PHOENIX – This week, Governor-Elect Katie Hobbs made history as Arizonans elected her the 24th Governor of Arizona. She will be the fifth female governor of the state and the first Democrat elected to the position since 2006. From her groundbreaking win to her appointments of bipartisan Arizona leaders as her gubernatorial transition team chairs, Arizonans are reading all about Governor-Elect Hobbs this week.

Arizona Republic: Gov.-elect Katie Hobbs shifts focus to ‘getting the job done’ in Phoenix victory speech

“We started this campaign by talking about getting the job done, even in the face of immense challenges,” Hobbs told the crowd. “That’s what I’ll do as your governor because that is what you and your family do every day, stretching your paychecks even further as costs soar and making sure you get your kids to and from school as gas prices skyrocket.”

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“I’ve said before: We’ve been through a thing or two these last few years,” Hobbs said. “But we are tough, this state is tough, and if we work together, we can tackle our biggest challenges. Let’s get to work.”

The New York Times: Katie Hobbs, Who Defied Trump in Arizona, Tops Kari Lake for Governor

In a statement on her win, Ms. Hobbs reached out to voters who did not support her. “I will work just as hard for you — because even in this moment of division, I believe there is so much more that connects us.”

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Ms. Hobbs will be the first Democratic governor to serve the state since Janet Napolitano resigned in early 2009 after her confirmation as homeland security secretary during the Obama administration. This wasn’t Ms. Hobbs’s first tight race. When she was elected secretary of state in 2018, she won by less than one percentage point.

The Washington Post: As next Arizona governor, Katie Hobbs vows to defend election rule

Hobbs, 52, said in an interview Wednesday that she would aim to work with Republican lawmakers — who maintained narrow control of the state legislature — including on election-related issues. At the same time, she warned, she would not legitimize false statements about the 2020 election, which Trump lost, or about the 2022 election, which put Democrats in the governor’s office and the state’s two U.S. Senate seats for the first time since 1950.

“It takes leadership and someone who’s willing to call out the bad behavior when it needs to be called out in a way that recognizes that you’re not calling out that bad behavior to alienate a whole segment of people,” Hobbs said, sipping a flat white espresso inside a historic downtown building where plans for her transition are underway. “I’m going to be the governor of everyone … that will be my focus.”

Arizona’s Family: Exclusive 1-on-1 with Katie Hobbs, projected to be the next governor of Arizona

On Tuesday, Hobbs delivered a victory speech at a rally in downtown Phoenix, where she said education, living wages, and jobs will be her top priority, along with abortion.

On how Arizona can keep teachers in the classroom, Hobbs says the focus shouldn’t be on banning books from the classroom. “That’s the sound bite of how politicized our classrooms are right now,” she says. “Most parents I talked to on the campaign trail, they’re not worried about the books that are in the classroom. They’re worried about having a qualified teacher in the classroom.”

On empowerment scholarships going to private schools, she says. “Our education plan calls for more accountability, and that’s going to be the focus. Making sure that these folks who are taking taxpayer dollars, that there’s a process for transparency and accountability.”

12 News: Gov.-elect Hobbs says she’ll call special session on day 1 to repeal Civil War-era abortion ban

Arizona Gov.-elect Katie Hobbs plans to call a special session after she takes office to repeal the state’s 158-year-old, near-total ban on abortion.

“On day one, I will call a special session to repeal the state’s pre-Roe ban,” Hobbs told 12News Wednesday, in her first televised interview since the governor’s race was called for her Monday night.

“Whether you’re a legislator in a Republican district or a Democratic district, there is strong support for repealing this law. And if folks really want to learn the lessons from this last election, it’s that Arizonans want bipartisan leadership to tackle these tough issues.”

Univision Arizona: Los demócratas vuelven a tomar el control de Arizona: Katie Hobbs gana la contienda por la Gobernación

Tras casi una semana de conteo de votos, la demócrata Katie Hobbs ganó la contienda por la Gobernación de Arizona, derrotando a Kari Lake, una candidata republicana apoyada por Donald Trump. Así pues, Hobbs se convierte en la primera demócrata en 16 años en ocupar este puesto y en la quinta mujer en gobernar este estado. Katie Hobbs se ha declarado una defensora de los derechos reproductivos de la mujer y del apoyo a los dreamers. Lee aquí más información sobre el triunfo de Katie Hobbs en Arizona.

Arizona Daily Star: AZ Gov.-elect Katie Hobbs says voters rejected chaos, confrontation 

“Republicans and Democrats will have an open door to my office so we can get to work, find bipartisan compromise and deliver for the people of Arizona,’’ Hobbs said in a victory speech Tuesday to supporters.

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“Voters sent us a loud and clear message,’’ Hobbs said. “They rejected the chaos because we have urgent problems. And they need and expect all of us to deliver.’’

The biggest cheer came when Hobbs, currently Arizona’s secretary of state, vowed to work to repeal the state law that outlaws all abortions except in cases where the mother’s life is in danger.

Arizona Gov.-elect Katie Hobbs wants to work across the aisle to solve the state’s pressing issues, but there’s one issue the Democrat won’t compromise on: access to abortion.

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Hobbs has said she would seek to overturn the state’s near-total ban on abortion that dates to 1864, and in an interview with The Arizona Republic on Wednesday suggested she could take aim at a law enacted this year that prohibits most abortions after 15 weeks.
“I wasn’t supportive of it when it passed, it’s too restrictive,” she said, noting it has no exceptions for rape or incest beyond 15 weeks of pregnancy. “The majority of Arizonans support safe, legal abortion, and we need to roll back many of the restrictions that are in place now.”

Arizona Capitol Times: Hobbs names transition team leaders, outlines Day 1 plans 

“Their track record of leadership and commitment to public service are an asset to my team as we build an administration that reflects the diversity and needs of our great state,” Hobbs said in a news release announcing the selection. The news release noted that Villalobos will be “one of the first Latinas to lead a gubernatorial transition team in Arizona.”

Stacy Pearson, a Democratic strategist, said the choices reflect an emphasis on experience.

“These picks make it very clear that Gov. Hobbs is looking to the business community and looking to the successful Democratic infrastructure that existed in administrations past to find the right folks for some of these positions,” she said.

Phoenix Business Journal: Monica Villalobos to co-chair Governor-elect Hobbs’ transition team

“The [transition committee] will be a robust selection from both sides of the aisle and will be an open marketplace of ideas,” Villalobos told the Business Journal. “We will be focused on evidence-based decisions, and everything is fair game in deciding which folks will stay on and which folks will be moving on and need to be replaced. The goal is to create an effective and productive administration.”

Arizona Republic: Arizona Gov.-elect Katie Hobbs names Republican, Democrat to lead her transition team

Arizona Gov.-elect Katie Hobbs has named a Republican business leader and former deputy chief of staff to the state’s last Democratic governor to lead her transition team and help build her administration.

Telemundo Arizona: Katie Hobbs habla a sus simpatizantes tras proyectarse como ganadora de la contienda por la gubernatura de Arizona