Arizona makes history Monday evening when three candidates vying to become the state's first-ever lieutenant governor meet on a debate stage, a vote that will permanently reshape how power transfers in the Grand Canyon State. Republican Sine Kerr and independent Angela Harrolle Mohan are confirmed to appear, while John Giles — running alongside Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs — is sitting the event out.
The debate, hosted by the Citizens Clean Elections Commission, is scheduled for 6 p.m. MST on Monday, according to FOX 10 Phoenix. It marks the first time Arizona voters will elect a governor and lieutenant governor together as a joint ticket in the state's history, the station reports. All 2026 Clean Elections Commission debates are co-produced with the Arizona Media Association and simulcast statewide across television, radio and digital platforms, with Spanish audio translation and ASL interpreters, to maximize access for voters in all 15 counties.
Why the Office Exists At All
Arizona voters created the lieutenant governor post by passing Proposition 131 in November 2022, with 55.2% approval — 1,299,484 votes to 1,056,433 — according to MultiState. The measure ended the state's 114-year practice of having the Secretary of State stand first in line for succession, per the same source. Voters had rejected the idea twice before, voting down Proposition 100 in 1994 by 65.3% and Proposition 111 in 2010 by 59.2%, according to Ballotpedia; until the 2022 vote, Arizona was one of only five states without a lieutenant governor.
The office won't be purely symbolic. Under companion legislation Senate Bill 1255, the governor must assign the lieutenant governor to serve as Director of the Arizona Department of Administration, as chief of staff, or to another statutory post the governor has authority to fill, according to Holtzman Vogel. The job carries an annual salary of $165,000, per Wikipedia. If a vacancy opens after that date, the governor must appoint a successor subject to legislative confirmation, Ballotpedia notes.
Arizona has lived through what that succession gap can mean in practice. Former state lawmaker J.D. Mesnard has said Arizona has experienced every form of trigger in the line of succession, per FOX 10 Phoenix. Raul Castro was elected governor in 1974 and resigned in 1977 to become U.S. ambassador to Argentina, with Wesley Bolin succeeding him; Bolin died in office in 1978 and was succeeded by Bruce Babbitt. Evan Mecham was impeached and removed from office in 1988, with Rose Mofford stepping in, and Fife Symington resigned in 1997, succeeded by Jane Hull. Janet Napolitano resigned in 2009 to become Homeland Security secretary, the station reports.
Who's Actually Showing Up Monday
Republican Sine Kerr, running alongside Congressman Andy Biggs, is confirmed for the debate. Kerr served as Arizona state senator for legislative districts 13 and 25 from 2018 to 2025, held the post of Senate majority whip, and was appointed in 2025 as Arizona executive director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Farm Service Agency, per FOX 10 Phoenix. She moved to Buckeye at age 3 and, with her husband, has built their family-owned dairy farm over more than 40 years, running a small cow-calf operation and growing forage crops. Biggs announced Kerr as his running mate in July.
Independent Angela Harrolle Mohan, running with Teri Ann Hourihan, is also confirmed to appear. Mohan is a former federal special agent, nonprofit executive and small-business owner with more than two decades of executive leadership and public-service experience, according to the station's report. She has championed bipartisan legislation benefiting Arizona first responders and their families and served as honorary commander at Luke Air Force Base. Mohan has six children and one grandchild; her late husband was killed in 2008. Hourihan announced Mohan as her running mate in August.
Green Party candidate Lisa Castillo, running alongside Risa Lombardo, had not responded to the Clean Elections website regarding her debate participation, per the same report. Castillo was born in California, has lived in Arizona since 2010, and works as a small-business owner; she supports practical, humane solutions to homelessness and stronger mental-health services. The Arizona Green Party lists Lombardo's gubernatorial candidacy as actively opposed, the outlet notes, and the No Labels Party of Arizona has made no endorsements in the governor or lieutenant governor race.
Why Giles Isn't On Stage
John Giles — Hobbs's running mate and former Mesa mayor — is not participating Monday. Hobbs campaign manager Nicole DeMont has said direct voter engagement across the state is more effective than televised debates, as reported by KJZZ.
Political consultant Chuck Coughlin has estimated unaffiliated voters will make up 28% to 30% of the electorate this cycle, per FOX 10 Phoenix. Consultant Stan Barnes has said a lieutenant governor pick is unlikely to sway many voters, but the wrong choice could hurt a campaign, according to the station.
The Stakes Beyond the Stage
Hobbs's campaign has pointed to record from her time in office, including the elimination of medical debt for nearly 700,000 Arizonans, prescription drug costs lowered by up to 80%, and the seizure of more than 18 million fentanyl pills under her administration, per FOX 10 Phoenix. The general election itself falls on November 3.
Hoodline previously reported on the debate skip and the candidates' public safety forum appearances, noting an August Noble Predictive Insights survey that had Hobbs leading Biggs by 13 points, 48% to 35%, with 86% Democratic support and a 15% Republican crossover rate. Biggs had won the July Republican primary with more than 73% of the vote. With Arizona set to join 45 other states that already have a lieutenant governor, Monday's debate offers the clearest public look yet at who will fill a role the state spent over a century without.
