Meet Our 2026 Primary Election Debate Moderators: Arizona Media Association Partnership Continues
The Arizona Media Association is partnering with The Citizen’s Clean Elections Commission, Riester and SNEAKY BIG STUDIOS as well as dozens of local media brands to air political debates in Arizona during the 2026 election season.
The 2026 partnership will build off the success of the 32 historically accessible debates produced and distributed with this partnership in 2024 and 2025, while continuing to adapt to changing audience needs with the help of news leaders across the AMA’s nearly 400 member brands. This election season may include debates for statewide races such as Governor, Lieutenant Governor (new in 2026), Secretary of State, Attorney General, Superintendent of Public Instruction and Corporation Commission. Additionally, debates will be offered for all nine Arizona Congressional districts, as well as key ballot propositions.
See confirmed debate dates here and meet our moderators for this shared effort below (from left to right):
Kathleen Bade is a 14-time Emmy Award-winning journalist and former news anchor with over 30 years of experience in the San Diego, Phoenix, and Los Angeles markets. Raised in Arizona, Kathleen is a graduate of Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and a Certified Broadcast Meteorologist. Since signing off in 2024, she remains active in the media industry through her work as a media communications consultant, podcaster, freelance writer, and television producer. She recently expanded her public broadcasting work by hosting documentary specials for Arizona PBS.
Steve Goldstein served as an award-winning public radio host and reporter in Phoenix for 25 years. His work featured discussions about a broad variety of topics, and his passion for politics and elections led to regular conversations with elected and appointed officials from both major parties. Goldstein was also the original host of The Press Room, a tv and radio news and public affairs program on AZPM in Tucson. In addition, he has been a regular on-camera contributor to Arizona Horizon, Arizona PBS’s nightly public affairs program. He is almost an Arizona native, having moved to the state with his family at the age of four.
Danielle Lerner is an Emmy Award-winning journalist with nearly 20 years of experience working in broadcast media. As someone who grew up in the Valley, she spent more than a decade working as a local news anchor and reporter in both Southern Arizona and Phoenix, and is particularly passionate about the issues that matter most to Arizonans. She currently hosts “Arizona Living” on Cox’s Yurview platforms, highlighting the people, places and organizations that make Arizona great. She also provides media coaching, PR support, and content strategy for businesses and nonprofits nationwide through her media services business, Take 45 Media.
