Another shoe may have dropped for 2026

Current president of the state senate, Warren Petersen, is "interested" in running for state AG.

From the list of statements of interest filed with the AZ SOS -

At this point. it's only an expression of interest of becoming a candidate for a particular office.  A person expressing such an interest may not ever be listed on a ballot for that office.  As of this writing, no committee has been formed such a run.

As of now, no other "big names" have publicly expressed an interest in an office (other than the ones I've written about), either at the state or Maricopa County levels.  Also, no "big names" have yet formed an election committee, federal or state, for an office other than the one they hold now.

Both will change as the year goes on.

Biggs is in (sort of) in the race for AZ Governor

Pointed at this by a fundraising text from Team Hobbs.

I say Congressman Andy Biggs is only "sort of" in because, at this point, he's only filed a statement of interest (SOI), not formed a committee yet.  However, it's early yet.  One of his presumed opponents in the primary, Karrin Taylor Robson, hasn't done either, though she's already secured Cheeto's endorsement.

From the list of statements of interest filed with the AZ SOS -

My guess: Biggs won't be last "big name" to express an interest in the race for Arizona governor.

Whoever gets through the R primary for the chance to face off against Governor Katie Hobbs will be a supporter of Cheeto.

That person will also make voting for Hobbs easy, because it will be a vote for competence over extremism.

What will be more interesting, in a "get out your popcorn" sort of way, will be the Republican primary contest to replace Biggs in Congress.  

His CD5 district is a safe one for Rs, meaning that the R primary winner will almost certainly win in the general election.

One person, former legislator Travis Grantham, has already filed a statement of interest in the race for CD5.

But he won't be the last to do so.

All of the Rs in that race will have a platform of "I'm Trumpier than thou".

No one, not even Grantham, has yet formed a committee with the FEC as of the writing of this post.

Interesting side note: Grantham filed his SOI 2.5 hours after Biggs did so.  I'm guessing that he got a phone call. 

I know it's early, but the 2026 election cycle has already started

Note: Someone declaring that they are interested in running for a particular office does NOT mean that person will be a candidate on a ballot.  Also, it's early, so people may declare an interest in a particular office now but may ultimately run for another office.

From the statements of interest filed by potential candidates with the Secretary of State's office.

First to file one: 

Barby Ingle, Republican, interested in a state representative slot in LD7.  Filed on 12/4/2024.

Biggest name (so far):

Rodney Glassman, Republican, interested in running for state Attorney General.  Filed on 12/14 and 12/26.

Normally, I am loathe to make any predictions about R primaries, but here, I'll make one.  The only way Glassman is the R nominee is if the Rs have given up on winning the AG's race.

Note: Some sitting legislators, all Rs, have declared an interest in running again for a spot in the legislature.

Maricopa County primary candidates for 2024

Note: this is based only on signatures submitted and could (and probably will) be changed by legal challenges.

From Maricopa County's list of primary candidates -

Note2: The "Signatures Needed" column info is from Maricopa County here.

All countywide seats have challengers (which is a good thing for democracy) and only one race will be decided in the primary as all candidates for that office are from one party (County Treasurer with only two Republican candidates)

The 2026 election cycle has already started; some potential candidates have already filed statements of interest for offices up for election then.  Countywide offices up for election will be this year so the statements of interest for 2026 are only for constable and JP races.  So far.

Note3: Just because a candidate expresses "interest" in a particular race doesn't mean that they will be on a ballot.

The calendar may say 2024, but the 2026 election season has already started

And the first one out of the gate (the first serious candidate to form a committee) is....Dawn Grove.

She lost the race for the R nomination for AG in 2022.  She ended the race with $0 on hand.

She hasn't formed a committee for a run as yet, but Republican Karrin Taylor Robson may be running for governor again in 2026.  She was in the legislative chamber when Governor Hobbs gave her State of the State speech at the opening of the 2024 session of the state legislature.

While the panelists on channel 12's Sunday Square Off thought she was just making an appearance at an event where most politicians and wanna-bes show up.

Personally, I think she was reminding folks she has raised money for of her presence.