Tom Horne on Breaking Battlegrounds
Few people have shaped Arizona education policy as long as Tom Horne. He has served two separate stints as the state’s superintendent of public instruction, plus a term as attorney general. He joined Breaking Battlegrounds in 2022, during the campaign that returned him to the superintendent’s office.
This page covers Tom Horne’s Breaking Battlegrounds interview and his career, including the 2026 Republican primary he lost to State Treasurer Kimberly Yee.
Who Is Tom Horne?
Tom Horne is a Republican who has served as Arizona’s superintendent of public instruction from 2003 to 2011 and again from 2023 to the present, and as Arizona attorney general in between. Before that, he was a Paradise Valley school board member and president, and a state legislator who chaired the academic accountability committee.
In his first stint as superintendent, he was best known for enforcing the English immersion mandate and for ending La Raza studies in Tucson schools. As attorney general, he argued and won cases for Arizona before the U.S. Supreme Court. He returned to the superintendent’s office after winning the 2022 general election over Democrat Kathy Hoffman, 50.2% to 49.8%.
In his current term, Horne has been instrumental in growing the Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program, which more than 100,000 Arizona students now use to attend the school of their choice. In 2026, State Treasurer Kimberly Yee challenged him in the Republican primary with backing from the Legislature’s Freedom Caucus, which argued he had been too aggressive in regulating the ESA program. Horne defended his office’s oversight as an effort to stop purchases unrelated to education. Yee won the July 21, 2026 primary, roughly 55% to 45%, and will face Democrat Teresa Leyba Ruiz in November.
Tom Horne's Appearance on Breaking Battlegrounds
Podcast 69: Tom Horne on the State of Public Education (2022)
As a candidate trying to win back the superintendent’s office, Horne joined Chuck and Sam for an episode on the state of America’s public schools. He discussed his record in Arizona education and his plans to return to the job. Later in the episode, Daily Wire investigative reporter Luke Rosiak discussed his book Race to the Bottom and what his research revealed about K-12 education.
What Tom Horne Focuses On: Key Themes
- Academic standards. From his legislative work on academic accountability to his time as superintendent, Horne has emphasized measurable results.
- English immersion. Enforcing Arizona’s English immersion mandate defined his first stint as superintendent.
- School choice with oversight. He has supported the ESA program’s growth while defending stronger oversight of how its funds are spent, the issue at the center of his 2026 primary.
- Opposition to identity-based curricula. His fight to end La Raza studies in Tucson made national news.
School Choice in Arizona: Related Episodes
- Corey DeAngelis on Breaking Battlegrounds
- George Khalaf on ESAs, Henry Thomson on Elections & John Rogers on 2026 Strategy
- College Is Broken, China Is on Defense, and Arizona School Choice Is Under Fire
- Socialism, the Charlie Kirk Case, and Arizona’s ESA Fight
- Rachel Walden on Getting Schools Back to Basics
- Arizona 2026 Election Guide
Follow Tom Horne
- Campaign website: electtomhorne.com
- Background: Tom Horne on Wikipedia
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Tom Horne?
Arizona’s superintendent of public instruction (2003–2011 and 2023–present) and a former Arizona attorney general.
Did Tom Horne win the 2026 primary?
No. State Treasurer Kimberly Yee defeated him in the July 21, 2026 Republican primary.
What is Arizona's ESA program?
Empowerment Scholarship Accounts let families use state education funds for private school and other options. More than 100,000 students use them.
What did Tom Horne discuss on Breaking Battlegrounds?
The state of public education and his plans as superintendent, in Podcast 69.
