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Clara is a member of the Navajo Nation and grew up in a small town called Lupton on the Arizona-New Mexico border. Her family had no electricity or running water at their home until she was in middle school, so her campaign to oversee Arizona’s utilities is personal.

Clara for Arizona

About Clara
A Lifetime of Public Service

Clara Pratte built her career on public service and is now a successful small business owner and entrepreneur as well as a mom to two boys. She is running to lower costs for Arizonans, restore integrity to the Arizona Corporation Commission, strengthen consumer protections, and ensure Arizona urgently harnesses its clean energy potential before it’s too late.

Clara Pratte is a member of the Navajo Nation and grew up in Lupton, a small town on the Arizona-New Mexico border. She is a mother of two boys.

Pratte is a member of the Navajo Nation and currently runs a professional services firm. She is also the executive director and chair of Navajo Power, a public benefit corporation that promotes renewable energy development on tribal land.

Two Democrats to challenge Republican incumbents at the Corporation Commission

Experience

Throughout her career, Clara has championed energy independence and jobs in tribal and rural communities. She is the co-founder of Navajo Power, a utility-scale and residential electricity provider, and owner of several small businesses. Clara held senior roles in the U.S. Small Business Administration and U.S. Department of Commerce and managed critical policy portfolios in economic development and tribal affairs.

Experience

Throughout her career, Clara has championed energy independence and jobs in tribal and rural communities. She is the co-founder of Navajo Power, a utility-scale and residential electricity provider, and owner of several small businesses. Clara held senior roles in the U.S. Small Business Administration and U.S. Department of Commerce and managed critical policy portfolios in economic development and tribal affairs. She has served under three U.S. Presidents and four Navajo Nation Presidents.

Clara Pratte
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Clara Pratte

Clara Pratte

Website: https://www.claraforaz.com/

Clara Pratte grew up on the Navajo Nation and previously worked in Washington, D.C. in a variety of jobs, including leading the Navajo Nation’s office there. She also chaired the Democratic National Committee’s Native Caucus with former President Joe Biden’s campaign and administration. She co-founded Navajo Power, which partners with tribal communities to build renewable energy projects. Pratte is running alongside fellow Democrat Jonathon Hill on a platform that the commission should do more to curtail excessive rate increases and the impact of large users like data centers on residential utility bills. The Democrats also support a push for more renewable energy development by the state's utilities.

2026 Arizona Corporation Commission race: The candidates

Clara Pratte currently runs a professional services firm and is the executive director and chair of Navajo Power, a public benefit corporation. She co-founded Navajo Power, a utility-scale and residential electricity provider, and owns several small businesses. She previously held senior roles at the U.S. Small Business Administration and U.S. Department of Commerce and led the Navajo Nation’s Washington, D.C., office.

Two Democrats to challenge Republican incumbents at the ...

2026 Arizona Corporation Commission race: The candidates - KJZZ

Clara Pratte - Ballotpedia

Clara is a first-time candidate for political office.

2026 Arizona General Election

Clara is a member of the Navajo Nation and grew up in a small town called Lupton on the Arizona-New Mexico border. Her family had no electricity or running water at their home until she was in middle school, so her campaign to oversee Arizona’s utilities is personal. For decades she has advocated for investment in small businesses, affordable energy and infrastructure projects in tribal and rural communities and led efforts to save northern Arizona jobs threatened by coal plant closures.

Advocates for investment in small businesses and infrastructure projects in tribal and rural communities.

- Advocates for investment in small businesses and infrastructure projects in tribal and rural communities.

Small Businesses

For instance, she argued the commission could separate smaller rural utility co-ops from the larger investor-owned utilities when it considers rate cases, which she says would reduce the backlog that leads to yearslong delays.

“Right now, they're all in one queue, which causes a lot of backlog,” Pratte said. “If you bifurcate those two things out, you're able to handle co-ops in a different way than investor-owned utilities, and that's something the co-ops have been very excited (about).”

Corporation Commission candidates talk utility rates as energy prices climb for Arizonans

Instead, critics of formula rates argue the streamlined process will actually result in less opportunities for the public — and ratepayers — to weigh on the changes.

Pratte argued that lack of public input is already a problem at the commission, especially when commissioners are making decisions that affect rural residents who cannot attend public meetings in Phoenix.

“A number of years ago, the commission used to do field hearings, because it's much easier to send five commissioners out to a rural community than ask a rural community to come to Metro Phoenix, right? And I think that is something that should be re-implemented,” she said.

Lowering costs for Arizona families, seniors and veterans is Clara’s top priority. As a member of the Arizona Corporation Commission, Clara promises to fight for affordable residential utility bills, demand transparency and accountability from utility companies, ensure data centers pay their fair share, protect our precious water resources, advocate for rural and tribal communities and invest in Arizona’s energy future.

Proposes separate queues for rate cases involving rural utility cooperatives and investor-owned utilities to reduce backlogs.

Calls for bringing back Corporation Commission field hearings in rural communities.

Pledges to fight for affordable residential utility bills.

Pledges to require transparency and accountability from utility companies.

Pledges to ensure data centers pay their fair share of utility-system costs.

- Proposes separate queues for rate cases involving rural utility cooperatives and investor-owned utilities to reduce backlogs.
- Calls for bringing back Corporation Commission field hearings in rural communities.
- Pledges to fight for affordable residential utility bills.
- Pledges to require transparency and accountability from utility companies.
- Pledges to ensure data centers pay their fair share of utility-system costs.

Utility Costs

In her announcement, Pratte stated, "I believe that everyone deserves access to clean, affordable energy, and I will fight to make sure that our utilities are held accountable for their impact on our communities and our environment."

Clara Pratte enters Arizona Corporation Commission race, vows to hold utilities accountable

She’s also a staunch supporter of renewable energy like wind and solar power, arguing they now provide the most-cost effective and clean options to bring power to all Arizonans, especially those in underserved communities.

“And I'm not saying you get rid of all the other older technologies,” Pratte said. “What I'm saying is, we should be using cleanest and cheapest first, and then we can backfill as needed. And that would make sense if you were running your own household.”

How Clara Pratte’s childhood on the Navajo Nation inspired her run for AZ Corporation Commission

Pratte said she is not opposed to an “all-of-the-above” approach to energy sources. But she said the emphasis should be on renewables “versus being dependent on imports that are coming into our market.”

“With solar, we can be generating our own energy and become energy independent at a time when we need extra energy,” Pratte said.

Fellow Democrat Jonathon Hill said he, too, believes the commission should be pursuing “balance.”

Corp Comm candidates debate incentives for renewable energy

Pledges to expand access to clean, affordable energy and hold utilities accountable for their environmental and community impacts.

Supports using the cleanest and cheapest energy sources first, while retaining older technologies as needed.

Supports solar power to generate energy in Arizona and reduce dependence on imported energy.

Pledges to protect water resources and advocate for rural and tribal communities.

- Pledges to expand access to clean, affordable energy and hold utilities accountable for their environmental and community impacts.
- Supports using the cleanest and cheapest energy sources first, while retaining older technologies as needed.
- Supports solar power to generate energy in Arizona and reduce dependence on imported energy.
- Pledges to protect water resources and advocate for rural and tribal communities.

Energy & the Environment

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Clara Pratte

- Pledges to fight for affordable residential utility bills.
- Pledges to require transparency and accountability from utility companies.
- Pledges to ensure data centers pay their fair share of utility-system costs.

- Pledges to protect water resources and advocate for rural and tribal communities.

Isaac Brickman

Buket Urgen

Jonathon Hill

Kevin Thompson

Mike Cease

Ralph Heap

- The Commission manages public utilities, maintains railroad and pipeline systems, and oversees businesses and securities.
- The Commission may also serve in a judicial capacity within its jurisdiction such as in cases related to utilities, investment management advisors, and pipeline and railroad crossing safety.
- Corporation commissioners are elected to four-year terms in partisan statewide elections. A commissioner can serve a maximum of two consecutive terms. 
- There are five total commissioners in the Corporation Commission.

Oversees utility rates, pipeline and railroad safety, and business and securities. 