Category: Elections

PHOENIX — Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs stumbled on television Sunday while trying to brag about her election integrity task force … because she couldn’t remember the name of it.

3TV anchor Dennis Welch asked Hobbs during an interview on “Politics Unplugged” about her sour relationship with the Republican-led legislature, many of whose members she has painted as conspiracy theorists.

“Well, I mean, that’s why we right out the gate created the election reform — er … I can’t remember the name of it,” Hobbs responded. “The election task force. The bipartisan election task force?”

The “Governor’s Bipartisan Elections Task Force” — which Hobbs attempted to reference on 3TV — was created via Executive Order 2023-03 on January 6. Three days later, the Arizona Freedom Caucus announced a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of her use of executive orders.

The governor has repeatedly dismissed criticism of Election Day operations in Maricopa County but also marginalized herself from other high-profile Democrats by pushing for Maricopa County Supervisor Steve Gallardo, a member of her transition team, as the next chairman of the Arizona Democratic Party.

Hobbs’s awkwardness while failing to remember the name of her election integrity task force comes after she (1) fell asleep on stage at a Western Governors’ Association event; (2) told Univision’s audience to have a “happy holidays” even if they “didn’t vote for me”; (3) found herself unable to finish taking the oath of office due to her uncontrollable giggling; and (4) was mocked by capitol insiders as “incredibly weak” after a failed power play against the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

PHOENIX — Democratic Governor-elect Katie Hobbs cast blame Wednesday on the Republican Party for disenfranchising Arizonans who left long polling-place lines in Maricopa County without casting a ballot.

“The people who left without casting a ballot, they were disenfranchised by the Republican Party,” Hobbs said during a December 7 interview with Arizona PBS. “The people who were telling them, ‘Don’t put your ballot in this secure box, leave after you check in,’ they were listening to the wrong people.”

In response to a question from anchor Ted Simons about proposals that would “allow mail-in ballots to be fed into tabulators” on Election Day, the Democrat responded, “I don’t know what the problem is that this solution is in search of.”

Hobbs has dismissed criticism of Election Day operations in Maricopa County and rejected proposals to speed up the counting of mail-in ballots. She named Maricopa County Supervisor Steve Gallardo to her transition team on November 21 and expressed excitement one week earlier that she would be “handing the keys of the Secretary of State’s Office to Adrian Fontes,” who previously served as Maricopa County Recorder.

PHOENIX — Democratic Governor-elect Katie Hobbs certified the results of Arizona’s 2022 general election on December 5 in her capacity as secretary of state.

Governor Doug Ducey, Attorney General Mark Brnovich, Chief Justice Brutinel, and State Election Director Election Director Kori Lorick also were present at the event.

Hobbs stated while signing the official canvass documents that “this election was conducted with transparency, accuracy, and fairness” and quickly launched into a political speech painting her critics as part of an “election denial community” that “promote[s] conspiracies.”

“False claims that undermine our democracy remain prevalent,” she added.

The Democrat has dismissed criticism of Maricopa County’s Election Day operations and said in an earlier interview that she will “absolutely not” consider supporting a proposal that would shorten the window for Arizona voters to turn in mail-in ballots, which advocates argue would speed up the counting.

PHOENIX — Democratic Governor-elect Katie Hobbs made it clear during a post-election interview that she will not support shortening the window for Arizona voters to turn in their mail-in ballots.

KTAR’s Barry Markson asked the Democrat on November 23 if she would support requiring that mail-in ballots “be received by the Friday or Saturday before Election Day” in order to allow county officials “to report their results on Election Night or the next morning.” Hobbs responded, “No, absolutely not,” and called the proposal “a solution in search of a problem.”

Hobbs has dismissed criticism of Election Day operations in Maricopa County, stating simply that “things happen.” She recently named Maricopa County Supervisor Steve Gallardo to her transition team and said that she is “thrilled” to “be handing the keys of the Secretary of State’s Office to Adrian Fontes,” the former Maricopa County Recorder.

PHOENIX — Democratic Governor-elect Katie Hobbs dismissed criticism of Election Day operations in Maricopa County and rejected the suggestion that any voters were disenfranchised.

During a televised interview on November 21, Fox 10 Phoenix’s Steve Nielsen stated that “there were issues obviously in Maricopa County with the tabulators” and asked the Democrat “whether or not there was disenfranchisement” in light of “the current AG race” where the candidates are “only separated by a few hundred votes.” She responded in the negative.

“The fact is that sometimes things happen and there’s always backup plans for that and Maricopa County had a backup plan,” Hobbs responded. “Box 3 is that backup plan. There is no single person who showed up to vote on Election Day in Maricopa County that wasn’t given the opportunity to cast a ballot …”

Hobbs recently named Maricopa County Supervisor Steve Gallardo to her transition team. At her victory speech one week earlier, the Democrat stated plainly, “I’m thrilled to know that I will be handing the keys of the Secretary of State’s Office to Adrian Fontes.”