First Independent Party candidate enters AZ governor race
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Hugh Lytle will run for governor as an Independent Party candidate. Photo: Courtesy of Hugh Lytle for Governor
The newly minted Arizona Independent Party — formerly the No Labels Party of Arizona — announced its first gubernatorial candidate Tuesday: local health care entrepreneur Hugh Lytle.
Why it matters: The party, chaired by former Phoenix Mayor Paul Johnson, believes it can disrupt the two-party system by creating an easier path for nonpartisan candidates to seek office.
- Lytle, whom Johnson recruited, is the first test of the theory.
Driving the news: A former ASU quarterback, Lytle announced his candidacy outside the university's Mountain America Stadium.
- He is the founder, chair and CEO of Equality Health, a technology platform serving Medicaid-eligible patients.
What they're saying: "I will be a governor who recruits opportunity, unleashes individuals, builds pathways for every kind of dream, measures success by your real life — not political headlines — and breaks the grip of a system that no longer serves the people," Lytle said in a Monday press release.
Zoom in: Lytle's eight-point priority plan, per his website, includes:
- Redirecting much of the state's voucher-style school choice funding to housing assistance;
- Creating a state-sponsored AI university that costs $99 per semester;
- Raising pay for police officers and teachers;
- Subsidizing youth sports programs;
- Lowering health care costs.
Between the lines: Teri Ann Hourihan, a licensed professional counselor, has also filed a statement of interest to run for governor as an Independent Party candidate.
- She is not backed by the party, Johnson told Axios. Lytle is.
The intrigue: Democrats and Republicans have argued that Independent Party candidates could siphon just enough votes to change the outcome in close races. Arizona's 2022 gubernatorial campaign came down to about 17,000 votes.
- "I laugh when I hear the concept of the spoiler, I'm like, 'spoiler'? They're spoiling my opportunity," Lytle told The Arizona Republic.
What we're watching: The Arizona Republican and Democratic parties and the state's Clean Elections Commission are suing to stop the Independent Party's name change, arguing that it will confuse the state's nearly 1.5 million unaffiliated voters, who are colloquially called independents.
Editor's note: This story has been updated.