Hobbs not joining Democratic governors' anti-Trump resistance

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs isn't joining fellow Democratic officials from other states in digging in their heels to oppose the incoming Trump administration.

The big picture: Democratic governors and attorneys general, including Arizona AG Kris Mayes, are preemptively planning to resist President-elect Trump's policies.

• Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Colorado Gov. Jared Polis on Tuesday announced the formation of a group called Governors Safeguarding Democracy to lead the charge against Trump and create a playbook for other Democratic governors.

State of play: That's not how Hobbs plans to approach the Trump administration, she told reporters Thursday.

• "I don't think that's the most productive way to govern Arizona," she said.
• Hobbs said she "certainly won't hesitate to stand up when they're doing something that hurts our communities."
• Yes, but: She said she'll work with "anyone who's doing what's right for Arizona" and noted the state needs federal involvement on issues like the CHIPS and Science Act and Colorado River negotiations.

Zoom in: Perhaps no issue has more potential for conflict between Hobbs and Trump than immigration, which the president-elect made a cornerstone of his campaign.

• Trump pledged to crack down on border security and carry out mass deportations of people who are in the country illegally.
• "As I have from day one, I will work with anyone who wants to deliver real border security for our communities," she said.
• Hobbs declined to comment on how she'll respond if Trump attempts to deport "Dreamers" and people who have been in the country for many years, saying: "I'm not going to get into the nitty gritty details of action that hasn't happened yet," though she said she believes such policies would pull resources away from real border security.

Between the lines: The governors and attorneys general who make up the nascent blue state resistance are from places that are reliably Democratic, or at the least voted for Vice President Harris, like California, Colorado, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota and Washington.

• Hobbs, on the other hand, governs a state that voted for Trump this year.
• She also faces what will likely be a tough re-election campaign in 2026. Hobbs won her first gubernatorial race by about 17,000 votes.