Risa Lombardo won the primary and is the party's nominee for the general election. Won the July 21, 2026 Green Party primary for Governor with about 67% of the vote. Faces Democratic nominee Katie Hobbs, Republican nominee Andy Biggs, and No Labels nominee Teri Ann Hourihan in the November 3, 2026 general election.
Source: kjzz.org · Last verified: October 23, 2026
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Statement
I'm running for Governor to be a voice for everyone being ignored by the major parties, and to champion issues that matter to every Arizonan. I've been registered with both major parties, although I spent most of my life as a Democrat. Each party has some elected officials who can be admired or respected in some way, but on the whole, neither party seems interested or capable of fixing the problems we face. Equal opportunity for everyone, based on our individual merit. Fair and transparent elections to ensure our voices are heard and reflected in the outcome. A responsible environmental plan to protect our air and water. And meaningful reforms on critical issues like education, homelessness, and the prison system. Other challengers don't offer much in these regards, and four years with Katie Hobbs as Governor has produced no progress at all. We deserve better but won't get it until we stand together in sufficient numbers that we earn the attention of the powers that be. When they realize they need us, they'll listen to us and work with us. Join this campaign movement and let's reward candidates who want to fix our problems, not just talk about them!
Biography
Risa Lombardo was born in New York City and moved to Arizona in 1991, where she raised two daughters in Peoria and worked as a legal secretary and assistant. Previously registered with both major parties, she was a Republican precinct committee member until early 2025 before registering with the Green Party. The Arizona Green Party disavowed her candidacy, accusing her of running to draw votes from Gov. Katie Hobbs, which she denied. In 2026 the Arizona Attorney General's Office opened a criminal investigation, and the Citizens Clean Elections Commission a civil one, into allegations that voters' names were used without their consent on $5 qualifying contributions that helped her receive about $2.8 million in public campaign funding. Her attorney has called the allegations a conspiracy theory and said the investigation forced her campaign to suspend; the Arizona Supreme Court is considering whether the commission can claw back the funds. Lombardo agreed to join the Oct. 6, 2026 gubernatorial debate but withdrew shortly before it. She won the July 21, 2026 Green Party primary with about 67% of the vote and faces Gov. Katie Hobbs, Republican Andy Biggs, and No Labels nominee Teri Ann Hourihan in the November 3, 2026 general election.
Positions
Issue Stances
Water Policy
SupportsLombardo supports a responsible environmental plan to protect Arizona's air and water, rooted in Green Party ecological values around protecting natural systems and using resources sustainably. No detailed plan found covering groundwater, the Colorado River, agriculture, or development policy.
Education Funding
SupportsLombardo identifies education as a critical issue in need of meaningful reform. No specific funding formula, teacher pay plan, school choice position, or K–12 budget proposal was found publicly.
Border Security & Immigration
Not FoundNo direct public position found on border security, immigration enforcement, asylum, or state police powers. Her issues page references social justice, equal opportunity, and respect for diversity, but does not provide a specific border or immigration stance.
Housing Affordability
SupportsLombardo names homelessness as a critical issue and frames rising bills and falling wages as hitting vulnerable people hardest. No specific housing platform found on zoning, rent, homelessness services, affordable housing funds, or tenant protections.
Election Integrity
SupportsLombardo supports fair and transparent elections, public financing of campaigns, open debates, and more representative voting systems. No position found on voter ID, mail voting, ballot counting, or election administration.
Healthcare Access
Not FoundNo direct public position found on Medicaid, AHCCCS, rural healthcare, costs, prescription drugs, or mental health access. Her issues page supports a "real safety net" but does not specify a healthcare access platform.
Public Safety & Criminal Justice
SupportsLombardo names the prison system as a critical issue needing meaningful reform and cites nonviolence and social justice as core values. No detailed platform found on policing, sentencing, prisons, rehabilitation, or public safety funding.
Energy Policy
SupportsLombardo supports getting off fossil fuels and transitioning to renewable energy and an energy-efficient economy. No specific Arizona plan found covering utilities, solar, transmission, nuclear, or grid reliability.
Economic Development & Jobs
SupportsLombardo supports a living wage, a real safety net, employee ownership, workplace democracy, and community-based economics. No specific Arizona jobs plan, tax policy, small business program, or workforce development proposal found.
Reproductive Rights
Not FoundNo direct public position found on abortion, contraception, reproductive healthcare access, IVF, or Arizona's abortion rights amendment. Her issues page supports feminism and gender equity without stating a specific reproductive rights policy.
Transportation & Infrastructure
Not FoundNo direct public position found on roads, transit, broadband, freight, airport infrastructure, or transportation funding. Campaign information is sparse and no campaign website is available, leaving insufficient material to classify a transportation stance.
Government Spending & Taxation
Not FoundNo direct public position found on taxes, the state budget, spending levels, vouchers, or agency appropriations. Public reporting quotes her supporting reform on education, homelessness, and prisons, but not with enough specificity to classify a government spending or taxation stance.
Legislature
Legislative Voting Record
No voting record on file.
Voting records are only available for candidates who have held legislative office.
Ballot
Ballot Measure Stances
No ballot measure stances on file yet.
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