Ahead of the 2026 general election on Nov. 3, JPSA’s Center for Jewish Resilience asked every candidate for a locally elected race the same four questions about their priorities for the office they seek and how they would prevent and respond to antisemitism within the authority of that office.
The guide includes 24 races, from governor to U.S. Congress to school boards. All candidates were contacted in the same manner through their published, official campaign channels. Thirty-two of the 68 candidates in those races answered. Their answers appear in the guide as they submitted them, with light corrections to spelling and typos. Candidates who did not reply, or could not be reached, are listed in every race; the guide’s response table shows, at a glance, who chose to participate with the Jewish community through this guide.
Download the printable guide (PDF)
Eight of the 13 candidates for statewide office answered, among them the Democratic and Republican candidates for attorney general, Kris Mayes and Warren Petersen, and for secretary of state, Adrian Fontes and Alexander Kolodin. Neither Katie Hobbs, the Democratic candidate for governor, nor Andy Biggs, the Republican candidate, answered; the one candidate for governor who did is Teri Ann Hourihan of No Labels. In the guide’s inaugural and primary edition in June, no statewide candidate responded.
Down the ballot, 13 of the 28 candidates for the Legislature answered, as did 5 of the 11 running for Congress.
Like Jewish Community Relations Councils (JCRCs) and other Jewish community organizations across the country, the Center for Jewish Resilience prepared this guide as a nonpartisan voter education resource. Our goal is to provide voters with access to candidates’ perspectives on issues of direct concern to the Jewish community and the broader public.
To prevent the guide from becoming a platform for the spread of misinformation harmful to the Jewish community, the Center identified 14 such passages with highlights and shared pertinent information relevant to those highlights. Answers pertaining to issues that are not Jewish-specific, such as healthcare and taxes, were not vetted.
The four questions
The following is the text of the four questions candidates were invited to answer:
Question 1 · Top three priorities
What are your top three priorities for the office you are seeking, and how would those priorities affect Tucson, Pima County, or Arizona residents?
Question 2 · Antisemitic hate crimes
According to ADL’s 2024 Audit, antisemitic incidents in the U.S. reached the highest number in their recorded history. If elected, what specific steps would you take within the authority of the office you are seeking to prevent, respond to, and reduce antisemitic hate crimes, harassment, vandalism, and discrimination?
Question 3 · Security for Jewish institutions
Jewish Federations of North America has reported that Jewish communities spent $800 million nationally on security, including guards, security directors, training, and facility hardening in the past year. What role should the office you are seeking play in helping Jewish institutions, houses of worship, schools, and community centers remain safe while maintaining public access and civic trust?
Question 4 · Israel-related antisemitism
Antisemitism is an old hatred that morphs over time in how it targets Jews. Today, anti-Jewish hate can appear in rhetoric that targets Jews because of their connection to Israel, blames Jewish constituents collectively for Israel’s actions, promotes replacing Israel, or denies that Jews have a right to self-determination in their ancestral homeland. Not to be confused with disagreement with Israeli government policy, how would you address this form of contemporary anti-Jewish hate within the authority of the office you are seeking?
Early ballots go out on Wednesday, October 7.
