Arizona

Arizona has a Democratic governor and attorney general and a Republican legislature. Governor Katie Hobbs vetoed the entire $17.9 billion state budget and imposed a bill moratorium. AG Kris Mayes has filed 41 lawsuits against the Trump administration. Both face re-election in November 2026.

The legislature expanded the nation’s first universal school voucher program to 102,500 students. A state audit found oversight was “haphazard”, and $10 million in taxpayer funds were misspent. Voters approved Prop 314 to let state police enforce immigration law.

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Hobbs’s May 2026 Budget Veto

On May 5, 2026, Governor Hobbs vetoed all 17 bills that made up the $17.9 billion Republican budget package. She called it “unbalanced and reckless” and said it would default on debt obligations, slash public safety funding, and pay for tax breaks to billionaires by kicking Arizonans off their healthcare.

The fight started in March when Republicans refused to extend Proposition 123, a $300 million annual K-12 funding source that expired in 2025. Hobbs walked away from negotiations and on April 13 declared a blanket bill moratorium.

The moratorium lasted a month. Two bills were exempted for public safety. Every other bill that reached her desk was vetoed. When the Republican budget finally arrived, she vetoed that too.

In her veto letter to House Speaker Steve Montenegro, she wrote three words that summarized the standoff. “I am ready when you are.”

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The ESA Voucher Program and the State Audit

Arizona’s Empowerment Scholarship Accounts were supposed to cost $65 million when the legislature expanded them to all students in 2022. Three years later, the program costs over $1 billion annually. More than 102,500 students are enrolled for the 2025-2026 school year, a 60% increase in three years.

$10 million in taxpayer funds misspent by 20% of ESA parents, including purchases of iPhones, widescreen TVs, and Kenmore appliances

The state Auditor General released a report in May 2026 describing oversight as “haphazard, continually changing and lacking concrete instructions.” Superintendent Tom Horne ordered automatic approval of all purchases under $2,000 starting in December 2024. That pushed 2.3 million transactions worth $654 million through with no human review.

Auto-approved purchases included amusement park tickets, airline tickets, hotel stays, and meals. In 14 of 15 cases where the department’s own auditors flagged unallowable purchases, managers took no action.

The program also skews heavily toward wealth. Brookings found 52% of recipients come from zip codes in the top income quartile, with median incomes between $81,000 and $178,000. Only 5% come from the lowest income quartile. Students with disabilities dropped from 60% of users before the universal expansion to 18% today.

AG Kris Mayes is investigating the fraud and considering a lawsuit against Superintendent Horne. Only $1.2 million of the $10 million has been recovered.

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Kris Mayes’s 41 Lawsuits Against the Trump Administration

$1.5 billion in federal funds her office says it saved through 41 lawsuits against the Trump administration since January 2025

Her office reports that in 75% of cases where judges have issued rulings, the most recent ruling went in her favor. In 15 cases, courts granted temporary relief blocking federal action while litigation continues.

Senate President Warren Petersen won the Republican primary for attorney general on July 21, 2026, beating Rodney Glassman, and faces Mayes on November 3. Both Republican candidates ran on the message that Mayes focused on suing Trump instead of protecting Arizonans.

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Prop 314 and State Immigration Enforcement

Arizona voters approved Proposition 314 in November 2024 by nearly 2-to-1. The measure makes it a state crime for noncitizens to enter Arizona outside official ports of entry and allows local police to make arrests. State judges can order deportations. First-time convictions carry up to six months in jail.

In 2010, Arizona passed SB 1070, the “show me your papers” law. In 2012, the Supreme Court struck down three of its four provisions, ruling that immigration enforcement belongs to the federal government.

$224 million to $447 million projected annual detention costs under Prop 314, according to the Arizona Center for Economic Progress

The main enforcement provisions cannot take effect until a similar law in Texas has been in effect for 60 consecutive days, or until the Supreme Court overturns its 2012 ruling. As of May 2026, federal courts have blocked those Texas provisions.

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The Stalled Bill to Put ICE Agents at Polling Places

SB 1570, sponsored by Sen. Jake Hoffman (R-Queen Creek), would have required ICE agents at every Arizona polling location, early voting site, and ballot drop box for the 2026 election. County recorders would have been forced to sign written agreements with federal immigration agencies to make it happen.

The bill stalled in committee in February 2026 after a six-hour hearing and missed the deadline to advance.

The ACLU cited federal statutes prohibiting “conspiring to prevent by force, intimidation, or threat, any citizen who is lawfully entitled to vote.”

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Governor, AG and Superintendent on the 2026 Ballot

Arizona elects its governor, attorney general and superintendent of public instruction on November 3, 2026. The results decide whether Democrats keep the executive offices that check a Republican legislature.

In the superintendent race, Kimberly Yee beat incumbent Tom Horne in the July 21, 2026 Republican primary, 53.3% to 46.7%. Horne is the official who ordered automatic approval of ESA voucher purchases under $2,000, the purchases the Auditor General’s report examined.

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What You Can Do in Arizona

1. Check your voter registration. The deadline is October 5, 2026. Verify your status at my.arizona.vote.

2. Know your school’s ESA exposure. If your district is losing students to the voucher program, your school board needs to hear from you before the next budget cycle. Ask how many students have left and what the funding impact is.

3. Track your federal benefits. AG Mayes has blocked cuts to NIH grants, SNAP benefits, education funding, and the federal funding freeze. If you receive federal benefits, verify your status now. Do not assume they are secure.

4. Know your rights at the polls. If you see intimidation at a polling place, call Election Protection at 866-687-8683. Follow AZ Mirror and KJZZ for legislative tracking.

5. Call the governor’s office. 602-542-4331. Tell them whether the budget veto matters to you. Tell them what Prop 123 funding means for your district’s schools.