Arizona Republicans are heading into the 2026 election with several statewide nominees whose records include challenging or questioning election results, reviving a debate that party leaders on both sides say many voters would rather leave behind. U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs, the Republican nominee for governor, objected to Arizona’s electoral votes on Jan. 6, 2021, and was later subpoenaed as part of an Arizona investigation. Secretary of State nominee Alex Kolodin represented clients challenging the 2020 result and filed lawsuits seeking to overturn the 2020 and 2022 elections; the state bar disciplined him over his representation of clients connected to the fake-elector effort. Attorney general nominee Warren Petersen urged then-Vice President Mike Pence to delay certifying the 2020 electoral votes. The stakes are especially high for the secretary of state’s race. The office oversees Arizona elections, and the state has a history of close contests. Democratic Attorney General Kris Mayes won her 2022 race by fewer than 300 votes, the narrowest margin in an Arizona statewide election. “For the foreseeable future we’re going to have very competitive races,” Mayes said, adding that voters need elected officials who will accept the outcome regardless of who wins. The 2020 presidential election was repeatedly examined in court and through investigations. Courts rejected efforts to overturn the results, and a Republican-led Arizona Senate audit of Maricopa County ballots ultimately confirmed President Joe Biden’s victory, with a margin several hundred votes larger than the initial count. Investigations found no fraud capable of changing the outcome. Still, claims of fraud remain politically active. Maricopa County Republican Party Chair Berland says he believes Biden’s county victory was fraudulent, particularly involving mail ballots. That claim has been debunked. Berland said he wants Republican candidates to counter Democrats’ criticism rather than avoid discussing 2020. Other Republicans on the ticket have tried to shift the focus to current issues. Former U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake, an Arizona Republican, said many voters want to move on, but President Donald Trump continues to bring up the 2020 election. Trump has never conceded that he lost, and his administration subpoenaed Maricopa County’s 2020 voting records in March. Arizona voters appear tired of the dispute: A poll conducted in August found nearly seven in 10 likely voters wanted politicians to stop discussing the 2020 election. But Democrats argue the issue is tied to present-day confidence in voting and the possibility of challenges after this year’s results. Gov. Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, said election denial remains a litmus test in Republican primaries. She recalled that in 2020, Republican Gov. Doug Ducey silenced a call from Trump and proceeded to certify the state’s results. Hobbs said she cannot be sure Biggs would do the same if elected governor. Democratic officials say they are preparing for possible litigation and other efforts to contest the 2026 results. Mayes and Democratic Secretary of State Adrian Fontes are coordinating on election preparations, and Hobbs said she has an election protection team in place. Berland said the county Republican Party is reviewing voter rolls and may consider legal action if it identifies what it considers irregularities. The political challenge for Democrats is balancing warnings about election interference with voters’ immediate concerns, including affordability. Flake said Democrats risk overemphasizing 2020 if they do not connect election denial to other issues and the broader question of whether Republicans will challenge Trump. But with a close state, candidates who reject the legitimacy of past results may shape how voters view the next one. “We can’t escape it,” one Republican strategist working on a competitive race said of the issue.