Republican Arizona State Treasurer Kimberly Yee’s campaign for Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction in 2026 gained a significant boost as all living former Republican superintendents threw their support behind her, citing her financial stewardship, strong policy background, and long-standing commitment to parental rights and school choice.

The endorsements span more than three decades of Republican education leadership and came from Lisa Graham Keegan (1995–2001), Jaime Molera (2001–2003), John Huppenthal (2011–2015), and Diane Douglas (2015–2019). Together, the four painted a picture of Yee as a candidate uniquely equipped to restore stability and accountability to the Arizona Department of Education, contrasting her vision sharply with what they described as failures under current Superintendent Tom Horne.

Lisa Graham Keegan, who served during the expansion of charter schools in the 1990s, praised Yee’s reputation as a fiscal conservative who puts families first. “Kimberly Yee prioritizes fiscal responsibility while advocating for parents’ freedom to choose the best education for their children. Her financial management experience—as Treasurer, Majority Leader, and Education Committee chair—ensures taxpayer dollars are spent wisely and follow the child, exactly what Arizona needs,” Keegan said. She added that Yee is the candidate who can “safeguard Arizona’s ESA program” with transparency and accountability.

Jaime Molera echoed those sentiments, calling Yee’s breadth of experience “unparalleled.” Molera noted, “Kimberly is unabashedly committed to the highest quality education for children, regardless of where they live. She will fight for students and their families, not entrenched bureaucracies. Our great state needs, and deserves, someone of her caliber.”

Former Superintendent John Huppenthal, who oversaw a critical period of school choice expansion, was more pointed in his comparison to Tom Horne. “Even 30 years ago, Tom Horne was consistently and conspicuously silent in the fight for charter schools and school choice. Today, that same lack of vision is resulting in the most significant attack on our state’s nationally renowned school choice programs in history,” Huppenthal said. “Arizona needs a fighter… and that person is undoubtedly Kimberly Yee.”

Diane Douglas emphasized the cultural battles playing out in classrooms. “In the current era of indoctrination and ‘woke’ ideology, Arizona needs a driving force to defend our children and restore focus on the basics such as reading, writing, math, and science,” Douglas said. She pointed to Yee’s years as Treasurer, managing billions in education funds, as essential preparation for the role. “With Kimberly Yee, parents and taxpayers will have the advocate they need to protect both their children and their tax dollars.”

In response to the wave of endorsements, Yee called it an honor to have the confidence of the state’s top Republican education leaders. “These remarkable statewide education leaders have dedicated their careers to improving Arizona student outcomes, and I am honored by their trust and support,” she said. “Together, we recognize that student success begins with high academic standards, fiscal responsibility, and parental empowerment. I’ll work tirelessly to protect and strengthen our school choice programs, support teachers, combat woke curricula, and ensure every Arizona child—regardless of income, race, or zip code—has the opportunity to achieve their full potential.”

With former superintendents from four different eras uniting behind her, Yee enters the Republican primary with consolidated support and the backing of leaders who know the office best.