Stop Katie Hobbs

Katie Hobbs complains J.D. Mesnard being “unfair” with “showdown” comment

PHOENIX — Democratic Governor-elect Katie Hobbs criticized an Arizona state senator last week for being “unfair” to her ahead of the upcoming legislative session.

During a Wednesday interview with Arizona PBS, Hobbs was asked about Republican lawmakers “saying that you’re deliberately setting up showdowns” by setting unrealistic expectations. The Democrat responded, “I think that’s unfair for them to say that before we even start.”

Anchor Ted Simons was referring to a recent comment from J.D. Mesnard, who represents legislative district 17, accusing Hobbs of “punching us in the face” in order to “excite her base.” Mesnard’s remark came amid the governor-elect back-tracking on her campaign pledge about funding for the Border Strike Force.

Hobbs also told Simons that “I absolutely intend to” use the veto pen as leverage against state legislators. She similarly gloated during a series of post-election interviews that “I won’t hesitate” to do so in order to stop Republican bills in their tracks.

Katie Hobbs says Arizonans who left long voting lines in Maricopa County were “disenfranchised by the Republican Party”

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.

Katie Hobbs claims ESA program will “bust our budget,” compares school choice to “Alt-Fuels 2.0”

PHOENIX — Democratic Governor-elect Katie Hobbs voiced her longstanding opposition to Arizona’s school choice program Wednesday.

“I can tell you that the voucher scheme that we have set up is going to end up as an Alt-Fuels 2.0,” Hobbs told Arizona PBS about the Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program. “It’s going to bust our budget. We can’t afford to do more.”

The comment came in response to a question from anchor Ted Simons about proposals for “increased voucher funding.”

Hobbs recently named longtime teachers union lobbyists Marisol Garcia and Stephanie Parra to her transition team. Garcia has been a registered lobbyist for the Arizona Education Association since 2016, while Parra was a registered lobbyist for the association from 2016 to 2020.

Katie Hobbs hardens opposition to Border Strike Force: “I didn’t vote for the funding in the first place”

PHOENIX — Democratic Governor-elect Katie Hobbs reiterated Wednesday that she intends to defund the Border Strike Force upon taking office.

When Arizona PBS anchor Ted Simons asked about her position on “defunding the Border Strike Task Force,” Hobbs responded that “I didn’t vote for the funding in the first place” and that there might be “a better way to utilize those resources.”

The comment is the second time that the Democrat has taken this position in recent weeks. It was reported in November that she was “taking a hard look” at defunding the strike force, a collaborative law enforcement effort aimed at protecting borders communities, despite her campaign pledge to the contrary.

Hobbs also told Simons during Wednesday’s interview that she views the shipping containers placed along the U.S.-Mexico border — a stopgap border security measure implemented by Governor Doug Ducey — as “a political stunt” and wondered aloud “how much it costs to remove the shipping containers.” She has staked out this position repeatedly since Election Day.

Katie Hobbs certifies election, delivers speech painting political opponents as conspiracy theorists

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.

Members of Katie Hobbs inaugural committee donated $100,000+ to her campaign

PHOENIX — Democratic Governor-elect Katie Hobbs announced the members of her inaugural committee on November 30, a roster that includes lobbyists and campaign donors.

There are at least six current and former lobbyists on the inaugural committee: Reginald Ballantyne III, Mario Diaz, Fred DuVal, Neil Giuliano, John Graham, and Ron Ober.

The committee also includes 21 donors to the Democrat’s gubernatorial campaign: Moe Asnani, Diaz, Veronica De La O, Toni Denis, DuVal, Pam Grissom, Daryl Kling, Lewis Guthrie, Nestor Guzman, Susan Guzman, Sharon Harper, Oliver Harper, Kim Khoury, Simon Kottoor, Elizabeth Kottoor, Francis Najafi, Dionne Najafi, Ober, Victor Smith, Benee Hilton-Spiegel, and David Tedesco. In total, these individuals have contributed at least $100,295 to Hobbs since 2021 alone.

A table containing the itemized campaign contributions can be found by clicking the “Continue reading →” line.

The remaining members of the inaugural committee not listed above are Andy Denis, Jennifer DuVal, Kathleen Graham, Balbir Grewal, Gizette Knight, Donalyn Milkes, Gail Gordon, William Perry, and Jay Spiegel. Hobbs recently named several campaign donors to her transition team and as her chief of staff as well.

Katie Hobbs rejects proposal to speed up counting of mail-in ballots: “Absolutely not”

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.

Katie Hobbs doubles-down on plan to remove shipping containers at southern border

PHOENIX — Republican Governor Doug Ducey placed shipping containers along the U.S.-Mexico border several months ago as a stopgap measure to improve border security, but Democratic Governor-elect Katie Hobbs is doubling-down on her proposal to remove them.

Hobbs made the comments in a series of three post-election interviews. She told 3TV’s Dennis Welch that “these shipping containers aren’t necessarily effective” and that the State of Arizona should not be “embroiled in a legal battle over them,” a reference to the Biden administration’s recent legal threats over the issue. She repeated the line to Fox 10 Phoenix’s Steve Nielsen, arguing that the state should not be “wasting resources on a court battle” over “political stunts.” She similarly characterized the containers to KTAR’s Barry Markson as “more of a political stunt than anything else.”

Hobbs recently drew criticism for backtracking on a campaign pledge after it came to light that she is “taking a hard look” at defunding Arizona’s Border Strike Force.

Katie Hobbs threatens to veto Republican bills ahead of upcoming legislative session: “I won’t hesitate”

PHOENIX — Democratic Governor-elect Katie Hobbs gloated during a series of post-election interviews that she plans to use her veto pen to stop Republican bills in their tracks.

During an interview with Fox 10 Phoenix’s Steve Nielsen on November 21, Hobbs said that any legislation she views as “political stunts” will not be tolerated and declared that “the veto pen is a powerful negotiating tool.” She repeated the line almost verbatim during an interview with KTAR’s Barry Markson on November 23, bragging that “the veto pen is a powerful negotiating tool and I won’t hesitate to use it.”

Hobbs initially pledged that she would “work with both Republicans and Democrats,” but her antagonistic posturing toward the state legislature in the following days drew widespread criticism, including from Senator J.D. Mesnard, who warned that “it’s going to be a long four years” for the Democrat if she continues “punching us in the face.”

Hobbs recently named several of her campaign donors to her transition team and as her chief of staff.

Katie Hobbs dismisses Election Day problems in Maricopa County: “Things happen”

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.”