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Lombardo

After the lower court dismissal, Lombardo and Collier sought relief from the Arizona Supreme Court. On October 8, the court agreed to hear their case regarding whether the Clean Elections Commission can claw back disputed public funds.

The October 6 gubernatorial debate in Phoenix had been announced as including Lombardo, but she did not attend. The other candidates—Andy Biggs and Teri Hourihan—debated without her; Gov. Katie Hobbs also declined to participate.

An Arizona State University poll showed Lombardo at 1%, far behind Katie Hobbs (47%) and Andy Biggs (34%). Lombardo was not included in every poll cited in recent coverage.

The commission voted to continue its investigation into Lombardo and Collier's campaigns and extend its timeline beyond the original October 29 target, citing outstanding records demands.

A Maricopa County Superior Court judge dismissed the suit, ruling it was too early for the court to intervene because the investigation was ongoing and no repayment order had yet been issued.

Lombardo and Green Party secretary-of-state candidate Duwayne Collier sued the Clean Elections Commission, arguing it exceeded its authority and violated their First Amendment rights by investigating their campaigns. The commission's inquiry also involved Republican Scott Neely.

The Arizona Clean Elections Commission directed its executive director to complete an investigation into whether Lombardo and other candidates properly documented qualifying $5 contributions. People named as donors disputed having contributed, and records showed donors appearing across multiple campaigns. Allegations are not established findings.

Lombardo won the Green Party primary for Arizona governor, securing a spot on the general-election ballot, though the party subsequently opposed her candidacy.