The Democratic Governors Association (DGA) announced yesterday 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.

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After years of negative online reviews of Cafe Rio, its new CEO tells Axios he is listening to customers and "going back to the drawing board" to restore their trust.

Why it matters: The fast-casual chain, founded in Utah, has more than 20 locations in Arizona, mostly in the Phoenix metro area. It acknowledges that it strayed from its original recipes and customer favorites.

Context: The company tweaked its recipes during the COVID-19 pandemic as fewer people dined in so the food could travel better for take-out, says Mike Burns, who became the company's CEO this summer.

• It also expanded rapidly after being acquired by investors in 2004. Today, it has more than 150 locations — mostly in the West.

Yes, but: As customers returned to the restaurant, they noticed changes to the food, Burns tells Axios.

• "When I got here, I was like, 'Guys, we need to look at what's changed,'" he says, adding that the easiest thing to do was to go back to what they did before.
• "We're not reinventing Cafe Rio. We're just going back to our roots and doing what we did for so long," Burns says.

State of play: Known for its staple sweet pork barbacoa, the company recently enlisted a food scientist to re-create the dish's original recipe while reviving other customer favorites, like its medium Hatch green chile salsa and cilantro lime vinaigrette. They're now available in stores.

• It also recently launched a value menu under $10, featuring a smaller version of its famous salad.

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⚖️ A Maricopa County judge knocked a measure intended to gut teachers' unions off the November ballot, ruling that because it also bars government entities from negotiating with other types of unions, it violates the Arizona Constitution. (Arizona Mirror)

• Senate Republican spokesperson Kim Quintero said the decision won't be appealed.

🎓 ASU is now offering a content creation major that will prepare students for careers as influencers. (Arizona's Family)

🗳️ Jimmy McCain, son of late U.S. Sen. John McCain, didn't want to be Gov. Katie Hobbs' running mate because he's focusing on his military career, enjoys working at Hensley Beverage Co. and likely has no interest in public office, according to sister Meghan McCain. (KTAR)

• Hobbs' campaign wouldn't confirm nor deny to Axios that she'd offered the lieutenant governor position to him.

🏈 The Arizona Cardinals are favored on Kalshi to have the NFL's worst record this season. (Sports Illustrated)

Hi, I'm Zach! I'm excited to be joining Jeremy in covering the Valley for Axios Phoenix.

Catch up quick: I'm a transplant, but have called Phoenix home since 2012.

• I grew up in Dallas and graduated from Northwestern University in 2010.

⚾ I spent 15 years covering sports, including 10 covering Major League Baseball.

• I covered the 2023 World Series and Super Bowl XLIX.

📰 More recently, I was the news editor of Phoenix New Times, immersing myself in issues that dominate the Valley.

👶 My wife, Taryn, and I live in Phoenix with our daughter, Fallon, and our big galoot of a dog, Hobbes.

• In December, we're expecting another daughter!

🍿 In my free time, I'm devouring movies and TV. I've seen "The Odyssey" twice, including at a 2:30 a.m. 70-mm IMAX showing.

The bottom line: I've been reporting in the Valley for nearly 15 years. I'm excited to continue doing that in your inbox every weekday.