Democratic governors group pledges $10M to boost Hobbs
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Gov. Katie Hobbs. Photo: Rebecca Noble/Getty Images
The Democratic Governors Association (DGA) announced Tuesday that it's making an "initial investment" of $10 million to help Gov. Katie Hobbs win a second term.
Why it matters: Hobbs is considered the most vulnerable Democratic governor seeking re-election this year.
The intrigue: The Republican Governors Association (RGA) hasn't yet spent in Arizona or publicly announced whether it'll do so to help GOP nominee Andy Biggs.
- Asked whether the RGA would spend in Arizona, spokesperson Kollin Crompton said only that "Democrats see just how big of a disaster Katie Hobbs truly is."
- Biggs flew to Colorado on the morning of the primary election last week to meet with the RGA.
Between the lines: The Cook Political Report rates Arizona's governor race as leaning Democratic, and what little polling has been publicly released for the general election matchup recently favors Hobbs.
- The national political climate is expected to favor Democrats.
- Yes, but: The GOP holds a substantial voter registration advantage in Arizona — there are about 1.5 million registered Republicans and 1.2 million registered Democrats — and that gap is wider than it was when Hobbs narrowly won in 2022.
What they're saying: DGA chair and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said "the stakes are incredibly high and the DGA is keeping its foot on the gas to ensure Gov. Hobbs is re-elected and can continue putting Arizona first."
The other side: Responding to the DGA investment, Biggs spokesperson Drew Sexton wrote on X that Democrats are "seeing the same things we're seeing. Katie Hobbs is weak, vulnerable, and has nothing to run on for Arizonans."
- Hobbs spokesperson Michael Beyer tells Axios that is "laughable" and portrays the lack of GOP spending for Biggs as a sign that national Republicans view him as weaker than 2022 nominee Kari Lake.
Flashback: In March 2022, the RGA booked more than $10 million in airtime to defend GOP control of the Arizona governor's office.
- The group spent heavily in the general election to aid Lake, who lost to Hobbs by 17,000 votes.