By Howard Fischer
Mail | X: @azcapmedia

PHOENIX — The election may be more than a year off, but the politicians who hope to win statewide races or keep the ones they have already are building warchests.

Leading the pack in scooping up money is Katie Hobbs who hopes to win a second term as governor. New reports filed with the state show the Democratic incumbent picked up another $1.17 million in donations in the first quarter of the year. And while she spent close to $421,000 during the same period, she now is sitting on more than $4.16 million that she has collected since winning the 2022 race.

Congressman Andy Biggs, who entered the 2026 race in January, listed his tally so far at $181,000 against close to $43,000 in expenses.

But Biggs has something else: His report says he has a $50,000 surplus from an unspecified previous campaign committee.

Biggs cannot transfer any of the cash he raised for his multiple successful races for the U.S. House to a statewide campaign. Instead, it appears the money is left over from his last campaign for the Arizona Senate in 2014 and has been sitting in that account ever since.

Republican challenger Karrin Taylor Robson who decided in February she also wants to be the Republican nominee in 2026 to take on Hobbs, reported collecting about $860,000. With expenses of about $106,000, that leaves here with less than $755,000 in the bank.

What is notable in her report is Robson, who made an unsuccessful bid to be the Republican nominee for governor in 2022, is now writing off $16.9 million she loaned to herself during that campaign.

She also is benefiting from a $50,000 expense on her behalf by Building a Better Arizona, which bills itself as an independent political action committee though former Senate President Karen Fann, who chairs the PAC, said it was designed to help get Robson elected.

Robson, whose background is in real estate and land development, has never served in elective office.

The race with the second-most spending at this point is for attorney general.

Incumbent Democrat Kris Mayes picked up more than $358,000 in donations since the beginning of the year. But with money she already had in the bank, that gives her more than $690,000 in her account. Her total expenditures are less than $100,000.

Rodney Glassman, one of the two Republicans seeking to oust her, reported he took in more than $600,000 in the first quarter of the year, against less than $64,000 in expenses.

But Glassman, who has run for multiple offices in the last two decades — his last successful campaign was in 2007 when he got elected to the Tucson City Council — also has given his campaign a jump start with a personal loan of $1 million. With all that, he reported $1.88 million in the bank.

Also making a bid to take on Mayes is Senate President Warren Petersen. He reported taking in $116,000 in the first three months of the year against only $7,200 in expenses.

Petersen, however, has money left over from prior legislative campaigns and lists his cash on hand at $307,000.

The other key race that is generating some fundraising is for secretary of state.

Incumbent Democrat Adrian Fontes, who already had almost $60,000 in the bank at the end of last year, added another more than $77,000 in donations. With about $53,000 in expenses, he said that leaves him with close to $85,000.

The sole Republican taking him on at this point is state Rep. Alexander Kolodin who officially has been in the race only since the end of March, right before the end of the quarter. He managed to collect just $1,772 and spent $1,365.

Kolodin, however, has some money left over from prior legislative campaigns, with the current balance in his account at $34,700.

Incumbent state schools chief Tom Horne said he added nearly $32,800 to the more than $145,000 he already had in his reelection account. With just about $12,000 in expenses, that leaves him with about $165,000.

The only other candidate for that office who filed a campaign finance report is Democrat Teresa Ruiz who listed $8,000 in donations plus a $10,000 loan to her campaign.

At this point, the only announced candidate for state treasurer is Republican Elijah Norton who announced earlier this month and has not yet filed a campaign finance report. Incumbent Republican Kimberly Yee is in her second term and cannot seek reelection.