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The Attorney General is an Arizona native, born and raised on a tree farm in Prescott, a small town 100 miles northwest of Phoenix. Her mother was a teacher and her father a pharmacist. Both instilled in Kris and her siblings a commitment to their family and to their community. Kris from her youngest days was determined to do what is right, to stand up for others, and to particularly fight for those who have traditionally been without a voice.
Attorney General Mayes attended Arizona State University in Tempe, studying political science and journalism. She earned her bachelor’s degree in 1994 and went to work as a political and investigative reporter. One of her favorite experiences from that time was being assigned to and being a part of the John McCain “Straight Talk Express,” when Arizona Senator John McCain was on his bus tour running for President in 2000. In quest of her desire to become more engaged in public policy and her commitment to help others, she returned to school, earning a graduate degree in Public Administration from Columbia University and a law degree in 2003 from ASU.
To start her career in public service, Kris initially served in a senior policy advisor role to
then Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano in the early 2000’s. In 2003, Kris was appointed
to a vacant seat on the Arizona Corporation Commission, a five-member constitutional
body in the State of Arizona that among other responsibilities regulates utilities, water companies and corporations that conduct business in the state. She went on to win two statewide elections as an Arizona Corporation Commissioner, serving from 2003 – 2010. She was elected by her fellow commissioners as the Chair of the Commission from 2009 to 2010. During Kris’ time on the Com- mission, her leadership focused on creating tens of thousands of high-paying jobs, advocating for reduced utility bills, promoting economic assistance for low-income residents, and enacting ground- breaking rules and regulations which required utilities to produce, develop and implement renewable and sustainable resources, particularly solar and wind.
With a desire to instill a sense of public service in the next generation of leaders, Kris returned to ASU as a professor at ASU’s School of Global Sustainability where she taught a course on energy law. At the same time, Kris taught at the ASU School of Law, known as the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, where she taught administration and energy law. Outside of her academic responsi- bility, she was engaged in and working with several public interest advocacy groups regarding public policy issues, particularly related to consumer rights, environmental rights, and renewable energy standards and policy.
During her first two years as Attorney General, Kris has energized the office, doing exactly what she learned those many years ago in Prescott, advocating for the community, protecting consumers, and promoting justice for all. Her office has filed significant antitrust cases and has also worked with the private sector to develop innovative anti human trafficking programs.
Arizona’s twenty-seventh Attorney General, Kris is the second woman and first mom ever elected to the position.
Attorney General Kris Mayes’ abridged remarks follow.
SUMMER 2024 JOURNAL 22
In November 2022, Kris successfully ran for Attorney General of the State of Arizona, winning the election, as she boasts, with a landslide margin of 280 votes out of over 2,500,000 cast.