During her time as an Arizona Corporation Commissioner, Kris Mayes’ leadership helped create tens of thousands of high-paying jobs, saved Arizona consumers tens of billions of dollars, and fought climate change by requiring utilities to produce more clean energy — including solar, wind and energy efficiency. Kris worked to preserve Arizona’s increasingly threatened water resources by overseeing one of the largest expansions of utility water conservation programs in state history. Kris also pushed utilities to stop spending ratepayer money on corporate bonuses and advertising, in an effort to keep rates low. Born and raised on a tree farm in Prescott, Kris attended public schools with her brother and sister. Her parents worked as a pharmacist and a teacher, taking care of the farm on nights and weekends. After graduating from Prescott High School, Kris studied political science and journalism at Arizona State University. After she graduated from ASU, Kris joined the Phoenix Gazette and Arizona Republic as a working beat reporter. She earned her law degree at ASU and a Master of Public Administration from Columbia University in New York. In 2002, Kris joined Janet Napolitano’s campaign for Governor as press secretary. Kris took a senior role in the Napolitano Administration in 2003. Later that year, Governor Napolitano appointed Kris to serve as Corporation Commissioner. Kris became a Democrat in 2019. Since 2010, she has worked as a senior sustainability scientist at ASU’s School of Sustainability and teaches a course on energy law for the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law. Kris lives in Phoenix with her daughter Hattie.
Kris Mayes
