Thanks to the fossil-fuel industry, Arizona’s record-shattering heat this summer and fall has been “ridiculous,” “unprecedented,” “staggering,” “hellish.” Phoenix had 113 consecutive days of over 100° temperatures, including 31 consecutive days over 110°. Hundreds of people are known to have died from the heat, broiling inside their homes whenever there is a power outage. The conditions are particularly deadly for the migrants trying to cross the border to escape the dire conditions throughout Latin America caused by the fossil-fueled American empire.

Under the leadership of Gov. Katie Hobbs (D-Ariz.), the state has been committing to climate pollution targets, rolling out extreme heat plans and investing over $150 million in energy efficiency. Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego (D) has released a climate action plan with federal funding.

The Arizona Public Service, overseen by the elected officials running the Arizona Corporation Commission, has been making significant gains in transforming its formerly coal-powered electricity model to cleaner generation—50 percent non-fossil-fuel last year if you count energy efficiency gains, 40 percent otherwise. But Republicans took control of the commission in 2022, pushing through new fracked-gas plants and killing just-transition programs.

The Arizona state legislature has one senator and two representatives for each of its 30 legislative districts. Republicans currently control both the State Senate and House by two seats. Not only do Democrats have a strong shot at taking back the legislature, they may do so with strong climate candidates.

The state’s fragile water supply is managed by a thicket of federal, state, and regional authorities, many of which are run by directly elected officials, including those running the Salt River Project, the water and electric utility for central Arizona, and the Pima County Board of Supervisors, in charge of Tucson’s planning boards and environmental quality oversight. Four clean-energy candidates won Salt River Project seats in April elections.

Here are the climate hawks running for key seats, as endorsed by Climate Cabinet (CC), Lead Locally (LL), and the Jane Fonda Climate PAC (Jane PAC). The Sierra Club Grand Canyon chapter has a longer list of endorsements.

State Senate

The nine candidates listed below include four safe progressive climate champions, four candidates hoping to flip a GOP seat, and one incumbent in a battleground district.

• 2nd District: State Rep. Judy Schwiebert is hoping to flip a battleground Phoenix district. CC, LL, and Jane PAC

• 4th: Christine Marsh is the incumbent in a battleground district. She’s been a strong advocate for public transit on the transportation committee. CC, LL

• 8th: Lauren Kuby to hold a safe seat. LL

• 9th: Eva Burch is a nurse practioner and the incumbent minority whip. CC, LL, and Jane PAC

• 13th: Sharon Lee Winters to flip a toss-up district. Climate Cabinet

• 16th: Stacey Seaman, 16th a long-shot to flip in Casa Grande. CC, LL

• 17th: John McLean, businessman hoping to flip a toss-up Tucson district. CC and Jane PAC

• 18th: Priya Sundareshan, safe incumbent. LL, Jane PAC

• 24th: State Rep. Analise Ortiz will hold this Glendale district, running uncontested as a strong climate champion. CC, LL, Jane PAC

State House

Fourteen candidates, including three vulnerable incumbents, six safe climate champions, and five candidates running to flip toss-up GOP seats.

• 2nd: Stephanie Simacek running to hold the Democratic seat left open by Judy Schwiebert. CC, LL, and Jane PAC

• 4th: Kelli Butler and Karen Gresham looking to flip one toss-up seat. Butler held one of the seats from 2017 to 2023 and is looking to return. CC, LL

• 8th: Brian Garcia will likely hold one of these Tempe seats. (Polluter lobbyist Janeen Connolly will take the other.) LL

• 9th: Lorena Austin and Seth Blattman incumbents in competitive Mesa seats. CC, LL, and Jane PAC

• 11th: Oscar De Los Santos assistant minority leader. LL, Jane PAC

• 13th: Nicholas Gonzales and Brandy Reese looking to flip one seat, toss-up. CC, LL

• 16th: Keith Seaman incumbent in a toss-up Casa Grande district. Stacey’s father. LL and CC

• 17th: Kevin Volk looking to flip toss-up. CC

• 21st: Stephanie Stahl Hamilton safe incumbent serving on the energy and water committee. CC

• 23rd: Matias Rosales San Luis city councillor looking to flip competitive seat. CC, LL

• 27th: Deb Howard Indivisible activist looking to flip a competitive seat. CC

Arizona Corporation Commission

“Since Republicans took four of the commission’s five seats in 2022,” Inside Climate News’ Wyatt Maskow explains, “they have consistently approved new natural gas plants and are attempting to roll back what standards for renewable electricity still exist, though the state’s largest utilities have implemented their own clean energy goals.”

These three Democratic climate hawks are looking to restore the state’s clean-energy future.

• Joshua Polacheck CC, LL, Jane PAC

• Ylenia Aguilar CC, LL, Jane PAC

• Jonathon Hill is an Arizona State University aerospace engineer and geoscientist. “We are the sunshine capital of the entire country. There is no reason why Arizona should not be running entirely on solar.”  CC, LL, Jane PAC

Pima County Board of Supervisors

Jen Allen is running for Pima County Board of Supervisors in the Tucson region, which has a strong movement of climate activists and policymakers. As Senior VP of Community and Civic Engagement at the League of Conservation Voters, Jen founded the Chispa and Democracy for All initiatives. CC, LL, Jane PAC