Arizona attorney general kris mayes battles utility rate hikes and water scarcity in bid for reelection

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes is taking her environmental and consumer protection fight directly to voters through old-fashioned town halls, recently meeting with residents in Sun City—a Phoenix-area retirement community—to discuss proposed utility rate increases from the state’s largest energy provider.

Mayes, who holds the unique distinction of being the only Arizona politician to win statewide office as both a Republican and a Democrat, faces an uphill battle in one of America’s most politically contested states. Her administration is simultaneously challenging utility companies over rate hikes, confronting industrial agriculture and mining operations over environmental practices, and preparing legal battles against anticipated Trump administration environmental rollbacks.

The attorney general’s approach reflects Arizona’s mounting environmental pressures, particularly around water scarcity and energy costs—issues that directly impact residents’ daily lives and wallets. By hosting town halls in communities like Sun City, Mayes is betting that her direct engagement on pocketbook environmental issues will resonate with voters who are feeling the squeeze from rising utility bills and growing concerns about the state’s long-term water sustainability.

As Arizona grapples with prolonged drought conditions and increasing energy demands from population growth, Mayes’ willingness to take on powerful industry interests positions her as a consumer advocate in a state where environmental and economic concerns increasingly overlap. Whether this strategy will be enough to secure her reelection in Arizona’s volatile political landscape remains to be seen, but her multi-front battle against utilities, agriculture, mining, and federal policies demonstrates the interconnected nature of environmental governance in the modern Southwest.