Arizona voters will be able to watch a series of upcoming statewide candidate debates live through The Painted Desert Tribune’s website as the 2026 election season moves toward the July 21, primary election. The Citizens Clean Elections Commission is the official debate sponsor for Arizona debates, and only contested races will have a debate.
The Painted Desert Tribune will stream the debates live at TribuneNewsNow.com through access provided as part of the Arizona Media Association’s agreement with Clean Elections. The arrangement allows local news organizations across the state to carry the debates for their communities, giving voters another way to hear directly from candidates in statewide races before ballots are cast.
The upcoming statewide debate schedule begins with the Democratic debate for superintendent of public instruction, which will be held at 6 p.m., on Wednesday, May 13. Brett Newby and Teresa Leyba Ruiz are listed as candidates. The Republican debate for superintendent of public instruction will be held at 6 p.m., on Thursday, May 14, with Kimberly Yee and Thomas Horne listed as candidates.
The Republican debate for Arizona Corporation Commission will be held at 6 p.m., on Tuesday, May 19. Kevin Thompson, Nick Myers and Ralph Heap are listed as candidates. The Corporation Commission race is likely to draw attention from voters across rural Arizona because the commission regulates utilities, an issue tied closely to electric rates, energy infrastructure, transmission lines and the growing power needs of large industrial projects.
The Republican debate for attorney general will be held at 6 p.m., on Thursday, May 28. Rodney Glassman and Warren Petersen are listed as candidates. The attorney general’s race will determine who leads the state office responsible for a wide range of legal matters, including consumer protection, public corruption, election-related legal issues and state litigation.
The Republican debate for secretary of state will be held at 6 p.m., on Thursday, June 11. Alexander Kolodin and Gina Swoboda are listed as candidates. The secretary of state is Arizona’s chief election officer and oversees major parts of election administration, voter information and business filings, making the race especially relevant in rural areas where distance, staffing, mail delivery and access to reliable information can affect how voters participate.
The Republican debate for governor will be held at 6 p.m., on Wednesday, June 17. Andy Biggs, David Schweikert, Ken Miceli and Scott Neely are listed as candidates. Candidates in that race are expected to address state spending, education, border policy, housing, water, transportation, economic development and the relationship between state government and local communities.
Clean Elections allows voters to submit questions for candidates ahead of debates, and suggestions for debate questions can currently be submitted through the commission’s debate page at https://www.azcleanelections.gov/debate-information. Voters may also contact the commission by phone at 602-364-3477 or by email at ccec@azcleanelections.gov.
The debates offer a direct way to hear statewide candidates discuss issues that shape daily life in rural Arizona. Education funding, teacher recruitment, utility regulation, housing, public safety, infrastructure, election administration, water and economic development can have different effects in smaller communities than they do in metro areas, and the debates will give local voters another way to compare candidates before ballots are cast.
All debate dates and times are subject to change. Any person with a disability may request accommodation, such as a sign language interpreter, by contacting the Citizens Clean Elections Commission by phone or by emailing ccec@azcleanelections.gov. Requests should be made as early as possible to allow time to arrange accommodations.
