Petersen Turning AZ AG Race Into Referendum on Mayes

PHOENIX — Senate President Warren Petersen is trying to make Arizona’s attorney general race a referendum on Democratic incumbent Kris Mayes, arguing that the office has become a partisan legal weapon while positioning himself as the Republican candidate best prepared to redirect it. Petersen, who has spent the past 14 years in the State House of Representatives and the Senate, is locking horns with businessman Rodney Glassman in the July 21, 2026, GOP primary, with the winner advancing to face Mayes in November. The race is one of Arizona’s most closely watched statewide contests and part of a broader national trend in which attorney general campaigns have become high-dollar fights over federal power, immigration, election law, and the role of state attorneys general in national litigation. Arizona is considered one of the most competitive incumbent AG races nationally.

Petersen’s campaign is built around a central contrast with Mayes: he says he has spent years defending Republican-backed state laws from the Legislature. At the same time, Mayes has used the attorney general’s office to challenge the Trump administration and pursue politically charged cases. At a recent Republican primary debate, Petersen said he has “overwhelming support from the legal community and from law enforcement” because he has been “defending the laws where she is not.”

Mayes, by contrast, is running as an incumbent with a record of consumer protection cases and legal action against the federal government. Axios reported that she had filed more than two dozen lawsuits against the Trump administration since taking office. At the same time, her campaign has also emphasized opposition to the Kroger-Albertsons merger and utility rate increases. Republicans argue that her record gives the GOP a clear opening to portray her as too partisan for a state where she won in 2022 by only 280 votes.

The Petersen-Glassman primary has become a separate test of credentials, electability, and Republican identity. Glassman, a former Tucson city councilman and repeat statewide candidate, has attacked Petersen as a career politician. At the same time, Petersen has leaned on his legislative leadership, legal background, and support from conservative lawmakers and law enforcement figures. The primary has also turned personal at times, with coverage of their May 2026 debate noting insults and name-calling between the two candidates.

Fundraising underscores the stakes. Transparency USA data through March 31 showed nearly $5.8 million in total contributions in the attorney general race. Mayes reported about $2.25 million in contributions and $626,000 in expenditures. Petersen reported about $1.23 million in contributions and roughly $106,600 in expenditures, while Glassman led the Republican field with about $2.32 million in contributions and about $284,000 spent (Ballotpedia).

Outside spending has also begun shaping the race. Arizona Mirror reported in June that Restore Order Arizona PAC, backed in part by private prison company GEO Group and other interests, was spending to boost Petersen with an immigration-focused ad. Mayes’ campaign responded by targeting the PAC’s funding sources, previewing how Democrats may seek to define Petersen before the general election if he wins the nomination.

The attorney general race is drawing attention alongside other high-visibility Arizona contests, including the gubernatorial, secretary of state, and superintendent races. Early voting began June 24 for the July 21 primary, with Axios identifying the Republican attorney general primary between Petersen and Glassman as one of the marquee statewide races on the ballot.

For Petersen, the immediate challenge is surviving a bruising primary without weakening his general-election case against Mayes. His argument rests on experience, legal conservatism, and a promise to defend state laws Mayes has opposed or declined to defend. Mayes’ counterargument is that her record reflects the proper role of an attorney general: a willingness to challenge unlawful federal action and pursue consumer protection cases.

That contrast is likely to define the fall campaign. Petersen is asking Republican voters first and, potentially, Arizona independents later, to see the attorney general’s office as a legal check on Democrat power. Mayes is betting voters will view her record as evidence of independence rather than overreach.