Katie Hobbs Launched Her Re-Election Bid Highlighting Her “Practical” Approach and “Focus on the Economy” as the GOP Field Turns “Much Murkier”

PHOENIX – Yesterday, Katie Hobbs launched her re-election campaign for governor, emphasizing her results-driven leadership, bipartisan record, and focus on lowering costs for Arizona families. She drew a sharp contrast with her opponents, who are locked in a desperate contest to show who is most committed to bringing Washington’s chaos and dangerous policies to Arizona.

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Associated Press: Arizona’s Democratic governor launches her reelection bid in the key swing state
Sejal Govindarao
October 8, 2025

• Democratic Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs launched her reelection bid Wednesday, outlining a practical rather than confrontational approach to campaigning in a swing state where she will need Republican support.
• Nationally, Democrats are looking to bounce back from sweeping losses in the 2024 election. In an exclusive interview with The Associated Press ahead of the launch, Hobbs shrugged off pessimism in the Democratic ranks and among voters. She said she’s focused on putting Arizonans first and politics aside, a message she hopes will resonate with voters across the political spectrum.
• “I think winning this race in Arizona is going to send a strong message of we know how to win in tough states like Arizona. And it’s not about politics. It’s about delivering on the issues that matter,” Hobbs said, pointing to issues including affordable housing and border security.
• Hobbs rose to prominence nationally amid Trump’s false claims that the 2020 election was stolen from him. The former Arizona secretary of state was ushered into the governor’s office in 2023 as Democrats made gains in the state’s top offices, becoming the first Democrat elected as governor since Janet Napolitano won a second term in 2006.
• Hobbs acknowledged the 2026 race will be tough and said she’s not taking any vote for granted.
• She criticized Taylor Robson, Biggs and Schweikert for supporting Trump’s budget bill that she said raises the federal deficit, slashes meals for kids and jeopardizes health care.
• “It’s not pretty,” she said. “The impacts of this partisan Washington budget are going to be really painful for Arizonans, having to make really tough choices when I’ve consistently tried to put families first. And it’s going to be really challenging with these cuts.”
• Earlier this year, Hobbs launched a law enforcement task force to combat the flow of illegal drugs, including fentanyl, into the U.S. through the state’s border with Mexico. It drew praise from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
• Hobbs pointed to it as an example of how she’s worked with the Trump administration on border security. She had called out Biden, saying his administration didn’t do enough.
• “I think that my record on delivering on the issues that Arizonans care about, whether it’s securing the border, securing our water future, lowering costs, investing in education, creating good paying jobs is what is going to make that four more years possible,” she said.

AZ Mirror: Hobbs launches reelection bid promising ‘real results’ for Arizona
Cailtlin Sievers
October 8, 2025

• A Democrat leading the executive branch in a state that has historically leaned Republican, and that has a GOP-controlled legislature, Hobbs knows she’s likely in for a close race. 
• Hobbs’ new ads focus on the economy, after voters demonstrated last November that they thought Democrats were too preoccupied on other issues instead of easing the financial strain on the middle and working classes. 
• “While Washington keeps driving up costs and fueling chaos, we’re balancing budgets, lowering costs, and delivering real results here at home,” Hobbs said in a statement. “That’s why I’m running to serve you for four more years — to keep moving Arizona forward and make sure our state is the best place to live, work, and raise a family. Together, we’ll make sure the people of Arizona always come first.”

• Hobbs’ campaign touted her work with legislative Republicans to deliver a balanced budget, to cut taxes for the middle class, to stop the flow of drugs across the Arizona border, to raise pay for law enforcement and firefighters and to provide tens of thousands of children with free school meals.

• “The GOP candidates have no choice but to enthusiastically embrace every harmful position coming out of Washington and sell out Arizonans in the hopes of keeping their political ambitions alive,” the Hobbs campaign said in a statement. 
• That means they’ll continue to support harmful policies, the Hobbs campaign claimed, including Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” that’s expected to cut health care coverage for more than 300,000 Arizonans off their health care, to close rural hospitals and to increase the cost of care for everyone. 
• Hobbs promised to build a strong campaign infrastructure to win the general election against “a weak GOP primary field intent on making itself unelectable.”

KAWC: Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs announces re-election campaign
Victor Calderon
October 8, 2025

• In a campaign video released Wednesday morning, Gov. Hobbs said “From cutting taxes for middle-class families and lowering the cost of childcare to deploying the National Guard to secure our border, I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished over the past three years to put Arizona first.”
• “While Washington keeps driving up costs and fueling chaos, we’re balancing budgets, lowering costs, and delivering real results here at home,” Hobbs said. “That’s why I’m running to serve you for four more years — to keep moving Arizona forward.”

Yellow Sheet: Breaking News: Hobbs Is Running for Governor
Reagan Priest
October 8, 2025 

• Hobbs’ campaign kicked off the announcement Wednesday with a campaign video, a memo on the state of the race, and a statement of full support from the Democratic Governors Association.
• According to the memo sent out by Hobbs’ campaign manager Nicole DeMont, the governor will lean on her record of passing bipartisan budgets, her incumbency and the infighting in the GOP gubernatorial primary.

• Hobbs still has 391 days to make a case to voters for her reelection, while her Republican opponents have 300 days to make their case to GOP primary voters.

Washington Examiner: Katie Hobbs launches reelection bid to serve second term as Arizona governor
Ross O’Keefe
October 8, 2025

• “Arizona: I’m running for re-election,” Hobbs wrote in a post on X alongside an announcement video. “Your stories of hard work, hope, and determination inspire me to keep moving our state forward. I’m ready to serve you for 4 more years and always put your family first. Let’s get to work.”
• In the video, she touted her administration’s affordability wins and her success as governor.
• “I’m running to serve you for four more years because there’s more work to do,” Hobbs said. “While Washington, D.C., keeps driving up prices, I’m taking action to bring them down, to fix our state’s education system, and to keep Arizona a safe place for all of our families.”
• She also says she cut taxes, lowered child care costs, balanced the state’s budget, and attacked the state’s border problems with a National Guard deployment in the video.
• Hobbs is likely to win out in the Democratic field. Her opposition to the state’s Republican-led legislature and her approval of a bill striking the state’s centuries-old abortion ban garnered her national attention.

• The Republican field is much murkier.

Prensa Arizona: Gobernadora Katie Hobbs lanza campaña de reelección en Arizona
October 8, 2025 

• La gobernadora demócrata de Arizona, Katie Hobbs, anunció formalmente el lanzamiento de su campaña para un segundo mandato, y sus políticas las enfocará en vivienda asequible y seguridad fronteriza.
• A través de un video de campaña en redes sociales, la gobernadora destacó los resultados de su actual administración. Subrayó estar orgullosa de lo que se ha logrado para “poner a Arizona primero”, mencionando específicamente:
• Economía y Familias: La reducción de impuestos para las familias de clase media y la disminución del costo del cuidado infantil.
• Seguridad Fronteriza: El despliegue de la Guardia Nacional para reforzar la seguridad en la frontera.

After launching her campaign yesterday, Katie Hobbs underscored her commitment to putting Arizona first with interviews on Univision Arizona, Arizona’s Family, Fox 10, 12 News, and Telemundo Arizona. In her new campaign video, “Arizona Stories,” Katie shares her personal journey and record of delivering for working families. The video features Arizonans whose stories reflect the progress made under Hobbs’ leadership — from cutting taxes and lowering childcare costs to balancing the budget and creating good-paying jobs — while underscoring that there’s more work to do to keep Arizona moving forward.