Latest news with #Proposition131
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
2026 Election: Here's who's running for governor in Arizona
PHOENIX - 2026's election season may seem far away, but some have already started to lay the groundwork for a gubernatorial run, in what could be a tight race. Here's what to know. Arizona is required to hold a gubernatorial election in 2026, due to the state's constitution. Dig deeper Under Arizona's constitution, the state's executive offices, including the Governor, the Secretary of State, the Attorney General, and the Superintendent of Public Instruction, serve four-year terms beginning in January 1971, following the regular general election that happened months prior, in 1970. Katie Hobbs has been the state's governor since 2023. She took office after she won the November 2022 election against her Republican opponent, Kari Lake. What's next As a result of Proposition 131, which was approved by voters in 2022, a gubernatorial candidate will select a running mate as lieutenant governor, and the two will be elected on a joint ticket. Prior to the passage of Proposition 131, Arizona's Secretary of State would have succeeded as governor in the event of a governor's death, incapacitation, or removal from office. A number of candidates have expressed their intent to run for the state's top office. What we know Per the Arizona Secretary of State's website, as of June 3, 2025, there are 15 people who have filed Statements of Interest to run for governor. They include: Saint Omer "Captain" Kakou Lisa Castillo Risa Lombardo William Pounds IV Barry Hess Christopher Ames Andy Biggs Isiah Gallegos Christian "Maverick" Grey Robert McVeigh Donald Mucheck Scott Neely George Nicholson Karrin Taylor Robson Alan White It is important to note that, according to the Secretary of State's Office, filing a Statement of Interest only indicates a person is collecting petition signatures for a possible nomination. It is not a formal candidacy declaration because it requires the filing of a nomination paper. A number of politicians have announced their decision to not run for governor, and that includes Kari Lake, who last ran for governor in 2022. According to a report by Iowa-based newspaper Des Moines Register, a spokesperson for Lake confirmed that she is not running for office, amid speculation she will run Iowa's governor seat. Another person previously deemed as a potential gubernatorial candidate is Adrian Fontes. According to a Washington Post article in December 2024, Fontes previously considered challenging Hobbs in the primary, but he has opted to run for re-election as Secretary of State instead. What we know Hobbs has yet to make any official announcements on whether she will run for a second term. However, she is eligible for re-election under Arizona's constitution. Local perspective On April 22, 2025, Fox News reported that President Donald Trump has endorsed both Karrin Taylor Robson and Andy Biggs' respective campaigns for governor. In a post on TruthSocial, President Trump called both Taylor Robson and Biggs "fantastic candidates" and "terrific people." "Either one will never let you down," Trump wrote. On his social media page, Biggs said he has also received the endorsement of Charlie Kirk. A 2021 article by the Associated Press describes Kirk as a "conservative provocateur" and the leader of the group Turning Point USA. The Primary According to figures from a poll conducted from May 12 to May 16, 2025, by Noble Predictive Insights, 24% of those surveyed support Taylor Robson in a four-way hypothetical primary that includes Biggs, Kirk, and incumbent State Treasurer Kimberly Yee. In that same poll, Biggs had 17% support, while 37% of those surveyed say they are not sure as to who they will support. As noted above, Kirk has endorsed Biggs' campaign. Meanwhile, Yee has opted to run instead for the GOP's nomination as Superintendent of Public Instruction. Officials with Noble Predictive Insights said due to Biggs' and Kirk's "shared ideological profile and overlapping favorability ratings among GOP voters," it is likely that some who support Kirk will rally around Biggs, going on to say that it is possible for Biggs to displace Taylor Robson and become the new front runner in the primary. The poll's margin of error is +/- 4.76%, involving a sample of 1,026 registered Arizona voters. The General Election Figures from the same Noble Predictive Insights poll show a tight race for Gov. Hobbs, with the incumbent Governor polling at 41% against Taylor Robson's 39%, and polling at 40% against Biggs, who was at 38%. In both hypothetical match-ups, 17% of those surveyed said they are unsure as to who they will support. This poll's margin of error is +/- 3.06%, involving a sample of 1,026 registered Arizona voters.
Axios
04-06-2025
- Business
- Axios
Effort to transform Colorado politics by 2030 takes shape
The question sounds innocuous: "When you think about having more courageous and representative politics in Colorado, what does that mean to you?" Yes, but: It's the precursor to much more. The organizers who asked the question just finished a statewide listening tour called Courageous Colorado, the start to an overhaul of the state's elections and campaigns to make them less partisan. The goal is to implement policy changes at the local or state level by 2030. The big picture: The effort is the outgrowth of Proposition 131, a failed 2024 campaign to institute all-candidate primaries and ranked choice voting. Unite for America, a national democracy reform group that pushed Prop. 131, paid in part for the tour, Axios Denver has learned. The League of Women Voters, CiviCO and Veterans for All Voters, all civic engagement groups, are co-hosts. Between the lines: A similar statewide listening tour ahead of the 2016 election led to a ballot initiative to roll back the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights, known as TABOR. What they are saying: "We have to also transform the way campaigns are run," Landon Mascareñaz, the lead organizer of the tour told us, lamenting their "divisive nature." State of play: Courageous Colorado organized 20 town halls across the state through late May to spur the conversation and generate a 2030 agenda. At each stop, attendees — ranging from a handful to more than a dozen — discussed and ranked their support for 23 pre-generated ideas to boost "courage and representation." The list included overhauls of campaign finance, civic education, a citizens' assembly, minor party ballot access, term limits and new methods of voting. The top ideas from the tour, Mascareñaz says, were campaign finance reform, better civic education, open political primaries, ranked choice voting and term limits for local leaders. Inside the room: The stop in Boulder drew 10 people. Mascareñaz started the hourlong conversation by outlining how representation is short-cut in Colorado because of noncompetitive seats in the state Legislature and Congress — a parallel talking point from the Prop. 131 campaign. Attendees expressed cynicism about the ability to change the status quo, but Mascareñaz urged them to stay engaged. "We didn't get into this challenge overnight. We're not going to solve it in one listening session," he said. What's next: This week, organizers are hosting a retreat in Leadville for advocacy groups to evaluate the data from the listening tour and consider a path forward.
