• Press Release

EMILYs List State Power Plan Targets Arizona In $15 Million Plan to Build Democratic Governing Majorities in 2026

January 21, 2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today EMILYs List announced Arizona as a key target in its 2026 State Power Plan, a bold and dynamic $15 million plan to secure Democratic governing majorities across nine key states by recruiting, investing in, and supporting women candidates up and down the ballot in 2026.

“The Republican chaos coming out of Washington is wreaking havoc on Arizonans. Democrats need governing power in order to hold the line against Republicans’ assault on the economy, our health care, and our everyday lives. EMILYs List is taking an aggressive approach to building Democrats’ state power in Arizona with bold candidates who know exactly what’s at stake,” said EMILYs List President Jessica Mackler.

State Power Plan Highlights

  • The path to turning Arizona blue has run through EMILYs List women. Two of the country’s most consequential Democratic-protect seats are in Arizona this cycle, with Gov. Katie Hobbs and Attorney General Kris Mayes both up for reelection. With narrow margins at the legislative level — Republicans hold a three-seat majority in the state Senate and a four-seat majority in the House — EMILYs List is recruiting and supporting women to gain seats and flip these chambers.

  • To date, EMILYs List-endorsed candidates in Arizona include: 

Katie Hobbs, Governor

Kris Mayes, Attorney General

Stephanie Simacek, Arizona House (LD-2)

Karen Gresham, Arizona House (LD-4)

Lorena Austin, Arizona House (LD-9) 

  • Fueled by our clean sweep across Virginia and New Jersey in 2025, EMILYs List is focusing on building governing power in nine states with overlapping electoral imperatives this cycle, from electing governors, attorneys general, secretaries of state, and state legislative majorities, to winning state supreme court races that position Democratic pro-choice women to make an immediate impact and build for future cycles.

  • Races in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin represent the foundation of our work this cycle. These nine key states are places where we are already using our deep expertise and innovative tactics to recruit strong candidates and help them build strategic, winning campaigns. They are where EMILYs List investments will make the greatest impact in coming out of this cycle with governing majorities. 

  • In addition to securing Democratic centers of power that make an immediate impact, EMILYs List will take the offensive in other state races to build a backstop to Republican extremism. That includes: holding onto a governing coalition in the Alaska House; breaking the Republican supermajority in the Kansas House; preventing a Republican supermajority in the Nebraska Senate; flipping both chambers in New Hampshire’s state legislature; and flipping state supreme court seats in states like Ohio, Texas, Alabama, Kentucky, and Montana.

  • We know that the key to winning in 2026 will be a dynamic approach to this work, one in which we will continually evaluate and examine places and races where we have real opportunities to achieve governing power in November 2026.

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