The 2022 midterm elections, held halfway through the presidency of President Joe Biden, saw a slightly Republican leaning environment around the country. This allowed Republicans to take the House of Representatives. Most states also held elections for statewide executive positions, with a select number of key states being competitive battlegrounds. One such state was in Arizona, which saw competitive races for most statewide executive offices. Although Republicans gained a majority in the federal house races, Democrats won most statewide races.
2022 Arizona Gubernatorial Election
In the 2022 Arizona Gubernatorial election, the Republican incumbent Governor Doug Ducey, who had held office since the 2014 elections, was term limited and was therefore not able to run for re-election. The election was seen as a possible pickup opportunity for Democrats, although Republicans had been successful in holding the Governor’s office in prior elections, as Ducey had won re-election in the Democratic wave year of 2018.
In the respective party primaries held for the Gubernatorial race, Republicans saw a much more competitive primary than Democrats did. The major candidates in the Republican primary were Kari Lake, a former news anchor, and Arizona Board of Regents member Karrin Taylor Robson. Lake was endorsed by former President Trump, while Robson was a pick of outgoing governor Ducey. In the end, Lake defeated Robson with 398,860 votes (47.96% of the primary vote) to 358,682 votes (43.13% of the primary vote). Former Republican representative Matt Salmon and five other candidates combined for 73,966 votes, making up the remaining 8.91% of the primary vote. In the Democratic primary, Democratic Secretary of State Katie Hobbs cruised to victory against Customs and Border Patrol official Marco López Jr. 431,059 to 136,090 votes (73.32% and 22.83%, respectively). A third Democratic candidate, Aaron Lieberman, won 28,878 votes (3.85%). Republicans won 831,508 votes in the primaries (58.24%), while Democrats won 596,027 votes (41.75%).
| County | Lake | Hobbs | 3rd | Total | RPCT | DPCT |
| Apache | 8,870 | 17,739 | 5 | 26,614 | 33.33% | 66.65% |
| Cochise | 27,481 | 19,137 | 48 | 46,666 | 58.89% | 41.01% |
| Coconino | 20,298 | 34,389 | 40 | 54,727 | 37.09% | 62.84% |
| Gila | 14,763 | 7,674 | 13 | 22,450 | 65.76% | 34.18% |
| Graham | 7,760 | 3,087 | 0 | 10,847 | 71.54% | 28.46% |
| Greenlee | 1,526 | 920 | 0 | 2,446 | 62.39% | 37.61% |
| La Paz | 3,847 | 1,646 | 6 | 5,499 | 69.96% | 29.93% |
| Maricopa | 752,714 | 790,352 | 469 | 1,543,535 | 48.77% | 51.20% |
| Mohave | 61,125 | 20,369 | 16 | 81,510 | 74.99% | 24.99% |
| Navajo | 22,340 | 18,058 | 13 | 40,411 | 55.28% | 44.69% |
| Pima | 157,034 | 241,398 | 121 | 398,553 | 39.40% | 60.57% |
| Pinal | 83,773 | 60,019 | 34 | 143,826 | 58.25% | 41.73% |
| Santa Cruz | 4,371 | 8,724 | 4 | 13,099 | 33.37% | 66.60% |
| Yavapai | 78,832 | 44,316 | 43 | 123,191 | 63.99% | 35.97% |
| Yuma | 26,040 | 20,063 | 8 | 46,111 | 56.47% | 43.51% |
| Total | 1,270,774 | 1,287,891 | 820 | 2,559,485 | 49.65% | 50.32% |
| Margin | D +17,117 | D +0.67% |
In the general election, Democratic candidate Katie Hobbs won a surprise victory over Republican Kari Lake. This was surprising; no election handicappers predicted a Hobbs victory. Hobbs was able to win the state by winning Maricopa County (home to Phoenix and where the majority of the state’s votes are cast). Lake performed well outside of Maricopa and Pima counties, netting 104,855 votes (58.3-41.5%) but this was not enough to offset Hobbs’s 122,002-vote net in Maricopa and Pima counties. Hobbs ultimately won by a narrow margin of 17,117 votes, or 0.67%.
2022 Arizona Secretary of State Election
In the 2022 Arizona Secretary of State election, Democratic incumbent Katie Hobbs successfully sought a promotion to Governor, leaving the office of Secretary of State an open seat race. In the Republican primary, Republican Mark Finchem won the nomination with 329,884 votes (42.55%) against three other candidates, who combined for 445,228 votes (57.45%). Meanwhile, in the Democratic primary, Maricopa County Recorder Adrian Fontes won his primary with 302,681 votes (52.50%) against Reginald Bolding, who garnered 273,815 votes (47.50%).
| County | Finchem | Fontes | 3rd | Total | RPCT | DPCT |
| Apache | 8,776 | 17,476 | 0 | 26,252 | 33.43% | 66.57% |
| Cochise | 26,827 | 19,402 | 0 | 46,229 | 58.03% | 41.97% |
| Coconino | 19,270 | 34,482 | 0 | 53,752 | 35.85% | 64.15% |
| Gila | 14,103 | 8,176 | 0 | 22,279 | 63.30% | 36.70% |
| Graham | 7,478 | 3,246 | 0 | 10,724 | 69.73% | 30.27% |
| Greenlee | 1,429 | 978 | 0 | 2,407 | 59.37% | 40.63% |
| La Paz | 3,708 | 1,736 | 0 | 5,444 | 68.11% | 31.89% |
| Maricopa | 702,376 | 813,492 | 0 | 1,515,868 | 46.33% | 53.67% |
| Mohave | 59,320 | 20,901 | 0 | 80,221 | 73.95% | 26.05% |
| Navajo | 21,280 | 18,701 | 0 | 39,981 | 53.23% | 46.77% |
| Pima | 150,680 | 244,349 | 0 | 395,029 | 38.14% | 61.86% |
| Pinal | 79,696 | 62,618 | 0 | 142,314 | 56.00% | 44.00% |
| Santa Cruz | 3,909 | 9,181 | 0 | 13,090 | 29.86% | 70.14% |
| Yavapai | 76,162 | 45,876 | 0 | 122,038 | 62.41% | 37.59% |
| Yuma | 25,397 | 20,005 | 0 | 45,402 | 55.94% | 44.06% |
| Total | 1,200,411 | 1,320,619 | 0 | 2,521,030 | 47.62% | 52.38% |
| Margin | D +120,208 | D +4.77% |
When the ballots were counted, Democratic candidate Fontes had won a narrow, but convincing victory of 4.8%. Between Maricopa and Pima counties alone, he amassed a lead of 204,785 votes, which would end up being more than enough to win the state. Finchem won the rest of the state’s counties by 84,577 votes, but this was not nearly enough to offset Fontes’s lead in the state’s urban centers.
2022 Arizona Attorney General Election
In the 2022 Arizona Attorney General election, the Republican incumbent Mark Brnovich was term-limited and thus could not seek re-election, making this an open seat. Both party primaries saw competition. In the Republican primary, Abraham Hamadeh emerged victorious with 265,636 votes (33.55%), while the rest of the candidates took a combined 525,981 votes (66.45%). In the Democratic primary, Kris Mayes went uncontested, earning 556,351 votes. The primary breakdown of votes 791,617 – 556,351 votes (58.72% – 41.28%). Hamadeh and Mayes advanced to the general election in November.
| County | Hamadeh | Mayes | 3rd | Total | RPCT | DPCT |
| Apache | 8,494 | 17,930 | 62 | 26,486 | 32.07% | 67.70% |
| Cochise | 27,664 | 18,480 | 80 | 46,224 | 59.85% | 39.98% |
| Coconino | 19,700 | 34,043 | 88 | 53,831 | 36.60% | 63.24% |
| Gila | 14,538 | 7,727 | 28 | 22,293 | 65.21% | 34.66% |
| Graham | 7,640 | 3,085 | 17 | 10,742 | 71.12% | 28.72% |
| Greenlee | 1,462 | 938 | 7 | 2,407 | 60.74% | 38.97% |
| La Paz | 3,788 | 1,653 | 9 | 5,450 | 69.50% | 30.33% |
| Maricopa | 740,965 | 766,874 | 1,706 | 1,509,545 | 49.09% | 50.80% |
| Mohave | 60,593 | 19,585 | 134 | 80,312 | 75.45% | 24.39% |
| Navajo | 21,747 | 18,129 | 89 | 39,965 | 54.42% | 45.36% |
| Pima | 157,348 | 236,264 | 452 | 394,064 | 39.93% | 59.96% |
| Pinal | 83,116 | 59,068 | 188 | 142,372 | 58.38% | 41.49% |
| Santa Cruz | 4,283 | 8,721 | 15 | 13,019 | 32.90% | 66.99% |
| Yavapai | 77,487 | 42,813 | 119 | 120,419 | 64.35% | 35.55% |
| Yuma | 25,704 | 19,499 | 58 | 45,261 | 56.79% | 43.08% |
| Total | 1,254,529 | 1,254,809 | 3,052 | 2,512,390 | 49.93% | 49.94% |
| Margin | D +280 | D +0.01% |
The election saw a recount, in which Mayes was affirmed the winner by an impossibly slim margin of just 280 votes. In Maricopa and Pima counties, Mayes led by a 104,825-vote margin, slightly larger than Hamadeh’s 104,545-vote margin in the rest of the state.
2022 Arizona State Treasurer Election
In the 2022 Arizona State Treasurer Election, the Republican Incumbent, Kimberly Yee, initially ran for a promotion to governor, but withdrew from the Governor’s race and instead ran for re-election. The Republican primary was competitive, with Yee winning 423,456 votes (56.40%), while the rest of the candidates took a combined 227,325 votes (43.60%). Yee’s share of the primary vote meant that she was one of the only statewide candidates who secured a majority of the primary vote. Martine Quezada was the Democratic nominee, winning 554,186 votes in his primary where he went uncontested. The breakdown of primary votes was 750,781 – 554,186 (57.53% – 42.47%) with Republicans having the advantage.
| County | Yee | Quezada | 3rd | Total | RPCT | DPCT |
| Apache | 9,758 | 16,518 | 0 | 26,276 | 37.14% | 62.86% |
| Cochise | 29,624 | 16,524 | 0 | 46,148 | 64.19% | 35.81% |
| Coconino | 22,159 | 31,244 | 0 | 53,403 | 41.49% | 58.51% |
| Gila | 15,685 | 6,553 | 0 | 22,238 | 70.53% | 29.47% |
| Graham | 8,122 | 2,623 | 0 | 10,745 | 75.59% | 24.41% |
| Greenlee | 1,545 | 853 | 0 | 2,398 | 64.43% | 35.57% |
| La Paz | 4,013 | 1,419 | 0 | 5,432 | 73.88% | 26.12% |
| Maricopa | 830,056 | 668,142 | 0 | 1,498,198 | 55.40% | 44.60% |
| Mohave | 63,562 | 16,586 | 0 | 80,148 | 79.31% | 20.69% |
| Navajo | 23,492 | 16,319 | 0 | 39,811 | 59.01% | 40.99% |
| Pima | 177,369 | 215,239 | 0 | 392,608 | 45.18% | 54.82% |
| Pinal | 89,559 | 51,978 | 0 | 141,537 | 63.28% | 36.72% |
| Santa Cruz | 4,666 | 8,292 | 0 | 12,958 | 36.01% | 63.99% |
| Yavapai | 83,417 | 36,555 | 0 | 119,972 | 69.53% | 30.47% |
| Yuma | 27,108 | 18,192 | 58 | 45,358 | 59.76% | 40.11% |
| Total | 1,390,135 | 1,107,037 | 58 | 2,497,230 | 55.67% | 44.33% |
| Margin | R +283,278 | R +11.34% |
After the general election was conducted and finalized, State Treasurer Yee won a solid victory over Democratic state senator Quezada. Yee was the only Republican to win the two-county Maricopa and Pima grouping; she won Maricopa County by 11 percentage points and only lost Pima by 9.6%. Yee won this two-county selection by 124,044 votes, and the rest of the state by 159,054 votes. This allowed her to win the state by 283,278 votes, or 11.3% – the largest margin of any statewide candidate.
2022 Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Election
In the 2022 Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction election, Incumbent Democrat Kathy Hoffman ran for re-election. In the Republican primary, former Superintendent and Attorney General Tom Horne won with 321,208 votes (41.93%), while the rest of the candidates garnered 444,687 votes (58.07%). In the Democratic primary, Hoffman went uncontested with 564,099 votes. The two-party vote share in the primary elections was 765,895 – 564,099 votes (57.59% – 41.41%). Horne and Hoffman advanced to the general election.
| County | Horne | Hoffman | 3rd | Total | RPCT | DPCT |
| Apache | 9,030 | 17,337 | 57 | 26,424 | 34.17% | 65.61% |
| Cochise | 27,767 | 18,457 | 90 | 46,314 | 59.95% | 39.85% |
| Coconino | 20,151 | 33,526 | 116 | 53,793 | 37.46% | 62.32% |
| Gila | 14,554 | 7,756 | 24 | 22,334 | 65.17% | 34.73% |
| Graham | 7,525 | 3,223 | 13 | 10,761 | 69.93% | 29.95% |
| Greenlee | 1,465 | 941 | 4 | 2,410 | 60.79% | 39.05% |
| La Paz | 3,828 | 1,632 | 6 | 5,466 | 70.03% | 29.86% |
| Maricopa | 738,713 | 763,704 | 1,601 | 1,504,018 | 49.12% | 50.78% |
| Mohave | 60,812 | 19,400 | 90 | 80,302 | 75.73% | 24.16% |
| Navajo | 21,692 | 18,291 | 82 | 40,065 | 54.14% | 45.65% |
| Pima | 159,638 | 233,592 | 459 | 393,689 | 40.55% | 59.33% |
| Pinal | 83,533 | 58,919 | 169 | 142,621 | 58.57% | 41.31% |
| Santa Cruz | 4,343 | 8,441 | 17 | 12,801 | 33.93% | 65.94% |
| Yavapai | 77,326 | 42,628 | 126 | 120,080 | 64.40% | 35.50% |
| Yuma | 26,029 | 19,371 | 46 | 45,446 | 57.27% | 42.62% |
| Total | 1,256,406 | 1,247,218 | 2,900 | 2,506,524 | 50.13% | 49.76% |
| Margin | R +9,188 | R +0.37% |
After the general election, the race headed to a recount in which Horne was declared the winner. Hoffman won Maricopa and Pima Counties by a margin of 98,945 votes. Horne won the rest of the state by 108,133 votes, enough to overcome Hoffman’s urban advantage. Horne ultimately won by a narrow margin of 9,188 votes, or 0.4%.
