Attorney General Kris Mayes announced that Austin Cole Smith, a former Arizona State Representative for District 29, pleaded guilty to two charges in Maricopa County Superior Court as part of an agreement to resolve a felony case related to forged nomination petitions.
Smith, who served from 2023 to 2025, was indicted by the State Grand Jury in June 2025 on 14 criminal counts, including four felonies. The indictment stemmed from allegations that Smith submitted forged signatures on his candidate nomination petitions for his 2024 re-election campaign. According to prosecutors, some of these petitions were filed with the Arizona Secretary of State in March 2024 and included Smith’s signature attesting he had circulated them.
As part of his plea, Smith admitted to signing the name of a deceased woman on one petition and acknowledged attempting to deceive the Secretary of State’s Office by knowingly filing petitions containing forged signatures supporting his nomination for the Republican primary for State Representative from Legislative District 29.
Attorney General Mayes stated: “Forging signatures, including those of people who have died, in order to get yourself on the ballot is illegal, and it erodes trust in our elections. My office will continue to hold accountable anyone who tries to cheat the system and mislead Arizona voters.”
Under the terms of the plea agreement reached today, Smith will be sentenced to probation, must pay a fine of at least $5,500.00, and faces a five-year ban on seeking public office. However, certain aspects of this agreement are not binding on the court and could be subject to change at sentencing. Sentencing is scheduled before Judge Aryeh Schwartz at Maricopa County Superior Court on January 6, 2026.
A copy of the plea agreement and Mr. Smith’s photograph are available online.
