A jubilant crowd gathered at a Phoenix art gallery Tuesday morning to celebrate Katie Hobbs, the fifth woman to hold that post, and the next governor of the state.
Beyonce’s anthem was blasting from speakers: “Who runs the world?” Girls.”
Hannah Goodman (20 years old) introduced her mother, Arizona’s next governor, “my mom” — who she described as “the most strong woman I know.” She also said that she was constantly learning from her mom through hard work, perseverance, and dedication.
Hobbs indicated that she was ready for work less than 24 hours after Hobbs was projected to be the winner. She flipped the Governor’s Office from Republican control to Democratic control, after one of most closely watched races across the country.
Republican Governor. According to Hobbs’ campaign, Doug Ducey called Hobbs Tuesday morning to congratulate her. The Hobbs campaign had not heard from Kari Lake, the Republican nominee, who Hobbs narrowly lost by less than 1 percentage points, according the unofficial results.
Hobbs stated that the campaign was started by Hobbs talking about getting the job done despite the immense challenges. Hobbs said, “That’s exactly what I’ll do in my capacity as your governor.” This is because it’s what you and your family do every single day, stretching your income even more as expenses soar and getting your kids to school when gas prices rise.
“You continue to vote, even though our democracy continues to be under attack.” Arizonans are like that. We are resilient in the face of difficulties, and I am your governor.
Hobbs defeated Lake, a strong candidate who combined her TV news anchor skills with what was expected to be a favorable political climate for Republicans. Hobbs won despite the odds. Lake ran on promises to secure the border, reform elections and was the most prominent candidate to make false claims that Donald Trump won in 2020.
As of Tuesday morning, Hobbs had approximately 18,000 more votes that Lake with over 2.5million counted. Lake has not given up and seems to be collecting information in preparation for a possible legal challenge. Harmeet Dhillon was unavailable to comment Tuesday morning.
What is next for Hobbs?
Hobbs is Arizona’s 24th governor. This solidifies Arizona’s record for having more female governors. This is Hobbs’ second win in the state; she was elected secretary-of-state in 2018. She has been serving as the state legislator for eight years. Her experience makes her well-equipped to assume the helm.
Protecting abortion rights, addressing homelessness and the state’s water crisis and rising food and housing costs were her top priorities.
She stated that “These problems are urgent and it’s going be necessary for both parties to work together to solve them.” “As your governor I will work alongside both Republicans and Democrats. Together we’ll put more money in your pockets, invest in our public school systems, and provide the resources our communities need to keep Arizona safe.”
Hobbs, 52 years old, stated that she would cooperate with the Arizona Legislature to address these issues. After all, the ballot had 90 seats this cycle.
Hobbs stated, “I’ve already said: We’ve gone through a lot these past few years.” “But we’re tough. This state is tough. If we work together, then we can overcome our greatest challenges. Let’s get started.”
Hobbs’ win marks the first time a Democrat has held the highest office in the state since 2009, when Gov. Janet Napolitano has left to join the Obama administration. While celebrating the victory, attendees noted the divisions in politics in Grand Canyon State as well as the work ahead for Hobbs.
Bryan Kilgore (a Democrat from Avondale City Council) said, “This is a tremendous victory moving Arizona forward. Not with conspiracy theories. Just with facts and caring for all Arizonans.”
Benjamin Taylor, an attorney from Phoenix, stated that Hobbs must represent Democrats, Republicans, and Independent voters. They are roughly evenly divided in the state’s electorate.
“I believe Gov. Hobbs will need to mend the state, as there are still people who don’t believe the election was legitimate and people who didn’t vote,” Taylor stated. “She must govern both those who voted for her, and those who did not.”
