic attorney general, Terry Goddard. So, ask yourself: when the radical left comes for innovation, for crypto, for free markets—and they will come—who do you want holding the line? A proven conservative who has already taken the arrows, or a man who spent the prime of his career carrying the other team’s banner and discovered his “convictions” only when trying to grab President Trump’s coattails?
The attorney general’s job is not to chase headlines by prosecuting the future. It is to be the wall that protects the rights, the savings, and the freedom of Arizonans. Kris Mayes tore that wall down. I intend to rebuild it.
President Trump is leading America into a Golden Age of growth, opportunity, and renewed confidence. Arizona belongs at the front of that charge, but is instead being dragged from behind, handing out indictments to the people who create our jobs. Give me the honor of serving as your attorney general, and I’ll make sure that our great state is exactly where it should be.
Warren Petersen is the President of the Arizona State Senate and represents Legislative District 14. He is currently running to be Arizona’s next Attorney General.
by Warren Petersen | May 7, 2026 | Opinion
By Sen. Warren Petersen |
Over the past three years, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes has been executing a political agenda.
She has refused to defend state laws—while going out of her way to attack common-sense federal policies—simply on the grounds that she personally disagrees.
She’s failed to uphold our values. She’s destroyed common sense. And she has pursued an extreme political agenda to appease her party leadership—all the while undermining President Trump’s efforts to make America great again.
Principled, hard-working Arizonans have paid the price for her politically motivated dereliction of duty.
I’m running for Attorney General because Arizona desperately needs a top law enforcement officer who will uphold our laws and fairly represent Arizona families.
As Senate President, I’ve taken part in over 110 lawsuits to ensure Arizona’s laws and interests are defended when the Attorney General wouldn’t act. We have led an unprecedented campaign to protect Arizonans, and our action has provided unparalleled experience.
I’ve defended Arizona’s sex offender registration laws. The case in question, Doe v. Sheridan, argues whether our state can mandate convicted sex offenders to keep law enforcement informed, including reporting online identifiers used on social media and other platforms, so officers can investigate crimes and prevent future harms. The Arizona Legislature stepped up and successfully defended the sex offender registration laws in court after the Arizona attorney general failed to carry out her responsibility to do so.
I’ve defended the integrity of girls’ sports. As Senate President, I’ve led the defense of Arizona’s Save Women’s Sports Act in federal court against special interests seeking to allow boys to play in girls’ sports. We’ve taken this case all the way to the Supreme Court, and we’re waiting on a major ruling from the nation’s high court on similar cases that could affect Arizona’s law.
I’ve defended laws dealing with the First Amendment. One of those cases was Chiles v. Salazar, where the Arizona Legislature joined a challenge to Colorado’s conversion therapy ban. Another was in NRA v. Vullo, where we challenged whether the State of New York could threaten banks with adverse regulatory actions if they provided services to the National Rifle Association.
I’ve defended laws related to the Second Amendment. One of those cases was Smith & Wesson v. Mexico, defending American firearms manufacturers from being held liable from frivolous lawsuits from foreign entities. Another was Miller v. Bonta, challenging California’s ban on the manufacture, distribution, importation, and possession of various firearms.
I’ve defended laws related to the Eighth Amendment. Under my leadership, the Arizona Senate filed briefs to allow cities to disband homelessness encampments, winning at the Supreme Court.
I’ve defended the state’s right to carry out justice regarding capital punishment.
I’ve defended election integrity. We intervened to defend Arizona’s ability to make sure only citizens are voting in our elections.
I’ve defended our state against radical environmentalists. In Petersen v. EPA, we sued the Biden-led EPA to overturn unattainable environmental standards that punished job creators, and detrimentally impacted America’s power grid. We joined a lawsuit to block a California rule forcing trucking drivers to use less efficient battery-powered vehicles, which would have further increased the costs of everyday items.
I’ve defended our state against unconstitutional executive overreach. We challenged then-President Biden’s executive order forcing federal contractors and their employees to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
And I’ve defended our state against rampant government encroachment on our lands.
Thanks to my involvement in these—and dozens of other legal efforts—I’ve been called Arizona’s de facto Attorney General, stepping in where our liberal Attorney General has shamefully abdicated her role. Our engagement in these matters has allowed me to serve our great citizens and provide leadership where none existed. It’s time for Arizona to once again have an Attorney General committed to serving all the people—not just partisan special interests.
Warren Petersen is the President of the Arizona State Senate and represents Legislative District 14. He is currently running to be Arizona’s next Attorney General.
by Warren Petersen | Feb 23, 2026 | Opinion
By Sen. Warren Petersen |
Earlier this year, I introduced a bill in the legislature to designate one of our state’s busiest freeways, Loop 202, as the Charlie Kirk Loop 202, in honor of the life, work, and legacy of an Arizonan whose voice, energy, and commitment to civic engagement resonated across this state and throughout the nation. Charlie stood unapologetically for free speech, open debate, and civic participation. For future generations to understand and celebrate those ideals, this bill must become law.
Charlie Kirk devoted his life to public discourse and political participation. He traveled the country—and even the world—engaging Americans, especially young people, in robust discussion on the issues that shape our future. Even as opinions diverged, he believed Americans could—and must—engage one another civilly and respectfully, anchored in the principles of free speech and civic responsibility. This belief has been under serious assault, with a growing number of Americans looking to silence their opponents and disagreeable viewpoints, rather than looking for common bonds that should unite us. Charlie rejected this dangerous mindset, and he relentlessly searched for avenues and platforms to reverse this dangerous trend.
On September 10, 2025, Charlie was speaking at an event in Utah when he was fatally and tragically shot—assassinated for exercising free speech in the heart of a college campus, which he had done hundreds of times during his shortened life. His death was an act of political violence and terror that shocked our nation and renewed discussions on the importance of preserving civil discourse. Millions across the country mourned his passing and sought to understand more about his thinking and prolific writings about countless issues of moral, societal, and political importance.
Charlie understood better than most the beauty and necessity of the First Amendment—even acknowledging that he might have to pay the ultimate price for his willingness to engage the masses. He believed disagreement should be met with dialogue, not division. He believed vigorous debate strengthens our republic rather than weakens it, and that Americans can still find common ground even when deep divisions exist. His dedication to these ideals inspired millions and encouraged countless individuals to participate actively in civic life. Few public figures reached young Americans the way Charlie did, and his influence was only growing as he worked tirelessly to re-elect President Donald J. Trump to the White House in 2024.
Arizona was not only Charlie’s home. It was where he built an organizational empire with international reach as a teenager, where he raised a family, and developed a national following among young Americans. Charlie’s tremendous impact on America was evident as two large stadiums of people showed up to pay their respects at his memorial. In fact, Charlie posthumously received the honor of the largest memorial service our state had ever seen in its history. Never has an Arizona citizen received so much respect and adoration from its citizens. And all of the bestowed honors were richly and rightly earned by a man who had done so much to restore our nation to the spirit of our Founding Fathers when they fought to give us a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
Designating Loop 202—the roadway that carries hundreds of thousands of drivers each day—as the Charlie Kirk Loop 202 ensures that his contribution to civic engagement, free speech, and the public square will not be forgotten. This highway winds through the Valley of the Sun, which encompasses the fifth-largest city in the United States, serving not only Arizonans but visitors from across the nation and abroad. It would be a great tragedy if this legislation failed because of partisan obstinance. Instead, let us unite across party affiliations to resolve that this name will stand as a daily reminder of the principles he lived for and the importance of peaceful civic participation. It’s only right that the state Charlie called his home gives back to a patriot who sacrificed his life to promote and defend our God-given right to free speech.
Warren Petersen is the President of the Arizona State Senate and represents Legislative District 14. He is currently running to be Arizona’s next Attorney General.
by Warren Petersen | Feb 12, 2026 | Opinion
By Sen. Warren Petersen |
Over the past couple of months, the nation’s eyes have (rightfully) been turned to the State of Minnesota, as concerned citizens have unearthed what appears to be significant abuses of taxpayer dollars going to seemingly fraudulent daycare and healthcare centers run by Somali immigrants. These discoveries have exposed Minnesota Democrat officials, who have (at the least) looked the other way as this fraud was ongoing and escalating.
Minnesota isn’t the only state where we are seeing this rampant misuse of hard-earned taxpayer dollars.
Over the past three years, Arizona has been governed by a Democrat Governor and Attorney General, Katie Hobbs and Kris Mayes. These two have combined to cultivate a culture of corruption in the Grand Canyon State that rivals the illegal shenanigans from Minnesota. There have been several instances of this abuse and chicanery from the Governor’s Office that the Attorney General’s Office has clearly provided cover for during this term in office.
Whether in Minnesota or Arizona or any other state or jurisdiction across the country, American taxpayers deserve honest, transparent public servants, who are committed to putting the interests of citizens above the political elite. Thankfully, for the people of Arizona, the Republican-led state legislature has worked to hold these lawless Democrats accountable to the rule of law, though Hobbs and Mayes continue to stonewall our efforts and perpetrate new avenues of corruption.
Inaugural Fund
Fresh off taking the oath of office, Hobbs proved herself unable to provide complete transparency to citizens with her inaugural fund. Arizona Governors have historically raised money to cover the expenses of their inaugurations, then transferred the excess funds to the state. However, Hobbs was reticent to share certain information of her donors and then withheld more than one million dollars from the state, forcing a clash with the legislature. This breakdown in transparency from the Governor’s Office led to legislation that codified the precedent predating Hobbs into law to mandate reporting of all future inauguration expenses and funds raised. The bill’s passage was overwhelmingly bipartisan – a rare feat in Arizona’s divided government, proving that Democrats understood the mess Hobbs had created for herself.
Hobbs Pay to Play
Likely the most egregious action of Hobbs’ administration to-date, the alleged pay-to-play scandal will define the culture of corruption surrounding her administration. Almost two years ago, The Arizona Republic reported that a for-profit, state-contracted group home operator, Sunshine Residential Homes, received a significant rate increase approval from the Hobbs-led Department of Child Services (DCS). Leading up to this rate increase, the group donated to Hobbs’ inaugural fund – after its request for a rate increase had been denied by the outgoing Republican administration. The reporting showed that Hobbs had not approved rate increases to any other group homes, nor were the rate averages for these group homes comparable with Sunshine Residential Homes. Additionally, DCS ended state contracts with 16 group homes, making the arrangement with Sunshine all the more suspicious.
Attorney General Kris Mayes did go through the motions of announcing an investigation into this alleged pay-to-play, but she attempted to order Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell and the Arizona Auditor General off the case – despite those offices being asked to investigate the uncovered scheme by state legislators. Mayes was soundly rebuked by Arizona Treasurer Kimberly Yee, who also requested that the Maricopa County and State Auditor General investigations continue. The Democrat Attorney General was also accused of a conflict of interest in that she was again shielding her same-party official from the full weight of accountability under the law. There have been no updates from Mayes’ office into the status of this investigation in almost two years, leading credence to the idea that this was a cover-up meant to protect Hobbs and her administration. Compounding the shady behavior from her administration, Hobbs vetoed a bill during last year’s legislative session meant to fool-proof future executives from exploiting any perceived loopholes to perpetuate this kind of abuse.
SNAP
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) program doles out almost $100 billion annually to Americans to purchase food. However, like many government programs, this one is rife with fraud and theft. According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, there were over $320 million in stolen benefits between October 2022 and December 2024. Additionally, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported in 2023 (during the Biden administration) that approximately twelve percent of these benefits were fraudulent. The politics and policies of this bloated program aside, it is undeniable that SNAP needs more oversight and guardrails to ensure that taxpayer dollars are being stewarded appropriately.
Hobbs and Mayes disagree. Mayes sued the Trump administration over its commonsense efforts to request more information from states on SNAP beneficiaries. Hobbs, for her part, refused to acquiesce to the administration’s data requests. These two are politicizing an issue that should enjoy consensus across party lines. No government official should be standing in the way of efforts to root out fraud in any public program, where taxpayer dollars are at risk for abuse. Every taxpayer dollar should be protected to the highest level. Unfortunately, for Arizona, Katie Hobbs and Kris Mayes don’t want the federal government – and the taxpayer – to find out exactly how much fraud is in our state; and that’s a shame.
Mayes Pay to Play
U.S. Congressman Abraham Hamadeh has asked the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate an alleged pay-to-play bribery scheme involving Kris Mayes and outside political organizations. The allegations claim Mayes received political benefits in exchange for official actions targeting political opponents.
Shady Operator
Late last year, a top official in Mayes’ State Government Division was arrested for “controlling and trafficking stolen property.” Mayes’ office had been warned by the City of Peoria nearly two years earlier about serious allegations against this official – including fraud, conversion, and breach of fiduciary duty – yet Mayes kept her in a position of authority leading up to her arrest.
Arizona has long been known for its rugged independence and spirit of doing the right thing. Unfortunately for our state and its proud history, that reputation is being shattered by the culture of corruption from Hobbs and Mayes. Democrats across the country – from Arizona to Minnesota – have proven themselves incapable of governing our states – the laboratories of democracy – as the people rightly expect and deserve. It will be up to the voters to course correct this November and usher in legislators and executives who can – and will – steward the peoples’ money as it was intended.
Warren Petersen is the President of the Arizona State Senate and represents Legislative District 14.
