“I’ve always believed that this job is about one thing: standing up for Arizona families and making sure they have someone in their corner.” —Attorney General Kris Mayes
Why is honoring achievement important? How does it impact our business community?
I grew up in Prescott, in rural Arizona, watching my dad work tirelessly on his tree farm. I saw what it takes to work hard and build something you’re proud of. That experience has stayed with me. It’s why I care about making sure people have a fair shot. Arizona is full of small business owners, farmers and ranchers, entrepreneurs and people investing in their communities and building something for their families. As Attorney General, I’ve taken on powerful corporations when they’ve tried to rig the marketplace, eliminate competition or drive up costs for Arizona families.
If you’re playing by the rules, you should have a fair chance to compete and succeed. When we protect competition, businesses can grow and families get better choices and prices. That’s the Arizona I believe in: a place where hard work pays off and people can build something of their own.
What is the single most important thing you have learned throughout your career that would inspire others/other women?
The most important thing I’ve learned is that you have to be willing to stand up and fight for what you believe is right, even when the other side is more powerful. I learned that early in my career as a journalist, and I’ve carried it with me into this job. As Attorney General, I’ve taken on Saudi-owned farms draining rural Arizona’s water, corporations trying to raise rents and grocery prices, cartels and drug traffickers, scammers, and people who prey on seniors. Those aren’t always easy fights. But they’re fights worth having.
And you don’t have to be the loudest person in the room or have the most power to make a difference. You have to be willing to step up, do the work, and not back down. I’d tell anyone: Find what matters to you, stand up for it and fight like hell for it.
What do you think we can do – now – to make a difference for young people/women in Arizona?
I think we have to make sure all Arizonans know they have a future here and that they have a fair shot at building it. That starts with making it more affordable for Arizona families. As Attorney General, I’ve fought corporations using illegal schemes to drive up rents and prices, because nobody should get ahead by taking advantage of Arizona families. I blocked the Kroger-Albertsons merger because it would have meant higher grocery prices and fewer choices. And I’m fighting utility monopolies and data centers that are putting upward pressure on people’s electric bills.
We also need to protect women’s freedom to make their own health care decisions and make sure young people can get the education and opportunities they need to succeed. That’s how we build an Arizona where young people and women can afford to stay, put down roots and build a future of their own.
In Few Words
- What was the last course, certification or training you took to improve yourself professionally? Continuing Legal Education (CLE)
- What would you say is a single characteristic OTHERS might attribute to you that defines your success? Fighter
- What is the one thing you feel you could work on professionally to be a greater success? Patience
- What is the one professional skill you have that has gotten you where you are today? Persistence
- What is the single greatest issue facing Arizona today? Making sure everyday Arizonans aren’t being taken advantage of and have someone in their corner.
About Me
Kris Mayes is a mom and Arizona native who grew up in Prescott, when the town had fewer than 20,000 residents. Her parents, a public-school teacher and a neighborhood pharmacist, taught her to work hard, care for others and keep her word. A former journalist, Mayes served in Gov. Janet Napolitano’s administration. She was then elected to the Arizona Corporation Commission as a Republican, where she served as chair and helped create thousands of jobs, save consumers billions and establish Arizona’s first renewable energy standard. Today, as Arizona’s 27th Attorney General, Mayes is fighting for us and protecting Arizona families — from saving consumers money to keeping fentanyl off Arizona streets.
