For the first time, the state of Arizona will elect a Lieutenant Governor. Democratic incumbent Governor Katie Hobbs and Republican challenger Representative Andy Biggs will be selecting their running mates for the fall 2026 election cycle.
Chuck Coughlin, President of HighGround, Inc., and Stacy Pearson, Co-founder of Lumen Strategies, joined “Arizona Horizon” to discuss the importance of this change and what to expect moving forward as we elect a Lieutenant Governor.
The new Lieutenant Governor position will replace the Secretary of State as the next-in-line to the Governor if the Governor is unable to perform their duties. The Governor will also be able to appoint their Lieutenant to lead the Department of Administration, serve as their chief of staff or any other position under the Governor’s authority.
Arizona voters decided to add this position to the state government after ballot measures to add this position failed in 1994 and 2010.
Candidates running for Governor must have their successor at least 60 days before the November election date. Representative Biggs has selected Sine Kerr, a former Republican Arizona state lawmaker, as his running mate and “The New York Times” is reporting Governor Hobbs will pick former Mesa Mayor and Independent John Giles.
Pearson said she believes the addition of this position in the state government was “a long time coming.”
“Arizona is so weird, we really are. Just the most defiant state, and regardless of party, we want small government, we want people to be productive. We underpay these positions so we’re in an extraordinarily difficult position for recruiting and retaining qualified folks in state government,” Pearson said.
Coughlin added that becoming “a bit more partisan” and causing people to be more “tuned in to these things” is another reason why the push to add this position finally came to fruition.
As for what a Lieutenant Governor will do, Pearson said the long and short of it is to “be a really good number two.” This also includes filling in where the Governor is not able to be and where the Governor may not have as many strengths.
Coughlin also pointed out that according to the language in the bill leading to the addition of the Lieutenant Governor position, the first person to hold this role may take on different responsibilities.
“You can be the chief of staff; that’s in the bill. Or you can be the head of the department of administration, which is the guts of the state government; you can appoint that. Or any other position that she can appoint,” Coughlin said.
Looking at Governor Hobbs’s potential pick of Giles as her running mate, Pearson discussed what she believes the incumbent is trying to achieve through this pick.
“This really is a big tent strategy. It’s trying to get the moderate Republicans who have rejected Arpaio and MAGA extremism and bringing her coalition together,” Pearson said.
By selecting a running mate who is a registered Independent, Coughlin said he believes this is a good strategy and can appeal to a wider scope of voters.
“The second largest part of the electorate are independent and unaffiliated voters. They will constitute somewhere upward of 28 to 30% of the the electorate this fall. If she (Governor Hobbs) can say, ‘I’m a Democrat; he’s not,’ that’s an opportunity to spread the tent pegs out and give an invitation to somebody,” Coughlin said.
Pearson added Giles could bring the East Valley votes that would be a big part of the area that Representative Biggs represents. She also said this could be a defining factor of the general elections because, Pearson said, “So goes that area of the county, so goes the state.”
Then looking at Representative Biggs pick of Sine Kerr for Lieutenant Governor, Coughlin noted the Biggs campaign is emphasizing Kerr’s experience in agriculture and water. This is especially of note according to Coughlin due to the recent news regarding the potential cuts in water for Arizona from the Colorado River.
Pearson said she was not surprised by Representative Biggs’s choice to have Kerr as his running mate.
“I assumed he would put a woman on the ticket, not to play demographic politics, but I mean it certainly helps. And he’s got a voting record that is concerning to lots of women, and so it makes sense for him to balance that out,” Pearson said.
As for what the Lieutenant Governor can bring to the gubernatorial election, Coughlin believes it can bring more “dimension to the ticket.” However, Pearson believes at the same time there is a risk element that can come along with adding another name to the ballot.
