Kris Mayes was sworn in as Arizona’s 27th Attorney General on January 2, 2023, making history as the first LGBTQIA+ person, and first mom, to serve as Arizona’s AG. Kris was born and raised on a tree farm in Prescott, Arizona. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University, studying political science and journalism. Upon graduation, she worked as a beat reporter for the Phoenix Gazette and Arizona Republic, where she covered John McCain’s 2000 presidential run. She eventually earned her law degree from Arizona State University’s law school and a masters of public administration from Columbia University.
In 2002, Kris joined Janet Napolitano’s campaign for Governor as press secretary, and then earned a senior role in Napolitano’s administration. Governor Napolitano appointed Kris to serve as Corporation Commissioner. She served on the Commission from 2003-2010, where she helped create tens of thousands of high-paying jobs, saved Arizona consumers billions of dollars, and required utilities to produce more clean energy to save costs and reduce air pollution. Prior to serving as Attorney General, Kris was a senior sustainability scientist at ASU’s school of global sustainability and taught energy law.
TOP PRIORITIES:
- Cracking down on fraud, cyber scams, and protecting elder abuse
- Fighting back against extremist attacks on reproductive rights
- Prosecuting public and political corruption
- Protecting voting rights and the foundations of democracy