Kristin Kay Mayes (born 1970 or 1971)[1] is an American attorney, reporter, 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 in one of the closest elections in the state's history.[2][3] Previously Mayes was a Professor of Practice at Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law and Chair of the Arizona Corporation Commission.[4][5][6]
Kris Mayes | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) Mayes in 2022 | |
| 27th Attorney General of Arizona | |
| Assumed office January 2, 2023 | |
| Governor | Katie Hobbs |
| Preceded by | Mark Brnovich |
| Chair of the Arizona Corporation Commission | |
| In office January 2009 – December 31, 2010 | |
| Preceded by | Mike Gleason |
| Succeeded by | Gary Pierce |
| Member of the Arizona Corporation Commission | |
| In office October 2003 – December 31, 2010 | |
| Preceded by | James Irvin |
| Succeeded by | Brenda Burns |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1970 or 1971 (age 53–54) Prescott, Arizona, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican (before 2019) Democratic (2019–present) |
| Children | 1 |
| Education | Arizona State University, Tempe (BA, JD) Columbia University (MPA) |
| Website | Government website |
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).[7][8]
Early life and education
editMayes was born and raised in Prescott, Arizona.[9] After graduating from Prescott High School she attended Arizona State University (ASU) on a scholarship from the Flinn Foundation.[10] While attending ASU she served as editor in chief of the State Press, the university's newspaper.[11] She graduated valedictorian from ASU with a degree in political science.[11]
Journalism career
editMayes 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.[11] 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.[10]
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.[11] 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.[11]
Early political career
editMayes was the press secretary for Janet Napolitano during the 2002 Arizona gubernatorial election.[12]
Arizona Corporation Commission
editGovernor Napolitano appointed Mayes, then a Republican, to the Arizona Corporation Commission in October 2003.[12] She devoted much of her effort towards pipeline safety, renewable energy and natural gas issues.[citation needed]
Mayes was elected to a full term in a 2004 special election, defeating Libertarian nominee Rick Fowlkes.[13] In 2008, Mayes considered a candidacy for Arizona's 1st congressional district.[14] She was term-limited in 2010 and was succeeded in her position by fellow Republican Brenda Burns.[11]
In 2019, Mayes left the Republican Party and joined the Democratic Party, citing the expansion of Trumpism within the Republican Party.[1]
Arizona Attorney General
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2022 election
editMayes 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
editMayes 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] Mayes's office indicted 18 individuals in April 2024.
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] In June 2024, investigators from Mayes' office raided the Apache County Attorney's Office in connection to allegations of County Attorney Michael Whiting's "misuse of public monies" and "threatening and intimidating a political opponent."[22]
On November 1, 2024, Donald Trump spoke at a rally in Arizona in which he said of former congresswoman Liz Cheney, "She's a radical war hawk. Let's put her with a rifle standing there with nine barrels shooting at her. Okay, let’s see how she feels about it. You know when the guns are trained on her face — you know, they’re all war hawks when they’re sitting in Washington in a nice building". That day, Mayes launched an investigation as to whether Trump's statement qualified as a prosecutable death threat under Arizona law.[23]
Electoral history
edit| 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 | ||||
| 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 | ||
| 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
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "'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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Giles, Ben (November 21, 2022). "Kris Mayes defeats Abe Hamadeh in Arizona attorney general race". KJZZ. Retrieved December 3, 2022.
- ^ "Kris Mayes". Arizona State University. Retrieved December 1, 2013.
- ^ "Bio". sfis.asu.edu. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
- ^ "Kris Mayes Named Chairman of Corporation Commission)" (PDF). Arizona Corporation Commission. Retrieved April 14, 2014.
- ^ Kavaler, Tara (December 29, 2022). "'Thankful': New Arizona Attorney General Mayes responds after recount affirms win". The Arizona Republic.
- ^ Riley, John (December 29, 2022). "Lesbian Candidate Kris Mayes Wins Arizona Attorney General Race". Metro Weekly.
- ^ "Ms. Kristin K Mayes Lawyer Profile on Martindale.com". www.martindale.com.
- ^ a b Powell, Brian (March 13, 2023). "Kris Mayes praises Flinn Scholarship's impact on road from Prescott to Attorney General". Finn Foundation. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f "Kristin Mayes chosen to head new program on law and sustainability". ASU Global Institute. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
- ^ a b 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.
- ^ Hobbs, Katie. "2004 General Election Results". Arizona Secretary of State. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
- ^ Young, Ty (February 19, 2008). "Arizona Corporation Commissioner Kris Mayes considers run for Congress". Phoenix Business Journal. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
- ^ 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.
- ^ The Washington Post (November 23, 2022). "GOP candidate for Arizona attorney general sues to reverse results". MSN. Retrieved November 28, 2022.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "2022 General Election Results". Arizona Secretary of State.
- ^ "CV2022-015915: Order Regarding Recount Results". Maricopa County Superior Court. December 29, 2022. Retrieved December 29, 2022.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ Reagan, Kevin (June 7, 2024). "Kris Mayes explains why her office searched the Apache County Attorney's Office". 12news.com. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
- ^ "Arizona attorney general's office probing Trump's violent comments about Liz Cheney". NBC News. November 1, 2024. Retrieved November 1, 2024.
- ^ Hobbs, Katie. "2004 General Election Results". Arizona Secretary of State. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
- ^ "CV2022-015915: Declaration of Kori Lorick". Maricopa County Superior Court. December 29, 2022. Retrieved December 29, 2022.
Notes
editExternal links
edit- Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes official state government site
- Kris Mayes for Arizona Attorney General campaign website
- Official Arizona Corporation Commissioner profile
- Appearances on C-SPAN