Kris Mayes

A fierce defender of Arizonans’ constitutional rights

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes has distinguished herself as a fighter for families in a lifetime of public service. She is a fierce defender of Arizonans’ constitutional rights, and she has the political courage and legal acumen to fight back and win against the Trump administration in court. Kris has sued the Trump administration over executive orders and funding cuts for federal agencies 397 times — and more than 80% of her cases have been successful. 

Kris is a mom and Arizona native who grew up on a tree farm in Prescott, Arizona. After graduating from Arizona State University, Kris went on to earn a Masters of Public Administration from Columbia University and her law degree from ASU. She served a senior role in former Gov. Janet Napolitano’s administration and later was elected statewide to the Arizona Corporation Commission where she served as chair. Kris is both humbled and honored to be the second woman and first mom to serve as the state’s top law enforcement official and consumer guardian, and she is also extremely proud to be the mom of her school-aged daughter, Hattie. 

A high-stakes race in a critical battleground state

Kris’ 280-vote victory in 2022 is a symbol of how thin margins can be in crucial battleground state races. This battle-tested leader has referred to herself, jokingly, as “Landslide Mayes,” and she is ready for another tough fight. Kris’ Republican challengers include Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen, a MAGA extremist who follows Trump’s playbook. Another dominant Republican opponent is wealthy businessman Rodney Glassman, who has contributed $1 million of his own money to his campaign to advance Trump’s extreme agenda. No matter who emerges with the Republican nomination, one thing is clear: Kris will face a lavishly-funded candidate backed by special interests to take away Arizonans’ champion. Voters simply want “a fighter,” she said, and that’s who she is. She notes that like many of her fellow members of the LGBTQ+ community, she learned resilience early in life and doesn’t back down. 

While courtroom battles are the visible part of the work, behind the scenes Kris works closely with the other Democratic attorneys general to coordinate litigation, share intel, and divide responsibilities. That strategy, she said, is succeeding. The group has won roughly 80% of its cases at the district court level, victories that have returned millions, and in some states, billions — in federal funds that would otherwise have been lost. Kris fights for Arizonans, and her vital work has also helped protect people in states across the country. As Republicans lay the groundwork for an attempt to commandeer state election processes and deploy federal agents to interfere at polling places, we must ensure that Kris is prepared with the resources she needs to fight on all fronts, both at the ballot box and in the courts. 

A battle-tested leader taking on the toughest fights

As attorney general, Kris has prioritized protecting Arizona consumers, stopping scammers, fighting the Fentanyl crisis and the Mexican drug cartels, and combatting elder abuse and fraud. She’s fiercely gone after greedy corporations and monopolies unfairly and illegally raising prices. She is also a fighter for groundwater protections and for Arizona’s future. Kris delivers for taxpayers: she has won back over $1.5 billion in federal funding for the state that the Trump administration had illegally cut. 

“My office sued to block his illegal executive order to shred birthright citizenship from the Constitution — an executive order still blocked nationwide today because of our lawsuit,” Kris said. “We have fought back as the Trump administration has attempted to cut funding from public schools, local law enforcement, and even programs like Meals on Wheels and AmeriCorps, and we have been successful in many of those cases — in fact, 80% of those cases. Our communities are stronger than those who are trying to destroy the fabric of our republic, and as long as I am attorney general I will keep fighting to protect Arizonans against the unconstitutional actions of this chaotic, destructive, and lawless administration. You have my word on that.”