Rachel Walden is an at-large member of the Mesa Public Schools Governing Board and one of five elected members of the Arizona Corporation Commission. Before she held either office, she sat down with Chuck Warren and Sam Stone in the Breaking Battlegrounds studio as a first-time school board candidate to talk about getting Mesa’s schools back to basics.
She went on to win that race in November 2022, finishing second of seven candidates for two at-large seats. Two years later she won a statewide seat on the Corporation Commission. In 2026 she is running for a second term on the Mesa board.
Who is Rachel Walden?
Walden grew up in Arizona, attended Mesa Public Schools, and graduated from Mesa High School. She is a first-generation college graduate who earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology with honors from Arizona State University and did graduate work in history at ASU, where she worked as a teaching and research assistant and received a fellowship to study in England.
She spent her career in financial services, including at Vanguard, where she managed retirement plans for large employers. She is a Republican precinct committeeman and state committeeman, and when she first appeared on the show she was also a church children’s organization president, an HOA treasurer, and the parent of a kindergartner in Mesa.
Mesa Public Schools Governing Board
Mesa Public Schools is the largest public school district in Arizona. Its five-member Governing Board sets district policy, approves the budget, and oversees the superintendent. School board races in Arizona are nonpartisan and have no primary.
Walden was elected at-large on November 8, 2022, with 47,439 votes (22.0%), behind Marcie Hutchinson. She took office on January 1, 2023, and her current term ends December 31, 2026.
On the board, Walden has argued for keeping neighborhood schools open, a focus on reading and math proficiency, and stronger discipline policies to support teachers. She cites the board’s academic-achievement goals, the hiring of a new superintendent, and the district’s small-school model as accomplishments.
In November 2023, Walden sued the district over its guidelines for supporting transgender students, arguing they violated Arizona’s Parents’ Bill of Rights. The suit was backed by America First Legal. A Maricopa County judge dismissed it in July 2024, and in December 2025 the Arizona Court of Appeals upheld the dismissal of Walden’s own claims while reviving a parent co-plaintiff’s claims. State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne praised the appeals ruling; the district has maintained the guidelines are lawful.
Arizona Corporation Commission
The Arizona Corporation Commission sets rates for regulated electric, gas, and water utilities and enforces state securities law. Walden ran in 2024 on keeping utility rates low, removing subsidies from rates, speeding up rate cases, and opposing what she called Green New Deal-style mandates.
She led the three-way Republican primary on July 30, 2024, and then received the most votes of any candidate in the November 5, 2024, general election, about 1.53 million. She took office on January 6, 2025, and her term runs to January 2029. She now holds both offices at once.
Rachel Walden’s 2026 school board race
Walden is the only incumbent among four candidates for two four-year seats on the Mesa Public Schools Governing Board on November 3, 2026. Her challengers are Joshua Chilton, Jennifer Echols, and Jason Smithson. Early ballots began arriving the week of October 7.
The same ballot carries Proposition 419, a $449 million district bond for building repairs, safety, and campus replacements, and Proposition 420, which would let the board sell, lease, or exchange five district properties. Walden voted against sending the bond to voters, saying she preferred a capital override that would not add debt.
For every Arizona race on the 2026 ballot, see our Arizona 2026 Election Guide.
More Arizona education interviews
- Tom Horne and Luke Rosiak on the state of public education: Arizona’s superintendent of public instruction on what’s going wrong in K-12 classrooms.
- Corey DeAngelis: the school choice advocate on Arizona’s universal ESA program and parents’ rights.
- Christina Eichelkraut: another 2022 school board candidate, running in Phoenix’s Balsz School District.
- Arizona 2026 Election Guide: every statewide, congressional, and ballot-measure race on the November 3 ballot.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Rachel Walden?
Rachel Walden is a Mesa, Arizona, Republican who serves on both the Mesa Public Schools Governing Board (since 2023) and the Arizona Corporation Commission (since 2025). She previously worked in financial services.
Is Rachel Walden on the Mesa school board?
Yes. She is an at-large member of the Mesa Public Schools Governing Board. Her current term ends December 31, 2026, and she is running for re-election on November 3, 2026.
Who is running for Mesa school board in 2026?
Four candidates are running for two seats: incumbent Rachel Walden, Joshua Chilton, Jennifer Echols, and Jason Smithson.
Is Rachel Walden a Corporation Commissioner?
Yes. She won a seat on the Arizona Corporation Commission in November 2024 and took office January 6, 2025. Her term ends in January 2029.
What political party is Rachel Walden?
She is a Republican. The Mesa school board race itself is nonpartisan.
Can I listen to the full interview?
Yes. Use the player above, or find Breaking Battlegrounds on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Sources
- Ballotpedia: Rachel Walden (2022 and 2024 results, terms, 2024 platform)
- Mesa Tribune, Oct 7, 2026: school board seats and $449M bond
- Mesa Tribune via Yahoo, July 15, 2026: field set, bond vote
- Mesa Public Schools: 2026 candidate forums
- 12News: lawsuit filed
- KJZZ, July 2024: dismissal
- KJZZ, Dec 2025: appeals ruling
- Mesa Independent, 2022 candidate Q&A
