Arizona Democrats split on how to handle Trump
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A month into the second Trump administration, Arizona Democrats haven't settled on a single strategy to oppose the president.
Why it matters: The disunity mirrors a national Democratic identity crisis, as likely contenders for the 2028 presidential nomination are also employing disparate methods of dealing with Trump.
Flashback: After Trump's surprise victory in 2016, many Democrats moved left and united under a "resistance" banner.
- This led to a multi-year "blue wave," in which Arizona voters elected Democrats to the state's highest offices for the first time in decades.
Yes, but: The resistance efforts appeared to wear off last November, when Arizona swung back to support Trump after electing Joe Biden in 2020.
- Now, some Democrats are treading lightly — seemingly concerned about Trump's threats of retribution and their own political futures.
Zoom in: We're breaking down how some of Arizona's top leaders have responded to the new Trump administration during its first month.
🤔 The pragmatist: While other governors were assembling Trump opposition groups in the days after the November election, Gov. Katie Hobbs indicated her willingness to work with the incoming president on border security, so long as the initiatives don't harm Arizona families.
- Hobbs has voiced concern about some of Trump's more controversial proposals, including efforts to freeze federal grants, but she's rarely the first and never the loudest Arizona Democrat to raise alarm bells … at least so far.
- What we're watching: Hobbs, who narrowly beat Trump-backed Kari Lake in 2022, is staring down a tough reelection campaign next year and seems to be looking for opportunities to appeal to swing voters.
👊 The brawler: Attorney General Kris Mayes had three words for Trump during his first days in office: "Bring it on."
- Mayes' spokesperson Richie Taylor told Axios last week that the AG believes Arizonans supported Trump "for lower prices and a secure border and a good economy, but they didn't vote for chaos and shredding the Constitution."
- As the state's lawyer, she has joined lawsuits to counter Trump's orders on birthright citizenship, the Department of Government Efficiency and more.
- What we're watching: Like Hobbs, Mayes is also likely to face a tough opponent in next year's reelection race, but she's embracing her role as an opposition leader rather than moderating.
👀 The in-betweeners: U.S. Sens. Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego have positioned themselves as tough Trump critics, but left room for some cooperation, particularly on immigration issues.
- Gallego shocked many supporters when he agreed to co-sponsor the Laken Riley Act, which would require ICE to detain undocumented immigrants accused of theft or burglary. Kelly also supported the bill.
- What we're watching: Kelly and Gallego won't face reelection until 2028 and 2030, respectively, but both have been floated as potential vice presidential or presidential candidates.
The bottom line: It's too early to know which — if any — of these strategies will prove successful in 2026 and beyond.
- But the lack of consistent messaging has left many everyday Democrats across the country feeling angry and powerless, the New York Times reported over the weekend.