Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes makes it official: He’s seeking reelection

PHOENIX – Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes announced Thursday what has been expected for weeks: He is seeking reelection in 2026.

The Democrat made it official in a video posted to social media.

As a Marine, my job is to defend the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic. Our institutions are under grave threat. So I intend to remain at my post, standing in the breach as Secretary of State, to continue fighting for AZ and defending our democratic process. pic.twitter.com/0rXU837ynD

— Adrian Fontes (@Adrian_Fontes) April 24, 2025

“I am announcing my run for reelection because we’ve got to have strong, stalwart, responsible leadership to stay the course when it comes to running good elections in Arizona,” he said in the video.

Fontes tipped his hand a month ago when he made a post on X with a pretty clear hint about his intentions amid speculation he would seek a different office.

In the March 28 post, he wrote, “I’ll make a formal campaign announcement regarding Sec of State in the days ahead but as a precursor…” along with a meme of Leonardo DeCaprio from “The Wolf of Wall Street” with his arms outstretched and the words “I’m not leaving.”

What other positions did Adrian Fontes consider?

The Democrat had openly discussed the possibility of running for Congress or governor before he decided he wanted to keep his current position.

It would have been particularly noteworthy if he challenged Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs in 2026 because incumbents rarely face primary challenges from high-profile opponents.

Fontes also considered running in this year’s special election to fill the late Raúl Grijalva’s seat in the U.S. House. Fontes scratched that possibility off his list on March 26.

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