Jonathon Hill Will Bring a Scientist’s Perspective to the Arizona Corporation Commission

Saying there is no such thing as “Democratic electricity” or “Republican electricity,” Arizona State University and NASA scientist Jonathon Hill has launched his second campaign for the Arizona Corporation Commission. 

Committed to fostering greater accountability on that regulatory body, Hill would, if elected, work to ensure Arizonans receive greater quality utility service and pay lower costs by expanding the state’s energy portfolio to include increased exposure to clean energy sources.

Dr. Hill graciously took the time to speak with Blog for Arizona about his candidacy for the Corporation Commission. 

The questions and his responses are below. 

Please tell the readers at least two reasons it is important to vote for members of the Arizona Corporation Commission.

 “So first, the Commission is so important to everyday Arizonans’ everyday lives. They affect the things that, you know, we pay for every month, the electricity bill, your water bill, your natural gas bill. Unlike so many other offices, this one affects you in a really personal way, and it affects everybody who pays for any of those services.”

“Also, the current Commission is, through their actions, showing that they’re not willing to fight for fair prices, for quality service, and for Arizonans. They’re going to protect the utility companies and increase their profits.”

“Luckily, in Arizona, we can elect our commissioners, and so the people can make a choice to change who regulates these industries.”

Please tell the readers at least two reasons why they should vote for you over your opponent in the race for the Arizona Corporation Commission.

“First, I would say my technical background. I think it would be a real asset on the Commission. I’m fairly new to politics. My whole 20-year career has been spent in engineering and science. I have a master’s degree in aerospace engineering and a PhD in geology, and I think both would be valuable to the Commission. You know, an engineer who understands power generation and water distribution systems, but also a geologist who understands groundwater, can read a hydrological survey and determine, aquifer by aquifer, where it’s appropriate to continue pumping and where we have to pull back. I think that would be a unique contribution that I could bring to the Commission.”

“Also, it’s been really important to me as I run my campaign in 2024 and now again in 2026, to just show up. Something that current commissioners just don’t interact with voters, with Arizonans enough, and so I’ve really emphasized getting out there, talking to people. In my last election cycle, I visited all 15 counties, 30 legislative districts, and 9 congressional districts. We held over 150 events last time. And with our campaign in 2026, we’re already on track to blow that record away.  I think just having someone willing to get out there, talk to people, and really know on a personal level how these issues are affecting people.”

Please advise on at least two to three major issues in the Corporation Commission race this cycle. 

“So the first big issue is affordability. The current commission keeps approving these double-digit rate increases from utilities across the state. And, you know, just like so much else in our economy right now, that’s really pressing Arizonans and really making it hard for them to afford their basic living needs. Whether it’s senior citizens or working-class folks, it’s just pressing everybody. I think the commission needs to and should take that into account when deciding whether these rate increases are appropriate.”

“Another issue is quality. That’s one of the things I’ve learned as I’ve been out across the state talking to people is it’s actually surprising how many people have complaints about the quality of their service that they’re getting from the utilities, whether it’s low water pressure or slow repairs when lines go down in a storm or leaking natural gas lines. So many people have these complaints, and it’s also the commission’s job to step in and make sure companies are providing good-quality service. The commission needs to do more to make sure that people are getting what they’re paying for.”

“The third issue I’ll bring up is clean energy. The current commission has been actively disincentivizing solar, wind, and other clean, renewable energy sources. It should be obvious that when you remove these entire industries from our power mix, you’re decreasing competition, which will only increase prices. So, I think the commission needs to be much more even-handed and even encourage the clean options that we actually can build here in our state, rather than importing materials, fossil fuels, or other fuels from outside of our state, so we can drive our own economy here in Arizona.”

Please describe your campaign’s strategy to reach voters in all of Arizona’s 15 counties and drive up voter turnout for your race, including your outreach to independent and McCain Republican voters.

“So, our strategy is really to focus on talking to people, and that’s based on my experience of running in 2024. So many people I talked to that year had just never heard of the commission. They saw it on their ballot, they didn’t know what it was, and so they weren’t voting for it. Now, when I go back and I talk to those same groups, those same people, they remember. So, I think the key to this race is really voter education and making a personal connection with people. You can send them mailers. You can send them text messages all you want, but it’s that personal connection by explaining in easy-to-understand terms why it’s so important to vote in this race.”

“Concerning Independents and McCain Republican voters, we certainly need their help, and we’ll be specifically reaching out to them. You know, we really want to talk to everyone.  We don’t just want to preach to the choir. We want to get those persuadable voters. But the other key is really educating our Democrats and our Democrat-led independents on how important it is to vote in this race because in 2024, there were almost a quarter million people who voted for Kamala Harris at the top of the ticket but didn’t vote for the Corporation Commission. And if they had simply voted down the ballot and voted for Democrats for the commission, we would have won at least two, maybe all three of the seats last time. So we need to do a better job of talking to our people and educating them on how important it is to vote down the ballot. I like to say that the lower you go on the ballot, the more the offices actually affect your day-to-day life. So people need to just know the importance of it, and they need to be educated so that they feel comfortable, you know, voting for these lesser-known, less publicized offices.”

Is there anything I covered in the first four questions that you would like the readers to know about you or your candidacy for the Arizona Corporation Commission? Please explain. 

“The only other thing I would add is we really need help from everybody when it comes to getting the word out about this race. Again, like I said, it takes that personal connection to explain to people what the commission is and why it’s important to vote for it.”

“So, we really need people to talk to their family, their friends, their neighbors, their colleagues. I really think this is an easy office to discuss, because it’s not the issues we typically argue about in a partisan manner. There’s no such thing as Republican electricity and Democrat electricity. It’s electricity. It’s water. It’s gas.  I think it’s easy for people to open up a conversation about affordability. They’re seeing their rates go up. Their neighbors have too, and just make that connection in people’s minds to help us educate them and help them understand in this race that the utility companies are doing it with the approval of the Corporation Commission.”

Please click here to find out more information about Jonathan Hill and his campaign for the Arizona Corporation Commission.