Arizona’s elected officials fill offices at four levels: statewide executive seats, the state Legislature, the federal congressional delegation, and county, municipal, and precinct posts. The Arizona Constitution and state statutes assign each office its own powers, term length, and eligibility rules, and voters typically see candidates from every level on a single general election ballot.
Statewide Executive Offices
Article 5 of the Arizona Constitution creates a five-member executive department: Governor, Secretary of State, State Treasurer, Attorney General, and Superintendent of Public Instruction. Each is elected to a four-year term that begins the January after a general election.1Justia Law. Arizona Constitution Article 5 Section 1 – Executive Department; State Officers; Terms
The Governor manages the state budget, signs or vetoes legislation, and appoints officials to boards and commissions. The Secretary of State oversees elections and maintains official records. The Attorney General is the state’s chief legal officer, advising agencies and prosecuting certain cases. The State Treasurer invests public funds. The Superintendent of Public Instruction directs funding and policy for K–12 schools.
In 2024, voters approved a constitutional amendment creating the office of Lieutenant Governor, who runs on a joint ticket with the Governor. If the Governor dies, resigns, or becomes permanently unable to serve, the Lieutenant Governor takes over. When both offices are vacant, succession continues through the Secretary of State, Attorney General, State Treasurer, and Superintendent of Public Instruction, in that order.2Arizona Legislature. Arizona Constitution Article 5 Section 6 – Succession to Office
Two more statewide elected offices sit outside that five-member department. The State Mine Inspector inspects mining operations across Arizona and can suspend or close mines that fail safety standards.3Citizens Clean Elections Commission. Mine Inspector The Arizona Corporation Commission has five elected members who regulate public utilities, oversee securities, and handle business incorporation; commissioners serve four-year terms and are limited to two consecutive terms.4Citizens Clean Elections Commission. Corporation Commissioner Most states appoint their utility regulators; Arizona voters elect them.
The State Legislature
Arizona’s Legislature is bicameral: a 30-member Senate and a 60-member House of Representatives. The state is divided into 30 legislative districts, each electing one Senator and two Representatives, all to two-year terms.5Arizona Legislature. Arizona Constitution Article 4 Part 2 Section 1 – Senate; House of Representatives; Members Together, the 90 legislators draft and pass state laws, approve the annual budget, and confirm certain gubernatorial appointments.
Regular sessions begin in January. Under House rules, they must adjourn no later than the Saturday of the week containing the 100th day. The Speaker of the House and the Senate President can extend a session up to seven additional days, and any further extension needs a majority vote of each chamber’s members. If the Governor vetoes a bill, the Legislature can override with a two-thirds vote of the members elected to each house.6Justia Law. Arizona Constitution Article 5 Section 7 – Presentation of Bills to Governor; Approval; Veto
District lines are drawn by the Independent Redistricting Commission rather than by the Legislature itself. The commission has five members: one from each of the two largest parties appointed by legislative leaders, plus an unaffiliated chair chosen by the other four. It redraws both legislative and congressional boundaries after each federal census using criteria that include equal population, compactness, competitiveness, and compliance with the Voting Rights Act.5Arizona Legislature. Arizona Constitution Article 4 Part 2 Section 1 – Senate; House of Representatives; Members
Federal Delegation
Arizona sends two U.S. Senators and nine U.S. Representatives to Congress. Senators represent the entire state and serve six-year terms, staggered so both seats are never on the ballot in the same cycle.7United States Senate. About the Senate and the U.S. Constitution – Term Length The nine congressional districts each elect one House member to a two-year term.8Citizens Clean Elections Commission. Redistricting These federal representatives handle national legislation that reaches into Arizona through federal land policy, border security, military installations, and tribal communities.
County, Municipal, and Precinct Offices
Arizona’s 15 counties elect their own slates of officers, and these are the offices that touch most residents’ daily lives. A Board of Supervisors governs each county, setting the budget, adopting ordinances, and managing unincorporated areas. Voters also pick a Sheriff, County Attorney, County Recorder, Treasurer, Assessor, Clerk of the Superior Court, and County School Superintendent.9Citizens Clean Elections Commission. Countywide Offices The Recorder handles voter registration and property records. The Assessor sets property values for tax purposes. The County Attorney prosecutes criminal cases and advises county agencies.
Justices of the Peace and Constables
At the precinct level, voters elect Justices of the Peace and Constables. Justices of the Peace serve four-year terms and don’t need to be attorneys, but they must be registered voters who live in the precinct and understand English. They handle civil disputes up to $10,000, small claims up to $5,000, all misdemeanors, traffic violations, orders of protection, and preliminary hearings on some felonies.10Arizona Judicial Branch. Justice Courts Constables serve the same precincts and are responsible for serving court papers and executing court orders.
Cities and Towns
Municipalities elect a Mayor and a City or Town Council. Local government handles zoning, local police and fire, parks, public works, and local ordinances. Arizona cities and towns use either a council-manager or strong-mayor form depending on their charter. Municipal elections often run on calendars separate from state and federal races, so a city’s own election schedule is worth checking.
Judges on the Ballot
Arizona does not hold contested elections for its highest courts. It uses a merit-selection and retention system instead. When a vacancy opens on the Supreme Court or Court of Appeals, a nominating commission reviews applicants and forwards at least three names to the Governor, who makes the appointment.11Arizona Judicial Branch. Judicial Nominating Commissions After an initial term of at least two years, the judge appears on the next general election ballot in an uncontested yes-or-no retention vote. A majority “no” opens the seat, and the merit-selection process restarts.
The same system applies to Superior Court judges in counties with populations of 250,000 or more, currently Maricopa, Pima, Pinal, and Coconino. Counties below that threshold elect their Superior Court judges in traditional contested races, though they can opt into merit selection if voters approve. Before each retention election, the Commission on Judicial Performance Review evaluates sitting judges through surveys, courtroom observation, and public input, then publishes reports.12Arizona Judicial Branch. Commission on Judicial Performance Review
Who Can Run, and for How Long
Eligibility varies by office. For the five executive department positions, a candidate must be at least 25 years old, a U.S. citizen for the preceding 10 years, and an Arizona resident for the preceding 5 years.1Justia Law. Arizona Constitution Article 5 Section 1 – Executive Department; State Officers; Terms State legislators also must be 25, but only need to have been a U.S. citizen at the time of election, an Arizona resident for 3 years, and a resident of their county for 1 year before the election.13Justia Law. Arizona Constitution Article 4 Part 2 Section 2 – Qualifications of Members of Legislature
Term limits cap how long anyone can hold a single office. Executive officers can serve two consecutive four-year terms, a maximum of eight consecutive years.14Justia Law. Arizona Constitution Article 5 Section 1 Version 2 – Term Limits on Executive Department Legislators face the same eight-year ceiling across four consecutive two-year terms. Corporation Commissioners are limited to two consecutive four-year terms. The Mine Inspector can serve up to four consecutive terms.3Citizens Clean Elections Commission. Mine Inspector In every case, a termed-out official can run again after sitting out one full term.
When Seats Open Mid-Term
If a statewide executive officer other than the Governor leaves office, the Governor appoints a replacement from the same political party. When the vacancy happens within the first two years of the term, the seat goes on the ballot at the next regular primary and general election so voters can fill out the remainder of the term.15Arizona Secretary of State. Vacancies in Office – An Overview
Legislative vacancies run through the parties. The Secretary of State notifies the state party chairman, who calls a meeting of elected precinct committeemen in the district. Those committeemen nominate three candidates from the same party, district, and county as the departing lawmaker, and the county Board of Supervisors picks one. If the Board doesn’t act in time, the state party chairman makes the appointment. For seats previously held by independents, or where a party has fewer than 30 precinct committeemen, a citizens panel appointed by the Board of Supervisors nominates three candidates instead.16Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes 41-1202 – Vacancy in Legislature
When a U.S. Senate seat opens, the Governor appoints a replacement from the same party as the person who left. If the vacancy occurs more than 150 days before the next regular primary, the appointee serves only until the following general election, when voters choose someone to finish the term. If the vacancy falls inside that 150-day window, the appointee serves until the second general election after the vacancy.17Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes 16-222 – Vacancy in the Office of United States Senator or Representative
Recalling an Elected Official
The Arizona Constitution lets voters remove any elected official before the end of a term, and no specific misconduct or legal grounds are required. The process can begin after an official has served six months in office. State legislators are the exception: they can face a recall petition as soon as five days into the first legislative session after their election.18Justia Law. Arizona Constitution Article 8 Part 1 Section 5 – Recall Petitions; Restrictions and Conditions
To force a recall election, petitioners must collect signatures from 25 percent of the voters who cast ballots in the last election for that office. The petition application has to include a statement of up to 200 words explaining the reasons for the recall, and organizers have 120 days from approval of the application to gather the required signatures.19Arizona Secretary of State. Recall Once a recall petition and election have taken place, no second recall can be filed against the same official during the same term unless the new petitioners reimburse the public treasury for the cost of the first recall election.