In a dramatic escalation of Arizona’s education politics, State Treasurer Kimberly Yee officially launched her campaign for Superintendent of Public Instruction this morning, setting up a high-stakes Republican primary against incumbent Tom Horne. At a Senate Lawn press conference on 5/28/25, at 9:30 a.m., Yee declared her intent to unseat Horne, citing concerns over his management of the Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program.

“Our state’s children and their families are too important to be left paying the price for petty political games and empty campaign rhetoric,” Yee stated. The Arizona Globe reported on Yee’s presser on May 28, 2025.

Yee, who is term-limited as Treasurer, emphasized her commitment to school choice while criticizing Horne for what she described as “government overreach” in the administration of the ESA program. Backing Yee’s candidacy is Senator Jake Hoffman, a prominent advocate for the ESA program, who previously criticized Horne’s oversight.

Following Yee’s announcement, current Superintendent Tom Horne held his own 11 a.m. press conference, and provided a statement to The Arizona Globe, saying, “Since taking office, I’ve grown the ESA program from 12,000 students to nearly 100,000 students. I’ve also prioritized school safety by increasing the number of officers on campus from 80 to almost 600.”

Horne, who positions himself as a leading conservative voice in Arizona education, took aim at Yee’s sudden challenge.

“I’ve been the leading conservative voice who has fought for our values against our liberal Governor and Attorney General,” Horne stated. “I didn’t envision that the lone Republican executive office holder would choose to run against me.”

He went on to signal that he’s prepared to defend his record on the debate stage:

“I look forward to debating her and asking why she has adopted this new philosophy—one that would have taxpayer dollars spent on a $15,000 pinball machine, a $5,000 Rolex, a $24,000 golf simulator, and even a vasectomy kit.”

Horne ended by reiterating his support for the ESA program, adding, “We have very few cases of fraud. But the teachers’ union seizes on each one to try to dismantle this successful program.”

This race is shaping up to be one of the most watched Republican primaries of 2026, with both candidates bringing high name recognition to the table.