Highlights
- Brett Newby and Teresa Leyba Ruiz debate Wednesday at 6 p.m. in the Democratic primary for Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction.
- Both candidates oppose ESA voucher expansion but differ on emphasis: Leyba Ruiz focuses on taxpayer transparency and early learning; Newby on full K-12 funding and kindergarten restoration.
- The July 21 primary winner faces the Republican nominee in November in a race centered on public education funding, ESA policy, and teacher retention.
- The Republican superintendent debate between incumbent Tom Horne and Kimberly Yee is scheduled for Thursday.
Brett Newby and Teresa Leyba Ruiz, the two Democrats running for Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction, squared off Wednesday at 6 p.m. in the first primary debate of the 2026 cycle, with public school funding and the state's Empowerment Scholarship Account program as the central fault lines.
The debate was hosted by the Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Commission and livestreamed on KTAR News 92.3 FM's YouTube channel, with audio replayed on air at 7 p.m. ABC15 and The Arizona Republic also streamed the debate in partnership with the Arizona Media Association.
Both candidates have pledged to push back on ESA voucher expansion and advocate for stronger public school funding, but they bring different platforms. Leyba Ruiz, a former president of Glendale Community College and a longtime math educator, is focusing on taxpayer transparency around ESA spending, expanding early learning and dual-language programs, and strengthening career and technical education pathways through partnerships with labor unions. She has also pledged a statewide listening tour to engage with parents.
Newby, a behavior analyst and longtime educator, has built his platform around fully funding K-12 schools, restoring full-day kindergarten, expanding Proposition 123, and permanently fixing the state's Aggregate Expenditure Limit. He has also called for hiring more school counselors and expanding the Arizona Promise Scholarship.
Voters can submit suggested questions by emailing debates@azcleanelections.gov.
The winner of the July 21 Democratic primary faces the Republican nominee in November. The Republican superintendent debate between incumbent Tom Horne and Kimberly Yee is scheduled for Thursday.
Sources
Every factual claim in this article traces to one of the sources below. See how we work for the editorial process.
- ktar.com retrieved 13/05/2026 22:58
- ABC15 Arizona retrieved 13/05/2026 22:58
- yahoo.com retrieved 13/05/2026 22:58
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 13/05/2026 22:58. Every claim traces to a source.
