The November election for Arizona Secretary of State is not just about 2026.
It is also about 2028 and 2030.
Why?
Because whoever holds the keys to that office holds the voting procedures and scheduling that will determine the extent Arizonans have access to the ballot box, either in person or via mail.
In the coming November elections, the choice for Arizona Secretary of State could not be clearer or starker.
There is the incumbent Secretary, Adrian Fontes, who has fought for and will continue to embrace the right of 90 percent of Arizonans to continue to vote by mail, fight to protect the privacy of voter information, and object to Republican-MAGA calls to place their observers at election sites around the state.
Then there is the Republican Nominee, Alexander Kolodin, a 2020 election-denying fanatic who has been found to have lied to the courts. If elected to the Secretary of State position this November, he would probably do everything possible to mandate an Arizona version of the voting-suppressing SAVE Act, including eliminating the option for mail-in voting for most Arizonans for at least the 2028 and 2030 elections.
The choice for 2026 is clear.
Will Arizona remain a state with mail-in and early voting, or will voters choose an election denier who will eviscerate the Grand Canyon State’s Democratic voting process?
Secretary Fontes graciously interviewed with Blog for Arizona to discuss his re-election campaign.
The questions and his responses are below.
Mr. Secretary, please tell the readers at least two reasons you deserve to be re-elected in 2026.
“First, we have really improved the internal functions of the office, and I think that’s no small feat given the lack of resources coming from the legislature. And so my ability to maneuver improved performance with minimal resources is really critical.”
“Second, I think, you know, there was a study put out by, I think it was the Center for the Future of Arizona, and confidence in Arizona’s elections is up significantly since I’ve been engaged in a lot of my public push to increase trust and confidence. I think those are two reasons why we have earned a second term. I can think of a whole lot more, but I’ll leave it at those two for now.”
Please tell the readers at least two reasons your opponent, Mr. Kolodin, should not be elected Arizona Secretary of State.
“Well, first, he’s a liar. He’s an adjudicated liar, according to the Supreme Court of the state of Arizona, when he was sanctioned for misrepresenting information pretty blatantly, specifically about the 2020 election. And second, he’s got an unreasonable approach to governance. You know, he has isolated himself in the legislature away from even his own caucus with some of his outlandish proposals, like legalizing weapons of war to include hand grenades and pipe bombs, like being the only person to vote against stiffening penalties for stolen valor.”
“More than any of that, I think, is his attempts to completely destroy voting by mail. He doesn’t want Arizonans to vote by mail, and nothing could be worse in a state where in the last election, 90% of our voters voted early and by mail.”
Regarding voter privacy, vote by mail, the potential for Trump to interfere with the Postal Service, and in-person access to the ballot without fear of intimidation, please tell the readers what is at stake when they vote for the next Arizona Secretary of State this November?
“Well, what’s at stake isn’t just this particular election, but what will happen in the 2028 cycle when we have not just a President, but a U.S. senator on the ballot? And what will happen in 2030 when we have a census? I think a lot of people forget that in 2020, we were severely undercounted, and we should have had, some estimates say we should have had, two new members of Congress in Arizona. That underrepresentation costs us multiple billions of dollars every 10 years per member of Congress. So, there are some underlying factors that are critically important here, not just some of the current worries under the present administration, mostly foundational and mostly long-term concerns.”
And these concerns would be aggravated if Mr. Kolodin won the job in November?
“Well, if he won, he would eviscerate vote by mail. He’d force Arizonans to stand in line. That’s his number one policy position that he’s been most consistent with. Number two, he would surrender Arizonans’ personal identifying information to this Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security, which the courts have already determined is illegal. So, yeah, it would be a problem.”
Please describe your campaign’s efforts to mobilize voters to turn out for you regardless of party affiliation, geographic location, and how well-informed they are in current political events.
“Well, first, we’ve been traveling across the entire state. I’ve been from Thatcher to Chandler. We’re heading out to Kingman here very soon. We’ve been traveling around rural Arizona to talk to all kinds of folks. So, number one, reaching across the aisle, particularly in rural Arizona, has been really important. And then, really just talking to people on the ground. You know, on Sunday, I was down in LD13 helping to launch a canvass, which was quite successful. And I talked to voters down there. And that’s the work that my campaign will continue to do to make sure that we keep this seat in our hands.”
There is an educational gap among some voters. How will you address that, because the less informed tend to vote for the other side?
“Well, that’s the critical component here is having the resources necessary to make sure we get the word out and make sure that we do the necessary voter education. So, yes, voter education is necessary. And the work comes in many forms.But without resources from campaign supporters, it’s just nearly impossible to do that work.”
Please click here to find out more about Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes and his re-election campaign.
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