Kris Mayes
Mayes in 2022
27th Attorney General of Arizona
Assumed office
January 2, 2023
GovernorKatie Hobbs
Preceded byMark Brnovich
Chair of the Arizona Corporation Commission
In office
January 2009 – December 31, 2010
Preceded byMike Gleason
Succeeded byGary Pierce
Member of the Arizona Corporation Commission
In office
October 2003 – December 31, 2010
Preceded byJames Irvin
Succeeded byBrenda Burns
Personal details
BornPrescott, Arizona, U.S.
Political partyRepublican (before 2019)
Democratic (2019–present)
EducationArizona State University, Tempe (BA, JD)
Columbia University (MPA)

Kristin Kay Mayes is an American reporter, lawyer, and politician who is the Arizona Attorney General. A member of the Democratic Party, Mayes was elected in 2022, defeating Republican Abraham Hamadeh by a margin of just 280 votes, making this one of the closest elections in the state's history.[1][2] Previously Mayes was a Professor of Practice at Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law and Chair of the Arizona Corporation Commission.[3][4][5]

Mayes is the second woman elected Arizona Attorney General (after Janet Napolitano), the third openly lesbian woman elected attorney general of a state in the United States (after Maura Healey and Dana Nessel), and the second openly LGBT person elected to statewide office in Arizona (after Kyrsten Sinema).[6][7]

Early life and education

Mayes was born and raised in Prescott, Arizona.[8] After graduating from Prescott High School she attended Arizona State University (ASU) on a scholarship from the Flinn Foundation.[9] While attending ASU she served as editor in chief of the State Press, the university's newspaper.[10] She graduated valedictorian from ASU with a degree in political science.[10]

Journalism career

Mayes worked as a general assignment reporter for the Phoenix Gazette, and later as a political reporter for The Arizona Republic, covering the Arizona State Legislature.[10] Mayes then won the Harry S. Truman Scholarship and attended graduate school at Columbia University in New York, where she earned a Master of Public Administration.[9]

Following graduate school, Mayes returned to The Arizona Republic, where she covered the 2000 presidential campaigns of Senator John McCain, former Vice President Dan Quayle, publisher Steve Forbes and Governor George W. Bush.[10] From this experience, Mayes co-authored a book entitled Spin Priests: Campaign Advisors and the 2000 Race for the White House. After the presidential campaign, Mayes attended ASU College of Law and graduated magna cum laude.[10]

Early political career

Mayes was the press secretary for Janet Napolitano during the 2002 Arizona gubernatorial election.[11]

Arizona Corporation Commission

Governor Napolitano appointed Mayes, then a Republican, to the Arizona Corporation Commission in October 2003.[11] She devoted much of her effort towards pipeline safety, renewable energy and natural gas issues.

Mayes was elected to a full term in a 2004 special election, defeating Libertarian nominee Rick Fowlkes.[12] In 2008, Mayes considered a candidacy for Arizona's 1st congressional district.[13] She was term-limited in 2010 and was succeeded in her position by fellow Republican Brenda Burns.[10]

In 2019, Mayes left the Republican Party and joined the Democratic Party, citing the expansion of Trumpism within the Republican Party.[14]

Arizona Attorney General

2022 election

Mayes was the Democratic nominee in the 2022 Arizona Attorney General election, running against Republican Abraham Hamadeh.[15] The race was one of the closest in Arizona history and required a mandatory recount because the vote difference was significantly less than the 0.5% vote threshold required by state law for recounts.[16] The recount started on December 5, 2022.[17]

In the final vote tally, Mayes led by 510 votes.[18] On December 29, Judge Timothy Thomason announced the results of the recount, confirming Mayes as the winner with a reduced margin of 280 votes.[19]

Tenure

Mayes took office as Attorney General on January 2, 2023. In July 2023, Mayes's office announced that it was "investigating the transmission of an alternative slate of electors" by allies of former President Donald Trump to be counted by Congress during the 2021 United States Electoral College vote count.[20]

In January 2024, Mayes announced that the Attorney General's office would file suit against Kroger's proposed acquisition of Albertsons, citing antitrust laws.[21]

Electoral history

2004 Arizona Corporation Commission special election [22]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Kristin Mayes (incumbent) 1,175,778 74.90
Libertarian Rick Fowlkes 394,078 25.10
Total votes 1,569,856 100.0
Republican hold
2006 Arizona Corporation Commission general election
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Kristin Mayes (incumbent) 653,344 26.1
Republican Gary Pierce 638,466 25.5
Democratic Richard Boyer 581,885 23.2
Democratic Mark Manoil 541,562 21.6
Libertarian Rick Fowlkes 91,684 3.7
Total votes 2,506,941 100.0
2022 Arizona Attorney General election[23]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Kris Mayes 1,254,809 49.94% +1.68%
Republican Abraham Hamadeh 1,254,529 49.93% -1.80%
Write-in 3,052 0.12% +0.11%
Total votes 2,512,390 100.0%
Democratic gain from Republican

See also

References

  1. ↑ Kavaler, Tara (November 19, 2022). "As close as it gets: Why Arizona's attorney general race is one of tightest in state history". The Arizona Republic. Archived from the original on November 19, 2022.
  2. ↑ Giles, Ben (November 21, 2022). "Kris Mayes defeats Abe Hamadeh in Arizona attorney general race". KJZZ. Retrieved December 3, 2022.
  3. ↑ "Kris Mayes". Arizona State University. Retrieved December 1, 2013.
  4. ↑ "Bio". sfis.asu.edu. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
  5. ↑ "Kris Mayes Named Chairman of Corporation Commission)" (PDF). Arizona Corporation Commission. Retrieved April 14, 2014.
  6. ↑ Kavaler, Tara (December 29, 2022). "'Thankful': New Arizona Attorney General Mayes responds after recount affirms win". The Arizona Republic.
  7. ↑ Riley, John (December 29, 2022). "Lesbian Candidate Kris Mayes Wins Arizona Attorney General Race". Metro Weekly.
  8. ↑ "Ms. Kristin K Mayes Lawyer Profile on Martindale.com". www.martindale.com.
  9. 1 2 Powell, Brian. "Kris Mayes praises Flinn Scholarship's impact on road from Prescott to Attorney General". Finn Foundation. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Kristin Mayes chosen to head new program on law and sustainability". ASU Global Institute. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  11. 1 2 Kavaler, Tara (July 6, 2022). "Kris Mayes: Democrat with rural roots wants to be Arizona's next attorney general". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
  12. ↑ Hobbs, Katie. "2004 General Election Results". Arizona Secretary of State. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  13. ↑ Young, Ty (February 19, 2008). "Arizona Corporation Commissioner Kris Mayes considers run for Congress". Phoenix Business Journal. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
  14. ↑ "'Democracy runs through Arizona': candidate for attorney general says fate of the nation is at stake". the Guardian. July 29, 2022. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  15. ↑ Latch, Lacey (June 23, 2021). "Kris Mayes, consumer advocate and attorney, enters Arizona's attorney general race". The Arizona Republic. Archived from the original on November 22, 2022.
  16. ↑ The Washington Post (November 23, 2022). "GOP candidate for Arizona attorney general sues to reverse results". MSN. Retrieved November 28, 2022.
  17. ↑ Kavaler, Tara (November 21, 2022). "'We feel confident': Upbeat Kris Mayes leads by 510 votes as AG race heads to recount". Arizona Republic. Retrieved December 3, 2022.
  18. ↑ "2022 General Election Results". Arizona Secretary of State.
  19. ↑ "CV2022-015915: Order Regarding Recount Results". Maricopa County Superior Court. December 29, 2022. Retrieved December 29, 2022.
  20. ↑ Hillyard, Vaughn; Gregorian, Dareh (July 13, 2023). "Arizona's attorney general is probing 'alternate electors' who backed Trump in 2020 election". MSNBC. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
  21. ↑ "Video: AG Kris Mayes cites antitrust laws for reason Arizona will oppose the Kroger-Albertsons merger". KTAR.com. January 3, 2024. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
  22. ↑ Hobbs, Katie. "2004 General Election Results". Arizona Secretary of State. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  23. ↑ "CV2022-015915: Declaration of Kori Lorick". Maricopa County Superior Court. December 29, 2022. Retrieved December 29, 2022.

Notes

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