Mark Lamb (sheriff)

With Election Day approaching, Arizona candidates are facing renewed scrutiny over past controversies. Secretary of State candidate Alex Kolodin has drawn attention over an old video of a run-in with police, while Sheriff Mark Lamb has faced accusations tied to explicit text messages. Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs was previously cleared in a pay-to-play investigation conducted by the state attorney general, also a Democrat.

Political consultant Stan Barnes said campaign teams routinely dig up opponents' past incidents, and that timing such revelations is a deliberate strategy: releasing damaging information early can allow it to be forgotten, while surfacing it closer to voting can maximize impact. Barnes noted some candidates try to get ahead of potential scandals by disclosing them first, citing George W. Bush's and Barack Obama's acknowledgment of past personal struggles in their own writings. Barnes expects the most significant attacks on current Arizona candidates to emerge as early ballots begin arriving in October, a dynamic relevant to prediction markets tracking competitive statewide races.