Your view of Trump could help you pick Arizona's next attorney general

The 49 lawsuits that Attorney General Kris Mayes has filed against the Trump administration can look strong or wild depending on how you look at it. To incumbent Democrat Mayes, it shows that she is willing to hold the White House accountable for what she says are illegal acts. Her opponent in the 2

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What is the story about?

The 49 lawsuits that Attorney General Kris Mayes has filed against the Trump administration can look strong or wild depending on how you look at it.

To incumbent Democrat Mayes, it shows that she is willing to hold the White House accountable for what she says are illegal acts. Her opponent in the 2026 attorney general race, Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen, has promised to back President Donald Trump's agenda and says he'll rein in Arizona's Attorney General's Office if elected.

Their feelings on the current administration aren't the only notable contrasts between Mayes and Petersen. Ideological differences on issues like transgender rights, abortion and school vouchers keep these candidates far apart.

But one subject that some Arizonans

are tired of hearing about is the key topic that separates them: the 2020 election.

Mayes has continually tried to convict those who worked to set aside the state's certified election results, known as the fake electors case. Petersen has continually tried to show that Arizona election officials got it wrong when they declared Joe Biden won Arizona.

This week on The Gaggle, a politics podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, hosts Ron Hansen and Stephanie Murray are joined by Republic reporter Stacey Barchenger to talk through the ins and outs of Mayes' and Petersen's run for Arizona's attorney general and why voters' ultimate opinion on the 2020 election could define who wins the seat.

Listen to the episode

The best way to listen is to subscribe to The Gaggle in your favorite podcast app, but you can also stream the full episode below.

Note: The Gaggle is intended to be heard. But we also offer an AI transcript of the episode. There may be slight deviations from the podcast audio.

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