Democratic congressional candidate Marlene Galán-Woods announced this week that Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes has endorsed her campaign for the state’s First Congressional District seat.
Galán-Woods called Fontes a “tireless defender of democracy” who has been on the front lines fighting for election integrity. The endorsement carries particular weight given the two have a working history: Galán-Woods served as campaign chair for Fontes’s 2022 secretary of state run, when Arizona Republicans were actively spreading disinformation about election outcomes.
The Fontes endorsement adds to an already notable list of Democratic validators for Galán-Woods, who has also secured backing from Attorney General Kris Mayes and former Governor Janet Napolitano.
AZ-01 is shaping up as one of the more competitive congressional races in the country, with incumbent David Schweikert having stepped aside to run for governor. Galán-Woods, a former broadcast journalist and widow of former Arizona Attorney General Grant Woods, lost a crowded 2024 primary by fewer than 1,800 votes and is running again with a more organized and better-funded operation.
She has framed the Fontes endorsement as validation of her commitment to accountability: the secretary of state’s office has been at the center of Arizona’s ongoing battles over election administration, and his support signals confidence that Galán-Woods would carry that work into Congress.
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