Here’s who is running for secretary of state in Arizona in 2022
Jul 6, 2021, 9:09 AM | Updated: Jul 9, 2021, 1:55 pm
(Michelle Ugenti-Rita Campaign photo, left, KTAR photo of Adrian Fontes, middle, Reginald Bolding photo, right)
(Michelle Ugenti-Rita Campaign photo, left, KTAR photo of Adrian Fontes, middle, Reginald Bolding photo, right)
PHOENIX — Arizona will have a new top elections official following the 2022 election.
Katie Hobbs, the current secretary of state, is running for governor. She was elected in 2018.
Hobbs was Arizona’s first Democrat to hold the position since 1995, breaking a streak of five consecutive Republicans.
Here’s the list of high-profile candidates to become Arizona’s 21st secretary of state, which will be updated as necessary:
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Reginald Bolding, Democrat — Bolding entered the race June 14. The 35-year-old House minority leader has been a vocal opponent of recent changes to Arizona voter laws, including SB 1485, which will remove inactive voters from the list of voters who automatically receive early ballots in the mail.
Shawnna Bolick, Republican — Bolick announced her candidacy Jun 21. She said she was running “to make the office work for all Arizonans again” and secure elections. Bolick, whose legislative district covers parts of Phoenix and Peoria, has been in office since 2019 and has been a vocal proponent for restoring election integrity.
Mark Finchem, Republican — Rep. Finchem filed his statement of interest March 29. The House member has pushed election fraud and is a loyal supporter of former President Donald Trump.
Adrian Fontes, Democrat — The former Maricopa County recorder announced June 11 he would be joining the race and made it official on July 6. Fontes led the 2020 Maricopa County general election that is at the center of the polarizing audit authorized by state Senate Republicans.
Beau Lane, Republican — Advertising executive Lane announced his run June 29. Lane, executive chairman of LaneTerralever, said he was running to restore faith in Arizona’s elections, which he said was a victim of “an erosion of trust.”
Michelle Ugenti-Rita, Republican — Sen. Ugenti-Rita announced her candidacy May 27. The conservative Scottsdale lawmaker has a history of supporting election security policies that opponents say unnecessarily restrict access to voting. Most recently, Ugenti-Rita sponsored the bill to remove voters from the Permanent Early Voting List if they don’t vote early in consecutive election cycles. The legislation, which was signed into law by Gov. Doug Ducey earlier this month, changed the name of the popular option to the Active Early Voting List.
Other individuals who have filed a statement of interest with the Secretary of State’s Office:
Remo Paul (R)
Wade Wilson (R)
Dennis Florian (D)
