Former Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich dies of heart attack at 59

Former Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich, who was in office from 2015 to 2023, has died, his family announced Tuesday.

BY JEFF VINTON

Jan 13, 2026, 2:45 PM Updated: Jan 14, 2026, 7:26 am

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PHOENIX — Former Arizona attorney general and one-time U.S. Senate candidate Mark Brnovich has died, his family announced Tuesday. He was 59.

“It is with profound sorrow that the Brnovich family announces the passing of Mark Brnovich. Best known as Arizona’s 26th Attorney General, a state and federal prosecutor, and champion of justice, he will forever be remembered and cherished by us as a beloved father, husband, son, and brother,” a statement from the family read. “We are heartbroken with this loss and are deeply moved by the outpouring of love and support from so many wonderful people across the state and country.”

The family is asking for privacy and arrangements for a memorial service will be announced as soon as they are available.

A family spokesperson told KTAR News 92.3 FM that Brnovich died from a heart attack.

He is survived by his wife, federal Judge Susan Brnovich, and their two daughters.

Brnovich was born in Detroit to Serbian parents in 1966. His family later moved to Arizona, and Brnovich went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in political science from Arizona State University before getting a law degree from the University of San Diego.

He went on to serve as a Command Staff Judge Advocate in the Army National Guard from 1996 to 2005. While in that role, Brnovich also spent five years (1998-2003) as an assistant attorney general in the Arizona Attorney General’s Office, where he represented the Arizona Department of Gaming.

Brnovich would later go on to work as the director of the Goldwater Institute’s Center for Constitutional Government, an assistant U.S. attorney for the District of Arizona, a prosecutor in the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office and a lobbyist for the Corrections Corporation of America.

In 2009, Brnovich was named director of the Arizona Department of Gaming and served in that role until 2013, when he resigned to run for attorney general.

The Republican defeated incumbent Tom Horne in the GOP primary and Democrat Felecia Rotellini in the general election in 2014.

Mark Brnovich was involved in notable cases as attorney general

Brnovich went on to serve two terms as Arizona’s attorney general from 2015 to 2023.

During his tenure, Brnovich reached several notable settlements in consumer fraud lawsuits, including:

A $4.65 million settlement with blood-testing company Theranos in 2017 over advertisements the state claimed were fraudulent.
A $6.28 million settlement with General Motors in 2018 over claims related to the installation of faulty ignition switches.
A $40 million settlement with Volkswagen in 2018 related to the German automaker’s diesel emissions scandal.
A $71 million settlement with Ticketmaster in 2020 that gave refunds to Arizonans who purchased tickets to live events canceled, postponed or rescheduled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Brnovich was also known as an opponent of former President Joe Biden’s immigration policies and filed a lawsuit against the administration in 2021 after construction on the U.S.-Mexico border wall was halted.

Another notable development during his tenure as attorney general was the resumption of executions in Arizona after an eight-year hiatus.

In an effort to unseat Democratic U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly, Brnovich ran for U.S. Senate in 2022, but lost to Blake Masters in the Republican primary. Kelly went on to defeat Masters in the general election.

Brnovich was attorney general when the state became the epicenter of efforts by President Donald Trump and his allies to find proof that the 2020 election was marred by fraud. Brnovich released an interim report in April 2022 that outlined his concerns with some election procedures but did not provide any proof of major issues despite six months of investigation.

After leaving office, Brnovich worked as a partner at Boies Shiller Flexner LLP. In March 2025, he was tapped by Trump to serve as the U.S. ambassador to Serbia, but his nomination was withdrawn in October 2025, according to the Arizona Capitol Times. No reason was given for the move at the time.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.