Mayes County, Oklahoma

Arizona's attorney general race is heating up as Democratic incumbent Kris Mayes and Republican challenger Warren Petersen, the state Senate president, faced off in their first televised debate. Mayes, who narrowly defeated Abe Hamadeh by 280 votes in 2022 in a recount-triggering finish, is seeking a second term against Petersen, who won the GOP nomination in July over Rodney Glassman.

The debate turned combative over law enforcement, with Petersen citing Mayes' past comments about masked immigration agents, which drew criticism from police groups and Gov. Katie Hobbs, while Mayes countered by pointing to Petersen's legislative voting record on police-related bills. The candidates also clashed over immigration detention facilities, including a $1.2 billion federally funded expansion in Florence, ICE's role in Arizona, and how to handle young migrants brought to the country as children. They split over data centers, with Petersen favoring expansion under local control and Mayes urging caution. Their sharpest divide remains relations with Washington: Mayes has filed more than 50 lawsuits against the Trump administration over mail-in ballot restrictions, tariffs, and vaccine rules, while Petersen, a strong Trump supporter, has pledged to drop those challenges if elected. Polling from AARP and Noble Predictive Insights shows Mayes with a modest lead, with about one in five voters still undecided.

Arizona's attorney general race pits Democratic incumbent Kris Mayes, who won the seat by just 280 votes in 2022, against Republican Warren Petersen, the state Senate president since 2021. Mayes points to actions against scams, fentanyl trafficking, corporate mergers and rising rents, while Petersen has campaigned on restoring the office's focus on crime, fraud and corruption, backed by endorsements from major law enforcement organizations.

Donald Trump looms large over the contest. Mayes has joined multiple lawsuits against Trump administration policies, including mail-in voting restrictions, tariffs and vaccine rules, and has defended abortion access after Arizona's near-total abortion ban was upheld. Petersen, a strong Trump ally who helped launch the 2020 election audit in Maricopa County, supports the abortion ban, backs restrictions on transgender athletes, and has pledged to support mass deportations. Polling shows Mayes with a modest lead, but with a large share of undecided voters, the race is expected to be one of Arizona's closest statewide contests this cycle.