Adrian P. Fontes won the primary and is the party's nominee for the general election. Ran unopposed in the July 21, 2026 Democratic primary for Secretary of State. Faces Republican nominee Alexander Kolodin and Green nominee Duwayne Collier in the November 3, 2026 general election.
Source: kold.com · Last verified: October 23, 2026
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Statement
As Secretary of State, I've delivered on key promises to strengthen election integrity, ensure voter access, improve business services, and promote transparency. In everything I do, my goal is to protect your vote. These efforts include launching a statewide ballot tracking system that allows voters to receive text and email updates when their ballots are sent and received. I have fought to protect your private data and vote-by-mail because nobody should have to stand in long lines in the heat to cast their vote. Ahead of the 2024 election, I hosted statewide tabletop exercises with election officials, law enforcement, and cybersecurity experts to prepare for potential threats, including emerging challenges like deepfakes and content authentication. To combat misinformation, I established the Artificial Intelligence and Election Security Advisory Committee, bringing together leaders from academia, business, and technology to assess risks and identify opportunities. In 2025, I received a Clearie Award from the U.S. Election Assistance Commission for the third consecutive year, honoring innovation and excellence in election administration. Importantly, I successfully oversaw the peaceful administration and certification of the 2024 election, reinforcing trust in Arizona's democratic process. I would be honored to earn your vote. Thank you.
Biography
Adrian Fontes was elected Arizona's 21st Secretary of State in 2022 and took office in January 2023. An Arizona native and Marine Corps veteran who served on active duty from 1992 to 1996, he worked as a prosecutor in Denver and Maricopa County and led the International Prosecution Unit at the Arizona Attorney General's Office. He was elected Maricopa County Recorder in 2016 and lost re-election in 2020 to Republican Stephen Richer. As Secretary of State he launched statewide ballot tracking and refused a 2025 U.S. Justice Department demand for Arizona's voter registration data, a position a judge upheld, citing voter privacy. He opposes Proposition 144, a 2026 ballot measure requiring voter ID each time a ballot is cast, which he says is designed to end voting by mail. In debates with Republican Alexander Kolodin on Aug. 31 and Sept. 30, 2026, the candidates traded personal attacks, with Fontes citing Kolodin's State Bar discipline over 2020 election lawsuits. Fontes ran unopposed in the July 21, 2026 Democratic primary and faces Kolodin and Green nominee Duwayne Collier in the November 3, 2026 general election.
Past offices held
Positions
Issue Stances
Water Policy
No official stance on record.
Education Funding
No official stance on record.
Border Security & Immigration
No official stance on record.
Housing Affordability
No official stance on record.
Election Integrity
SupportsFontes says Arizona elections are safe and secure and has prioritized accuracy and affordability over faster results. He launched statewide ballot tracking, refused a 2025 U.S. Justice Department demand for the state's voter registration data on privacy grounds, and opposes Proposition 144's requirement to show ID each time a ballot is cast, which he says would effectively end voting by mail.
"Proposition 144 is designed to kill voting by mail in Arizona."
Healthcare Access
No official stance on record.
Public Safety & Criminal Justice
No official stance on record.
Energy Policy
No official stance on record.
Economic Development & Jobs
No official stance on record.
Reproductive Rights
SupportsFontes's policy page proposes updating Arizona's Address Confidentiality Program in response to post-Roe concerns, signaling support for privacy and safety protections tied to abortion access.
Transportation & Infrastructure
SupportsFontes focuses on election infrastructure modernization — ballot imaging, statewide tracking systems, and E-Qual upgrades — rather than transportation or physical infrastructure.
Government Spending & Taxation
SupportsFontes proposes investing in county resources and upgrading election systems, framing it as an administrative modernization investment rather than a broader tax or budget platform.
Legislature
Legislative Voting Record
No voting record on file.
If this candidate holds a legislative seat, visit the Arizona Legislature at azleg.gov for voting records.
Ballot
Ballot Measure Stances
No ballot measure stances on file yet.
Coverage