Arizona Corporation Commission election, 2024

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← 2022
Arizona Corporation Commission
Election details
Filing deadline: April 1, 2024
Primary: July 30, 2024 General: November 5, 2024 Pre-election incumbent(s): James O'Connor (R) Anna Tovar (D) Lea Marquez Peterson (R)
How to vote
Poll times: 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voting in Arizona
Ballotpedia analysis
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Arizona executive elections
Corporation Commission (3 seats)

Arizona held an election for three of five seats on the Arizona Corporation Commission on November 5, 2024. The primary was July 30, 2024. The filing deadline was April 1, 2024.

Rachel Walden, Rene Lopez, and incumbent Lea Marquez Peterson won election in the general election for Arizona Corporation Commission.

Candidates and election results

General election

General election for Arizona Corporation Commission (3 seats)

The following candidates ran in the general election for Arizona Corporation Commission on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Rachel Walden (R)	17.9	1,507,193
✔		Rene Lopez (R)	17.4	1,463,433
✔		Lea Marquez Peterson (R)	16.9	1,423,183
		Ylenia Aguilar (D)	15.7	1,319,623
		Jonathon Hill (D)	15.3	1,286,728
		Joshua Polacheck (D)	14.4	1,216,480
		Nina Luxenberg (G)	1.3	108,418
		Mike Cease (G)	1.2	99,841
		Frank Bertone (D) (Write-in)	0.0	0

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. Source 1 Source 2	Total votes: 8,424,899
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Arizona Corporation Commission (3 seats)

Ylenia Aguilar, Jonathon Hill, and Joshua Polacheck advanced from the Democratic primary for Arizona Corporation Commission on July 30, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Ylenia Aguilar	35.9	414,130
✔		Jonathon Hill	32.8	378,014
✔		Joshua Polacheck	31.3	360,835

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,152,979
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Arizona Corporation Commission (3 seats)

Rachel Walden, Rene Lopez, and incumbent Lea Marquez Peterson advanced from the Republican primary for Arizona Corporation Commission on July 30, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Rachel Walden	36.8	512,104
✔		Rene Lopez	32.4	450,479
✔		Lea Marquez Peterson	30.9	429,820

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,392,403
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Christy Kelly (R)

Green primary election

Green primary for Arizona Corporation Commission (3 seats)

Mike Cease and Nina Luxenberg advanced from the Green primary for Arizona Corporation Commission on July 30, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mike Cease (Write-in)	50.4	179
✔		Nina Luxenberg (Write-in)	49.6	176

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 355
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Candidate profiles

This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.

Lea Marquez Peterson

Party: Republican Party

Incumbent: Yes

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography:  "Lea Márquez Peterson currently serves on the Arizona Corporation Commission and is the past Chairwoman. During her tenure she has fought hard for affordable utility rates and has focused on ensuring energy reliability. She was appointed by the Governor in 2019 and later won election to a four year term in 2020. Lea is the first Hispanic woman to serve in a statewide seat in the history of Arizona. In her role as a Commissioner, Lea co-chairs the national NARUC/NASEO advanced nuclear taskforce and is vice chair of the national NARUC water utility committee. Additionally, she serves on the advisory council for EPRI, a global energy think tank, and is the Vice chair of the board that works on regional interconnection on the west coast (WIRAB). Lea has served her community and state in a number of leadership positions. She is the former President and CEO of the Tucson Hispanic Chamber and has owned several small businesses. She lives in Tucson with her husband and 2 children."

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Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

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Energy Reliability for Arizona - During her tenure, Commissioner Márquez Peterson created the Arizona Energy Reliability Summit to ensure utilities are prepared in the short term for Arizona’s hottest days and hosted meetings of the Commission to discuss California's rolling blackouts and the impact on Arizona’s energy and utility prices. Additionally, she represents Arizona in her service as the vice-chair of the Western Interconnection Regional Advisory board which advises the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission , the North American Electric Reliability Corporation and the Western Regional Entity on matters pertaining to electric grid reliability in the Western Interconnection.

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Utility rate affordability - Commissioner Márquez Peterson has worked diligently to provide financial relief for customers and ensure energy reliability. She recently voted in support of more than $200 million dollars in revenue reductions in the APS rate case to save money for ratepayers. Additionally, she amended the recent TEP rate case to lessen the residential utility rate impact by $24 million dollars. During the global pandemic, she led initiatives to rebate $40 million dollars to customers of APS and TEP and supported a moratorium on utility disconnections to assist families that were struggling financially.

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Integrity - One of the first actions, Commissioner Marquez Peterson led while serving as Chairwoman was the development and approval of a Code of Ethics for the Arizona Corporation Commission. Prior to her service, the Commission was embroiled in turmoil regarding corruption and attempts by regulated utilities to influence the elections. The Code of Ethics encourages the use of the Clean Elections Campaign program for Commissioner candidates to ensure that regulated utilities do not have undue influence on the elections and requires additional disclosures of conflict of interest. Additionally, the Commissioner regularly posts her calendar publicly and follows open meeting protocol carefully to ensure transparency.

This information was current as of the candidate's run for Arizona Corporation Commission in 2024.

Jonathon Hill

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography:  "I am a native Arizonan, born in Kingman and raised in central Phoenix. Since 2000 I have lived, studied and worked in Tempe. For the last 18 years I have been a spacecraft engineer at ASU, where I have operated science instruments on NASA’s Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity, the Mars Odyssey satellite, and the OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample return mission. I began my career on the engineering side of these missions with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Aerospace Engineering, but then decided to switch my focus to the geology side of the missions, and earned my master’s and doctorate degrees in Geological Sciences. I am running because I believe we need more Commissioners with strong technical backgrounds, who understand the engineering and science behind power generation, water distribution, and groundwater management. The Corporation Commission is responsible for making many critical technical decisions, such as where power plants and transmission lines can be built and whether water companies have sufficient groundwater resources to provide for their current and future customers. Commissioners need to have the training and experience to properly evaluate the different options and make the best possible decisions."

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Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

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Energy Affordability and Climate Resiliency: Arizona has a golden opportunity in the 21st century to capitalize on the renewable energy resources available in Arizona, particularly solar and wind. As climate change continues to cause higher summer temperatures in our state, we must ensure that our power grid is resilient enough to handle those temperatures without compromising on affordability or reliability.

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Solar Industry Jobs: Arizona offers many opportunities for solar energy generation, both utility-scale power plants and home-based panels. We should support this emerging industry, which generates power and creates jobs here in Arizona, rather than sending our money and jobs to other states.

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Utility Cybersecurity: Public utilities are increasingly being attacked by amateur and professional hackers, which puts the public at risk of major service disruptions. Such disruptions could be deadly during our extreme summer heat, so we need to make sure our utility companies are taking the proper cybersecurity precautions to protect their computer networks.

This information was current as of the candidate's run for Arizona Corporation Commission in 2024.

Joshua Polacheck

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography:  "I grew up across the rural West, seeing firsthand the value of public service. At 23, I was commissioned into the Foreign Service and spent nearly two decades serving America overseas, including in Mosul and Islamabad. In 2018, after getting my masters from the Harvard Kennedy School, I returned home to Arizona with my family. I have spent the last five years fighting to elect representatives who actually want to fix the real problems our state faces. I decided this is the year for me to get into the arena. Let’s stop playing politics with our essential utilities."

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Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

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Arizona needs affordable utilities.

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We need reliable utilities.

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We need to secure our energy and water future.

This information was current as of the candidate's run for Arizona Corporation Commission in 2024.

Rene Lopez

Party: Republican Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography:  "I have lived and worked in Chandler, AZ for more than 16 years. Serving on the Chandler City Council 2015-2023 and serving as Vice Mayor twice. I am a third generation Arizona native, graduating from the University of Arizona with a B.S. in Nuclear Engineering and minor in Direct Energy Conversion. I am also a third generation U.S. Navy Veteran serving as a Naval Officer aboard submarines, honorably separating in 2000 as a Lieutenant. In 2017 I co-founded Cece’s Hope Center that improves the lives and future of victims of human trafficking and sexual exploitation by bridging the gap of services and providing holistic support. I have an extensive 23-year career in Project Management working in Telecommunications, Energy, and Information Technology. My wife Jessica, of 27 years, and I have two children: Brianna, 24, a Ph. D Candidate at John’s Hopkins and Andrew, at U of A working towards a B.S. in Criminal Justice and will follow in My footsteps to becoming a Naval Officer."

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Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

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ADDRESSING INFLATION: Recently, the current federal administration’s policy is causing increased cost of coal and natural gas resulting in major increases in the utility rates we are paying across the country. Along with the wasteful use of Colorado River water by California, we have lost approximately 40% of our hydro generating capacity from Hoover Dam. I will work to ensure that only necessary costs of operations, maintenance and cost-effective reliable sources of energy are passed onto the rate payers.

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ENERGY RELIABILITY: I believe that a diverse energy portfolio is in the best interests of stability and cost effectiveness for Arizona’s long-term future. All forms of energy production should be on the table for use. Some specifics are: hydro, nuclear, coal, and natural gas, and in that order of priority for baseload.

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SECURING ARIZONA’S FUTURE: For variable energy production, which is used to meet peaking and supplemental energy demands, I see natural gas and solar as the two main viable options in the immediate term. For long term, Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) or other forms (i.e. batteries, GeoThermal, etc.) could be utilized once they have been proven safe, cost effective, and reliable.

This information was current as of the candidate's run for Arizona Corporation Commission in 2024.

Rachel Walden

Party: Republican Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography:  "I have lived in Arizona since I was a child. I am a life long Republican. I received a Bachelor's of Science with honors from Arizona State University and continued at ASU in the Master of Arts program. I was hired by the University as a Teaching Assistant and Research Assistant and am a fellowship recipient. I am a first generation college graduate. I went on to have a career in finance and business. I am the only candidate for the Commission that has had security licenses and worked with investments. The Commission enforces investment and securities laws, so understanding the financial industry will be imperative for the fraud cases that come before the Commission. I currently serve on the Governing Board for Mesa Public Schools, the largest schools district in the state. I am a Precinct Committeeman and State Committeeman in my legislative district."

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Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

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I am running to keep Arizona affordable and a great place to live now and for future generations. The Commission exists under the Arizona Constitution to protect the rate payer and ensure we only pay a just and reasonable rate. Their responsibility is to maintain a safe and reliable grid using the least cost of generation. The Commission is supposed to regulate, not legislate. The Commission is not a fourth branch of government and should not mandate policy, but allow the above factors to guide the rate cases.

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We need to eliminate subsidies from the rates. As rate cases come to the Commission, we have the opportunity to add amendments to the case to repeal subsidies. Subsidies socialize the costs of special interests among all the customers. All customers end up paying more so other customers can get a benefit. Everyone should pay their fair share of what they use.

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Arizona is one of the slowest states for rate case processing. The cost of this regulatory lag gets passed to the rate payer. We must work to improve efficiency in our processes which will save both the rate payers and utilities money. The businesses and communities within our state rely on the Commission to ensure a stable regulatory environment to keep up with the need for well distributed and reliable resources.

This information was current as of the candidate's run for Arizona Corporation Commission in 2024.

Nina Luxenberg

Party: Green Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography:  "Nina Luxenberg is a practicing physician whose medical career was preceded by her career in optometry. She ran a private optometric practice, conducted clinical research on contact lenses, served as director of low vision at two hospitals, and was a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry. At 39, she embarked on a career change while still remaining in healthcare. Nina earned her medical degree at Rutgers Medical School and did her postgraduate residency training in radiology at Albert Einstein Medical Center, followed by fellowship training in body imaging at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. During her career as a radiologist, she also achieved postgraduate fellowship training in breast imaging and provided medical consultations for trial attorneys. A mother, grandmother, and active civic volunteer, Nina continues to practice medicine part-time and leads a healthy lifestyle of good nutrition and exercise.  "

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Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

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Dr. Nina Luxenberg is a practicing physician who has tirelessly advocated for accessible and affordable healthcare as a basic human right for 40 years. In her practice, she is committed to a code of conduct that places patients above profit. Similarly, as State Corporation Commissioner, she wants to ensure that our private and public businesses, regardless of size and purpose, follow an ethical code of conduct and provide products and services that prioritize Arizonans' health, safety, and economic prosperity. As we enthusiastically advance into a green future, our business model must become more transparent and our public services more accessible and affordable.

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Nina's Platform: - Accessible and affordable utilities - Strict guidelines aimed at preventing water, soil, and air pollution - Actions to ensure adequate water supply - Protection of our natural resources and wildlife habitats - Preservation of our sacred lands - Rapid implementation of climate change solutions.

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Nina's Goals: - Guaranteed state-subsidized rebates from public and private utility companies for water harvesting and solar panel installation. - Pay equity for solar energy given to the grid and for electricity taken from the grid. - Eliminate fixed fees on electric bills and institute sliding-scale rates so households using the least electricity pay the lowest rates. - Institute a state-run program for frequent and regular toxin analysis of water, soil, and air samples with a publicly accessible database that requires from all Arizona businesses.

This information was current as of the candidate's run for Arizona Corporation Commission in 2024.

Voting information

See also: Voting in Arizona

Election information in Arizona: Nov. 5, 2024, election.

What was the voter registration deadline?

• In-person: Oct. 7, 2024
• By mail: Postmarked by Oct. 7, 2024
• Online: Oct. 7, 2024

Was absentee/mail-in voting available to all voters?

Yes

What was the absentee/mail-in ballot request deadline?

• In-person: Oct. 25, 2024
• By mail: Received by Oct. 25, 2024
• Online: Oct. 25, 2024

What was the absentee/mail-in ballot return deadline?

• In-person: Nov. 5, 2024
• By mail: Received by Nov. 5, 2024

Was early voting available to all voters?

Yes

What were the early voting start and end dates?

Oct. 9, 2024 to Nov. 1, 2024

Were all voters required to present ID at the polls? If so, was a photo or non-photo ID required?

N/A

When were polls open on Election Day?

6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Past elections

The section below details election results for this office in elections dating back to 2018.

2022

See also: Arizona Corporation Commission election, 2022

General election candidates

• Sandra D. Kennedy  (Incumbent) (Democratic Party)
• Lauren Kuby  (Democratic Party) 
• Nick Myers  (Republican Party) ✔ 
• Kevin Thompson  (Republican Party) ✔ 
• Christina Gibson  (Independent) (Write-in) 

Did not make the ballot:

• Nathan Madden (Libertarian Party)

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= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
 Democratic primary candidates

• Sandra D. Kennedy (Incumbent) ✔
• Lauren Kuby ✔ 

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= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
 Republican primary candidates

• Nick Myers ✔ 
• Kim Owens
• Kevin Thompson ✔ 

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= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
Minor Party primary candidates

Libertarian Party

• Nathan Madden (Write-in) ✔

2020

See also: Arizona Corporation Commission election, 2020

General election candidates

• Lea Marquez Peterson  (Incumbent) (Republican Party) ✔ 
• William Mundell  (Democratic Party)
• Shea Stanfield  (Democratic Party) 
• Anna Tovar  (Democratic Party) ✔
• James O'Connor  (Republican Party) ✔ 
• Eric Sloan  (Republican Party)
• Patrick Finerd  (Republican Party) (Write-in)
• Christina Gibson  (Independent) (Write-in)

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= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
 Democratic primary candidates

• William Mundell ✔
• Shea Stanfield ✔ 
• Anna Tovar ✔

Did not make the ballot:

• Bridget Bellavigna 
• John Dougherty III
• Paul Newman

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= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
 Republican primary candidates

• Lea Marquez Peterson (Incumbent) ✔ 
• Eric Sloan ✔
• James O'Connor (Write-in) ✔ 

Did not make the ballot:

• Boyd Dunn (Incumbent)
• Avery Block
• Neil DeSanti
• David Farnsworth
• Nick Myers
• Kim Owens
• Patrick Tucker 
• Roger Pencek (Write-in)

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= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

2018

See also: Arizona Corporation Commission election, 2018

General election

General election for Arizona Corporation Commission (2 seats)

Sandra D. Kennedy and incumbent Justin Olson defeated Rodney Glassman and Kiana Sears in the general election for Arizona Corporation Commission on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Sandra D. Kennedy (D)	25.7	1,076,800
✔		Justin Olson (R)	25.2	1,053,862
		Rodney Glassman (R)	25.1	1,049,394
		Kiana Sears (D)	24.0	1,006,654
		Other/Write-in votes	0.0	232

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 4,186,942
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Arizona Corporation Commission (2 seats)

Sandra D. Kennedy and Kiana Sears defeated William Mundell in the Democratic primary for Arizona Corporation Commission on August 28, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Sandra D. Kennedy	45.1	351,561
✔		Kiana Sears	28.1	219,011
		William Mundell	26.8	208,941

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 779,513 (100.00% precincts reporting)
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Arizona Corporation Commission (2 seats)

Incumbent Justin Olson and Rodney Glassman defeated James O'Connor, incumbent Tom Forese, and Eric Sloan in the Republican primary for Arizona Corporation Commission on August 28, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Justin Olson	25.2	240,825
✔		Rodney Glassman	22.8	218,130
		James O'Connor	21.6	206,929
		Tom Forese	15.9	152,395
		Eric Sloan	14.4	138,051

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 956,330 (100.00% precincts reporting)
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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External links

• Search Google News for this topic
• Arizona corporation commissioner official website