The 2022 Arizona elections were held in the state of Arizona on November 8, 2022, coinciding with the nationwide general election. All six executive offices were up for election, as well as a U.S. Senate seat, all of the state's U.S. House of Representatives seats, and the state legislature.
In recent years, Arizona's status as a Republican stronghold has significantly weakened; since 2018, Democratic candidates have made substantial gains in the state's legislature, congressional delegation, and statewide executive offices. Going into the 2022 midterm elections, Arizona was considered a crucial swing state.
Primary elections in Arizona took place on August 2. The November general election had mixed results for both parties. The Republican Party picked up two of the five Democratic-held seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, the office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, and an additional seat on the Arizona Corporation Commission. In contrast, the Democrats held on to the state's Class 3 U.S. Senate seat and the secretary of state's office, while they flipped the governorship and the Attorney General's office.
Lawsuits contesting the election results were filed by the Republican candidates for governor, secretary of state, and attorney general, but the Arizona Superior Court ruled against the Republican candidates.
United States Senate
Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Mark Kelly was first elected in the 2020 special election with 51.2% of the vote. Kelly ran for a full-term in office and won the Democratic primary unopposed.
Blake Masters, former president of the Thiel Foundation and former chief operating officer of Thiel Capital, was the Republican nominee after defeating Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich, businessman Jim Lamon, retired Air Force Major General Mick McGuire, and Arizona Corporation Commission member Justin Olson.
The Libertarian Party nominated Marc Victor, an attorney and the party's nominee for U.S. Senate in 2012. Victor withdrew from the race and endorsed Masters on November 1, 2022.
Results Incumbent senator Mark Kelly won reelection with 51.4% of the vote. Blake Masters conceded his election loss.
United States House of Representatives
Arizona has nine seats to the United States House of Representatives, which were held by five Democrats and four Republicans.
Six seats were won by Republican candidates while Democratic candidates won three seats.
Governor
Incumbent Republican governor Doug Ducey was term-limited by the Arizona Constitution in 2022 and unable to seek re-election. He was re-elected in 2018 with 56.0% of the vote.
News anchor Kari Lake defeated Arizona Board of Regents member Karrin Taylor Robson in the Republican primary. In the Democratic primary, Secretary of State Katie Hobbs defeated former CBP official Marco A. López Jr.
Hobbs narrowly defeated Lake with 50.3% of the vote.
Results
Secretary of State
Incumbent Democratic secretary of state Katie Hobbs retired to run for governor. She was first elected in 2018 with 50.4% of the vote.
In the Democratic primary, former Maricopa County recorder Adrian Fontes defeated state representative Reginald Bolding. Republican state senator Mark Finchem defeated fellow state legislators Shawnna Bolick, Michelle Ugenti-Rita, and advertising executive Beau Lane for the nomination.
Results Fontes defeated Finchem in the general election with 52.4% of the votes.
Attorney general
Incumbent Republican attorney general Mark Brnovich was term-limited by the Arizona Constitution and unable to seek re-election. He was re-elected in 2018 with 51.7% of the vote.
The Republican nominee was Abraham Hamadeh.
Former commissioner Kris Mayes ran in the Democratic primary unopposed.
Results
The original round of vote counting ended on November 21, with Mayes having 511 more votes than Hamadeh in unofficial results, within the 0.5% margin for an automatic recount. The results of the recount were announced on December 29, with Mayes having 280 more votes than Hamadeh.
State treasurer
Incumbent Republican state treasurer Kimberly Yee originally announced her intentions to retire to run for governor. However, she later withdrew from that race to instead run for reelection. She was first elected in 2018 with 54.3% of the vote.
Corporate finance officer Bob Lettieri and state representative Jeff Weninger unsuccessfully challenged Yee in the Republican primary.
Democratic state senator Martín Quezada was the Democratic nominee.
Yee was successful, winning approximately 56% of the vote.
Superintendent of Public Instruction
Incumbent Democratic Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman ran for re-election. She was first elected in 2018 with 51.6% of the vote.
Republicans nominated Tom Horne, former superintendent and former Arizona Attorney General, who defeated real estate manager Shiry Sapir, and state representative Michelle Udall.
Hoffman conceded defeat on November 17.
The original count of the election results had Horne winning by 8,967 votes; the recount results had Horne winning by 9,188 votes.
Results
State Mine Inspector
Former Republican Mine Inspector Joe Hart was term-limited by the Arizona Constitution and unable to seek re-election. He was re-elected in 2018 with 51.7% of the vote. Hart resigned on October 31, 2021, and was replaced by Paul Marsh, who was immediately eligible to run for a full term. Marsh then ran un-opposed and was elected to a four-year term outright.
Trista di Genova was the Democratic write-in candidate.
Republican primary Results
General election Results
Corporation Commission
Two of the five seats on the Corporation Commission were up for election, elected by plurality block voting. Incumbents Sandra Kennedy, a Democrat, and Justin Olson, a Republican, were eligible for re-election. However, Olson announced he was running for U.S. senator.
Republicans Kevin Thompson and Nick Myers won the general election.
Republican primary
Candidates
Declared Nick Myers, policy advisor to commissioner Justin Olson Kim Owens, Arizona Power Authority commissioner and candidate for the corporation commission in 2020 Kevin Thompson, Mesa city councilor
Declined Justin Olson, incumbent commissioner (running for U.S. Senate)
Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error NickMyers KimOwens KevinThompson Other UndecidedRasmussen ReportsRasmussen ReportsJuly 27–28, 2022710 (LV)± 4.0%17%14%15%11%44%
Endorsements
Results
Democratic primary
Declared Sandra Kennedy, incumbent commissioner Lauren Kuby, Tempe city councilor
Endorsements
Results
General election
Results
State legislature
All 90 seats in both chambers of the Arizona State Legislature were up for election in 2022. Republicans held small majorities in both chambers.
State senate Party Before After Change Republican 16 16 Democratic 14 14 Total 30 30
House of Representatives Party Before After Change Republican 31 31 Democratic 29 29 Total 60 60
Supreme Court Three Arizona Supreme Court justices were up for retention in 2022.
Justice Beene retention
James Beene was appointed by Governor Doug Ducey in 2019 to succeed retiring justice John Pelander.
Justice Montgomery retention
Bill Montgomery was appointed by Governor Doug Ducey in 2019 to succeed retiring justice Scott Bales. Unlike the other two justices on the ballot, he received significant opposition from the voters due to his controversial conduct.
Justice Timmer retention
Ann Timmer was appointed by Governor Jan Brewer in 2012 after outgoing justice Andrew D. Hurwitz became a federal judge on the Ninth Circuit. She was retained by the voters in 2016.
Local elections
Numerous local elections also took take place in 2022. Some notable ones include:
A special election to elect the County Attorney for Maricopa County due to the resignation of Allister Adel A special election for District 2 on the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors to replace Steve Chucri The first competitive mayoral race in Chandler in 16 years. Former Sheriff Joe Arpaio challenged Fountain Hills mayor Ginny Dickey. Four Phoenix City Council seats were up for election, including incumbent Jim Waring. Three candidates ran for mayor of Flagstaff.
Ballot propositions
Arizona had ten statewide propositions on the ballot in 2022.
+2022 Arizona ballot propositionsNo.DescriptionVotesTypeYes%No%128Would allow the legislature to amend voter approved ballot initiatives.859,67536.40 1,502,368 63.60 Legislatively referred constitutional amendment129Limits the subjects of ballot initiatives. 1,311,046 55.231,062,53344.77130Would allow the Legislature to set certain property tax exemption amounts and qualifications. 1,478,583 63.76840,29936.24131Creates the office of Lieutenant Governor. 1,299,484 55.161,056,43344.84132Would require 60% approval for tax initiatives. 1,210,702 50.721,176,32749.28209Would limit interest rates for medical debt. 1,747,363 72.01679,08927.99 Citizen-initiated state statute211Would require additional campaign finance disclosure. 1,736,496 72.34664,11127.66308Repeals Proposition 300 (2006) that banned in-state tuition for undocumented high school students. 1,250,320 51.241,189,87748.76 Legislatively referred state statute309Would require identification when voting by mail.1,201,18149.62 1,219,669 50.38310Imposes a sales tax to support fire districts.1,144,49548.20 1,230,042 51.80 Source: Arizona Secretary of State
Certification
14 of Arizona's 15 counties certified the voting results by the November 28, 2022 deadline; the exception was Cochise County. Despite no evidence of irregularities with vote counting, Cochise County's Republican officials delayed their certification vote to December 2, 2022, to accommodate a hearing on the certification of voting machines. Previously, on November 21, Arizona's State Elections Director, Kori Lorick, had sent Cochise County officials confirmation that the Cochise County's voting machines had been certified by the United States Election Assistance Commission in an accredited laboratory. However, the county's Republican officials insisted on hearing more from those who had without evidence alleged that the voting machines were not properly certified. Cochise County election officials certified the county's voting results on December 1, after a court order was issued by Pima County Superior Court Judge Casey McGinley, who cited that by law, since Cochise County were no longer tabulating votes and had no missing votes, a certification vote needed to take place within 20 days of the election, which was November 28.
Lawsuits over results Kari Lake's lawsuit