Brian Matlock
State Mine Inspector
Democratic
https://www.matlockforazmi.com/
Brian is a Mechanical Engineer and Marine Reserves Veteran. Professionally, Brian has decades of heavy-industry experience including forestry, pulp and paper, foundry, and mining. Brian is named as an inventor on six US patents, some directly related to mining safety. He has worked at industrial sites on every continent except Antarctica. His experience includes design, field service, marketing, and management with supervisory duties. Brian enjoys time with his family, mountain biking, building and maintaining trails as a community volunteer, designing ways to conserve water, and, an extension of his lifelong love for engineering and mechanics, tinkering on his budget racecar.
Arizona was built on mining, and the men and women who power that industry deserve leadership that implements world-class health and safety mining practices. I’m Brian Matlock, and I’m running for State Mine Inspector because the job is about one thing, protecting lives while supporting world-class mining that keeps our economy thriving and robust. I’ve built my career solving problems. I’ve seen what works and what fails. As Mine Inspector, I plan to: • Put real-world safety first by enforcing practical standards that protect miners every day. Not politics. Not bureaucracy. Just results keeping people safe. • Bring a professional, boots-on-the-ground approach to the office focused on expertise, accountability, and transparency. This is not a political position. It’s a public safety job. • Ensure the inspection gap is filled as Federal oversight wanes. • Work with local experts and federal agencies to secure abandoned uranium mines in the Sovereign Lands. Secure backcountry abandoned mines that threaten families, hikers, and rural communities. Arizona’s mining industry is vital, but nothing is more important than the people who power it. The State Mine Inspector must be visible, responsive, and accountable to both workers and the public. I’m ready to get to work.
Walter "Les" Presmyk
State Mine Inspector
Republican
https://lespresmyk.com
Les Presmyk is a lifelong Arizonan and mining engineer with 44+ years of experience in Arizona’s mines. He has worked in operational and management positions in both underground and open-pit mines and understands mine safety, planning, and operations from the ground up. Appointed Arizona State Mine Inspector in 2025 by Governor Katie Hobbs from a group of seven Republican applicants, he now oversees mine inspections, safety training, and reclamation to help ensure every miner returns home safely each day. Les is a former member of the Gilbert Town Council and brings decades of civic and volunteer leadership to this role.
I spent my entire 45-year career in Arizona’s mining industry, starting by exploring old underground mines in high school and going on to work in large underground and open-pit copper mines, Arizona’s largest coal mine, and my own small mining operation. Appointed by Governor Katie Hobbs from a group of seven Republican applicants, I now serve as your Arizona State Mine Inspector. My top priority is ensuring that mines are safe, so every miner, contractor, and supplier returns home safely at the end of each workday. I also oversee mine inspections, safety training, the securing abandoned mines and final mine reclamation statewide. Beyond my professional work, I served on the Gilbert Town Council for 12 years and have devoted years to serving on boards and commissions in Gilbert and the Southeast Valley, with a special focus on supporting veterans and their families. I have spent countless hours supporting the two University of Arizona mining/mineral/gem museums in Phoenix and Tucson. Safety is not a partisan issue, and I am committed to safeguarding both Arizona’s miners and our mining industry. I am the only candidate with this depth of experience. I respectfully ask for your vote so I can continue this work.