Kris Mayes

A new HighGround poll shows Democrats ahead in Arizona's top statewide races one week before Election Day. Gov. Katie Hobbs leads Republican Andy Biggs, Democrat Adrian Fontes leads Republican Alexander Kolodin for secretary of state, and Democrat Kris Mayes leads Republican Warren Petersen for attorney general. The results are notable in a state where registered Republicans outnumber Democrats by roughly 300,000 voters.

Leading GOP candidates have embraced or been endorsed by President Donald Trump, which helped in primaries but appears to be a drag in the general election as Trump's approval rating has slipped. Analysts note undecided voters remain limited, though races could still tighten before polls close.

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes has joined the Federal Trade Commission and 11 other states in a bipartisan lawsuit seeking to block PlayPower's proposed acquisition of rival BCI Burke, two of the largest manufacturers of commercial playground equipment. Five companies currently control 85-90% of the U.S. market, and officials argue the deal would eliminate one of PlayPower's strongest competitors, raising prices and reducing quality and innovation for schools, parks, churches and recreation departments nationwide. PlayPower already owns brands including Miracle Recreation Equipment, Little Tikes Commercial and Playworld Systems. Other states joining the suit include California, Colorado, Illinois, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas and Washington.

A new HighGround poll shows Arizona Democrats leading Republicans across every major statewide race, despite the GOP holding a roughly 300,000-voter registration advantage in the state. Gov. Katie Hobbs leads Republican Andy Biggs by 17 points, Secretary of State Adrian Fontes leads Alexander Kolodin by 12 points, and Attorney General Kris Mayes leads Warren Petersen by 15 points. Democratic candidates for treasurer and superintendent also show high single-digit leads.

HighGround President Chuck Coughlin, whose firm is widely regarded as Arizona's top pollster, said the results surprised even him, estimating that 25-30% of Republican voters are not backing their party's candidates. Some voters cited dissatisfaction with President Donald Trump and GOP leadership as a motivating factor. The Biggs campaign disputed the poll's credibility, pointing to Coughlin's firm's ties to a group funding pro-Hobbs advertising; Coughlin said the poll was self-funded. With three weeks until Election Day, the findings add uncertainty to several closely watched Arizona races.

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.

Arizona officials have canceled state land leases held by AgTech LLC, a company that imported treated sewage sludge from California and applied it to farmland near Yuma, following years of complaints about fly infestations and foul odors. Gov. Katie Hobbs and Attorney General Kris Mayes announced the move after an Arizona State Land Department inspection found the company had violated its lease terms.

Investigators said AgTech applied more than 68,000 dry metric tons of biosolids to leased land, over 97% sourced from California utilities, at rates roughly 20 times higher than the state average. The Land Commissioner found AgTech in default on one lease and declined to renew four others, citing the state land trust's interests.

Local residents, including farmer Tayler Woodman, welcomed the decision after long advocating for action; Woodman said he was recently served a defamation lawsuit by AgTech. The company disputes the state's findings, plans to appeal, and argues its due process rights were violated. Residents continue pushing for further environmental testing.

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes has opened an investigation into whether major fire truck manufacturers engaged in anticompetitive practices amid a nationwide firefighting equipment crisis. Arizona fire departments have reported soaring costs and years-long wait times for new ladder trucks and pumper engines, leaving crews reliant on equipment past its service life. The office noted that price increases coincided with industry consolidation, as three companies—REV Group, Oshkosh (which owns Pierce Manufacturing), and Rosenbauer America—now control most of the market, alongside unexplained manufacturing slowdowns despite high demand.

The average price of a pumper truck has more than doubled since 2015, from under $500,000 to over $1 million, while ladder trucks now exceed $2 million. Phoenix reports three- to four-year wait times for new trucks. Texas launched a similar probe in February, and several cities have filed a class action lawsuit alleging price fixing and supply suppression. The International Association of Fire Fighters has pushed for federal action; manufacturers have denied wrongdoing.