May 2026
A recent survey of Arizona voters conducted by RABA Research finds overwhelming support for protecting teachers’ rights, preserving earned pensions, and maintaining workers’ ability to voluntarily support unions. The data also show that affordability and cost-of-living concerns dominate the political environment, while voters express skepticism toward efforts perceived as punishing teachers or weakening worker protections.
KEY FINDINGS
Top Issues Facing Arizona
Economic concerns overwhelmingly dominate voter priorities:
- 57% say affordability and cost-of-living should be the legislature’s highest priority
- 30% prioritize the economy and jobs
- 10% prioritize expanding healthcare
- Just 3% prioritize weakening worker protections
Strong Support for Teachers’ Rights
Arizona voters overwhelmingly support workers’ freedom to voluntarily contribute to unions:
- 87% believe teachers and school district employees should continue to have the freedom to voluntarily contribute part of their paychecks to their union
- Only 13% oppose this right
Punishing Teachers Is Politically Toxic
Voters react strongly against elected officials perceived as targeting teachers:
- 85% say they would be less likely to support an elected official who voted to weaken teachers’ rights as punishment
- Only 15% say they would be more likely to support such officials
Similarly:
- 83% oppose efforts to take away earned teachers’ pensions
- Only 17% support such efforts
And:
- 87% say they would be less likely to support elected officials who weaken teachers’ rights, including taking away earned pensions
- Only 13% would be more likely to support those officials
Opposition to Revoking Earned Benefits
Arizona voters broadly reject granting policymakers authority to revoke earned employment benefits:
- 78% oppose allowing policymakers to revoke earned benefits, including pensions, based on participation in advocacy or organized activity
- Only 22% support such authority
School Voucher Program Concerns
While some support exists for Arizona’s school voucher program, most voters favor reforms or limitations:
- 33% support the voucher program as it currently exists
- 45% prefer making access income-based
- 22% believe the program should end entirely
Taken together, two-thirds of voters favor either restricting or ending the current universal voucher structure.
CONCLUSION
The survey indicates that Arizona voters strongly support protecting teachers’ rights, preserving earned pensions, and maintaining voluntary union participation. Efforts perceived as punitive toward teachers are broadly unpopular across the electorate and carry significant political risk.
At the same time, voters remain intensely focused on affordability and broader economic concerns, suggesting that messaging tied to economic security and protecting earned benefits is likely to resonate strongly with Arizona voters.