Arizona’s political TV season is about to drop, with the state’s official debate sponsor rolling out the moderator lineup and a packed debate calendar that kicks off in late May and runs hard into the July 21 primary. The Citizens Clean Elections Commission says the 2026 statewide and federal candidate debates will be produced in Scottsdale and pushed out across Arizona on TV, radio, and digital platforms, complete with Spanish audio and ASL built into the broadcasts. Longtime local anchors and public-radio voices are slated to handle moderating duties, and both voters and newsrooms are being tapped now for questions.
Debate schedule and production
According to the Citizens Clean Elections Commission, the statewide and federal debates are set to begin at the end of May so voters have time to size up the field before ballots are cast on July 21. The full list of dates and start times is posted on the agency’s website. “Moderators play an important role in debates,” Gina Roberts, Voter Education Director for Clean Elections, said in the announcement, adding that the goal is to move candidates past canned talking points and into real policy detail.
Where the shows will be made and who will carry them
The Commission’s debate series will be produced in partnership with the Arizona Media Association and staged at SNEAKY BIG studios in Scottsdale, with the AMA coordinating distribution to dozens of outlets statewide, per PR Newswire. Organizers say the setup is meant to make the debates hard to miss: live on television, simulcast regionally and available digitally for on-demand viewing once the studio lights go dark.
Who will moderate
The initial moderator slate announced by Clean Elections features journalists and hosts with deep Arizona roots: Danielle Lerner, Kathleen Bade, Olivia Fierro and Steve Goldstein. The agency says each has years of experience tracking state and local politics. Tregg White, president and CEO of the Arizona Media Association, called moderators “the voice of the electorate” and said the AMA expects them to press candidates with follow-up questions that keep exchanges substantive, according to the release.
Accessibility and how to take part
All live televised debates will come with Spanish audio translation, an American Sign Language interpreter and closed captioning, and many events are slated to stream live on YouTube, the PR Newswire notice said. Members of the public can pitch debate questions by emailing [email protected] or calling 602-364-3477 (toll-free 877-631-8891). Media outlets interested in carrying the debates can coordinate through the Arizona Media Association.
Who qualifies to appear
The Arizona Media Association and Clean Elections say candidates who receive at least 1% of the total primary ballots cast for their office will be invited to the in-studio general-election debates, a threshold the AMA has used before to balance inclusivity with finite studio time. The rule is designed to keep the stage from turning into a crowded open mic while still giving voters a meaningful side-by-side look at the most relevant contenders.
With the primary seven weeks away and debates set to start in late May, campaigns and voters can expect a steady drumbeat of head-to-head matchups as candidates cycle through the Scottsdale studio. Schedules may shift as campaigns lock in participation, so viewers are being urged to check the Clean Elections debate page for the latest calendar and carriage details.
