Governor Katie Hobbs celebrated her reelection with a victory rally in Tucson last Friday night at the El Rio Neighborhood Center.
Lieutenant Governor-elect John Giles joined Hobbs as she addressed about 150 supporters and volunteers after defeating Republican challenger Andy Biggs on Nov. 3.
Hobbs outlined her priorities for her second term, which include continuing to secure the border, delivering $1 billion to public schools without raising taxes, expanding apprenticeship opportunities and tackling affordability issues.
“We’re going to slash red tape for starter homes to lower costs and make it easier to build a life here at home,” said Hobbs.
Protecting Arizona’s water is also a top priority for Hobbs.
“We’ll continue protecting our water from the upper basin states, from the federal government, and from out-of-state corporations who want to take it for their own gain,” she said.
A significant portion of Hobbs’ speech was spent emphasizing the importance of working across party lines.
“Every race I have ever run, people have counted me out. And every time, Arizona has had the final word,” she said. “When we set partisan politics aside, focus on the problem in front of us and get the job done. There is nothing, nothing that we can't accomplish.”
Hobbs promised to represent Arizonans who voted against her, saying she would work just as hard for them as she would for those who voted for her.
During the rally, Giles, the former Republican mayor of Mesa, now turned Independent, also spoke on pushing past partisan division.
“All across this country, people are retreating to their partisan corners,” Giles said. “ We’re told that the people who voted differently from us aren’t just wrong, they’re the enemy. Arizona has rejected that and chosen a different path. You decided that someone from the other party isn’t someone to defeat. They’re someone to work with.”
The election marks a shift in Arizona politics, with Democrats winning the governor's office and majorities in both chambers of the state legislature for the first time in 60 years.
