Highlights
- Tom Horne and Kimberly Yee debate Thursday at 6 p.m. in the GOP primary for Arizona schools chief.
- Horne has centered his campaign on opposing critical race theory, DEI programs, and transgender participation in girls sports.
- Yee sent Horne a cease-and-desist letter this week over accusations she served on a DEI committee through the National Association of State Treasurers.
- The winner of the July 1 primary faces the Democratic challenger in November.
Incumbent Superintendent Tom Horne and State Treasurer Kimberly Yee debate Thursday at 6 p.m. in the Republican primary for Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction, with the race hinging on what voters want the job to emphasize.
Horne has built his campaign around culture-war issues, including opposition to critical race theory, diversity, equity and inclusion programs, transgender participation in girls sports and social-emotional learning, while arguing schools should focus more on academics, discipline and campus safety. Yee, also a conservative, is expected to stress her long record in education policy, support for school choice, financial literacy and workforce readiness, casting herself as an experienced education policymaker and executive manager with a broader governing background.
The two traded accusations this week over diversity initiatives. Horne's campaign said Yee had served on a diversity, equity and inclusion committee through the National Association of State Treasurers. Yee denied the claim, called it a lie and sent Horne a cease-and-desist letter. Horne responded by pointing to a cached webpage that he said showed Yee listed on the committee as recently as 2023.
The debate is being streamed by the Arizona Republic in partnership with the Arizona Media Association, according to Yahoo News. The winner of the July 1 primary will face the Democratic challenger in the November election.
Sources
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Authored by The Scottsdale Signal. Drafted by AI from primary-source material under our beat-specific editorial guides; reviewed by humans before publish under our five-gate process. Sources retrieved at 15/05/2026 00:15. Every claim traces to a source.
