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A New Era for Arizona's Legislative Debates

In an exciting development for Arizona politics, Clean Elections has officially joined forces with Arizona Agenda to revamp the state's legislative debate landscape ahead of the crucial 2026 elections. As Arizona's sole non-partisan organization sanctioned to conduct candidate debates, Clean Elections takes a significant step in enhancing voter engagement and awareness.

The upcoming elections carry particular weight, as all 90 seats in the Arizona State Legislature are up for grabs. Both organizations recognize the importance of fostering a well-informed electorate. According to Gina Roberts, the Voter Education Director at Clean Elections, this partnership aims to encourage voter participation by ensuring that candidates are known well before ballots are cast. "We are consistently looking for ways to reach more voters and to encourage participation in all elections," Roberts noted.

The legislative debate series is set to be live-streamed, facilitating easier access for voters statewide. Leading the debates will be a team of Arizona Agenda journalists—Hank Stephenson, Nicole Ludden, Joe Ferguson, Curt Prendergast, and TJ L'Heureux—bringing both expertise and a fresh perspective to the moderation process. This approach intends to amplify audience interest and understanding of local political dynamics.

Hank Stephenson, founder of Arizona Agenda, commented, "Clean Elections is the gold standard for fair, nonpartisan debates. When they approached us about reimagining their legislative debate program, we saw a chance to match that with what the Agenda does best—make people want to pay attention to local politics."

The collaboration promises to bring a novel format to the debates, allowing for more candidates to participate and, crucially, for more voters to engage. Before the series kicks-off in April, the full debate schedule will be available on the Clean Elections website, ensuring the latest updates are at voters’ fingertips.

This initiative would not only demystify the legislative process for voters but also spotlight the vital issues facing the Arizona legislature. Tom Collins, Executive Director of Clean Elections, emphasized the legislators’ significant influence on state policies, which encompass taxation, government spending, school funding, public safety, and infrastructure.

As anticipation builds for the 2026 elections, voters have the opportunity to familiarize themselves with their respective legislative districts using the CCEC Voter Dashboard. Additionally, there is an open invitation for citizens to engage directly by submitting questions for candidates via email or phone.

Arizona Agenda, known for its commitment to producing quality journalism on state and local politics, has rapidly expanded from a small newsletter into a comprehensive newsroom. With this partnership, both Clean Elections and Arizona Agenda aim to cultivate a politically informed Arizona, ultimately leading to greater voter participation and a healthier democratic process.

To stay updated, residents are encouraged to follow Clean Elections on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram for the latest in nonpartisan election information. These efforts mark a significant evolution in how Arizona prepares for its future leaders, truly enhancing democracy at the grassroots level.