Katie Hobbs for governor 2022

Katie Hobbs for governor

Born and raised in the Grand Canyon State, Katie Hobbs has dedicated her life to listening to her community and helping solve difficult challenges for the people of Arizona. A fearless advocate for Arizona, Katie is ready to bring transparency and accountability to the Governor’s office and deliver real results for all of us.

Born and raised in Arizona, Katie learned the value of service at an early age from her parents and her church. From her experience as a social worker to an advocate for women in crisis, from her work on behalf of Arizona families in the State Senate to managing the most secure election in Arizona history, Katie has worked hard to listen, learn and deliver for those who need it most.

As a social worker, Katie learned to listen to her community and roll up her sleeves to get things done. That’s how she approached her work as an advocate, and later as chief compliance officer for one of the largest domestic abuse shelters in the country. There, Katie helped provide critical resources to thousands of women suffering from domestic violence.

As chief compliance officer, she worked to secure critical funding to support the center’s work. Katie’s experiences there helped her realize the root causes of the problems afflicting Arizona: Ineffective state government that failed to provide the opportunities for Arizonans to find good jobs, to make their voices heard, and to build a better life for themselves and their families.

After watching our elected leaders fail those in need, Katie took action. In 2010, she was elected to the House of Representatives. In 2012, she arrived in the State Senate. And in 2014, she became the Senate Minority Leader. Katie fought for people all across the state, expanding Medicaid and providing healthcare for hundreds of thousands of Arizonans. She worked to secure the rights of victims of sexual and domestic violence. And she worked diligently and with integrity to provide new opportunities in education and job training, and to protect the voting rights of all the people of Arizona.

ELECTED OUR SECRETARY OF STATE IN 2018, KATIE FACED AN UPHILL BATTLE.

The prior administration was mired in dysfunction, had wasted taxpayer dollars and had failed on voter protection. There was a lack of accountability to Arizonans. So, Katie got to work to set things right.

Under Katie’s leadership, the office was transformed. Katie modernized the office, fixed faulty or broken systems and battled misinformation from foreign and domestic sources. In the face of threats to herself, her family and her colleagues, Katie stepped up and fearlessly delivered an historically secure election for Arizona voters.

Katie knows firsthand that government only works well if it’s led well. For Katie, that means transparency and accountability. It means focusing on our common needs, not the small differences that divide us. It means bringing people together to serve our state, not tearing us apart for political gain. And it means creating opportunity for all – regardless of zipcode, gender, race or ability.

THAT’S WHY KATIE IS READY TO SERVE ARIZONA AS OUR NEXT GOVERNOR.

We can count on Katie Hobbs to bring her fearless dedication to Arizona with her to the Governor’s office – just like she’s always done. She’s committed to rebuilding our economy equitably, strengthening public education to give everyone a strong foundation and creating quality jobs that will carry Arizona and its workers into the future.

Arizonans are tired of partisan bickering. They want someone to get to work for them. That’s who Katie is, that’s what she’ll do starting on Day One.

ACCOUNTABLE ARIZONA

I have always believed that government can be a force for good, and for too long, your state government has been working for the powerful, the partisan, and the special interests. As your next governor, I pledge to build a government that is of, by, and for the people. We will make needed reforms and work to build the most ethical and accountable administration in history. We will work to bring people together and get stuff done to help Arizona.

Here’s where we’ll start:

• We will cut red tape to make it easier to start a business, create jobs, and fix our schools.
• We will eliminate wasteful spending and make sure Arizonans’ tax dollars are spent in Arizona.
• We will make your government more transparent, because the people deserve to know what their leaders are doing with their money.
• We will make your government more efficient to save taxpayer dollars and make it easier for citizens and small businesses to get what they need to succeed from state agencies.
• We will embrace long-term planning, not short-term partisan point-scoring.

INCLUSIVE ARIZONA

People of color have been systemically locked out of opportunity in this state, and our government has failed to break down those barriers.

Together, with underserved communities across this state, Katie Hobbs has built a plan to change that. She is listening to marginalized communities across Arizona, hearing their concerns about the present, and their hopes for the future. Katie knows that systemic inequities and racism have long permeated every aspect of our society. That’s why she’s championed policies that expand health care in communities of color, defended access to the right to vote for all Arizonans, and fought for justice for victims of domestic abuse. This plan, along with Katie’s Accountable Arizona plan that was released last month, is just the beginning. Katie believes that the next governor of Arizona must have both an inclusive vision for her administration — and a track record of delivering meaningful progress for all Arizonans.

This plan challenges a broken status quo with bold new policies. It is centered on four key objectives:

• Making state government more inclusive by recruiting, hiring, and elevating women and underrepresented members of our community, and ensuring equality across all of state government.
• Ensuring communities of color have access to economic opportunity by expanding capital for minority-owned and women-owned businesses, building a better pipeline to make good-paying STEM jobs accessible to more Arizonans, and addressing inequities in tipped wages.
• Improving and defending access to women’s reproductive health care, especially the right to choose, as rigid and uncompromising politicians play politics with women’s bodies.
• Defending the fundamental rights of Arizonans, including the right to vote and full equality under the law.

SECURE THE FREEDOM TO VOTE FOR ALL ARIZONANS

We are at a defining moment in our democracy. The frontline of the fight to strengthen our election systems and defend the freedom to vote is right here in Arizona.

As Secretary of State, I’ve fought against sham audits, misinformation, and efforts to simply throw out the ballots of tens of thousands of eligible Arizonans. We’ve pushed back against this anti-democratic extremism, and prevailed every step of the way.

But these dangerous forces have not stopped their effort to silence the voices of Arizonans. Instead, they’ve launched an all-out assault on our freedom to vote, all in the name of the Big Lie and their own cynical pursuit of power. Despite the fact that our elections are conducted safely and securely, voter suppression bills are being introduced in Republican-led state legislatures across the country, and proponents of the Big Lie are running to oversee election results in statewide and local offices.

Let me be clear: I’m ready to work hand in hand with Democrats and Republicans to protect the freedom to vote. Our democracy isn’t partisan, our Constitution isn’t partisan, and the freedom to exercise our most fundamental democratic right should not be partisan. Arizonans deserve a governor — and a government — that works tirelessly on their behalf to protect and expand the freedom to vote for every eligible person.

With voting rights reform efforts unwisely stalled in Congress, it’s more critical than ever that we have a leader in the governor’s office who is ready on day one to defend Arizonans against these extreme attacks on the right to vote.

Today, I’m excited to introduce a plan that builds on the work we’ve already been doing to protect the freedom to vote. Despite ongoing threats, I’m more focused and determined than ever to work tirelessly on behalf of Arizonans to uphold the Constitution and stand up for the freedom to vote — the bedrock principle of our democracy.

AFFORDABLE ARIZONA

Katie Hobbs is running for governor to deliver accountability, transparency, and results for every Arizonan. This state faces its share of challenges, and as our next governor, Katie will get to work to make Arizona the best place to live, work, and raise a family.

Katie knows what’s possible when leaders work together to improve the lives of those they represent. In the legislature, she worked across the aisle to expand Medicaid so that hundreds of thousands of Arizonans could finally have access to health care. And as Secretary of State, Katie took a wasteful and mismanaged office and worked with Democrats and Republicans to streamline operations, fix broken systems, and made the office more accountable to the people. And in 2020, in the middle of a pandemic, Katie ensured that no voter had to choose between their freedom to vote and their health and safety.

Unfortunately, our leaders are not working in the best interests of Arizonans. Right now, working families face ongoing economic uncertainties. We aren’t training our workforce for the sustainable jobs that we know are growing Arizona’s economy. And we aren’t taking the necessary steps to make sure Arizonans can look out for the well-being of themselves and their children. Whether it’s rising prices brought on by inflation, or the worsening of long-standing economic and racial disparities, our leaders need to come together and provide urgent relief for those who need it most.

Here’s how we will start:

We will lower costs for families with children by: establishing a state-level child tax credit, which has been shown to reduce poverty, that will go towards affording the essentials needed to raise a child.

• We will also exempt diapers and baby formula from sales taxes, and implement a sales tax holiday on school supplies, so these essential goods can be affordable.

We will help Arizonans get back to work in good-paying jobs by:

• Creating a refundable tax credit for career and technical education opportunities, and by permanently expanding child care assistance, we can reduce some of the barriers to work.

Finally, we will protect the health and well-being of Arizona families by:

• Exempting over-the-counter medicines and feminine hygiene products from sales taxes, so that Arizonans of all ages and genders can better take care of their health.

By providing much-needed relief to Arizona families, we can also grow our economy and set our state up for long-term prosperity. When more Arizonans are able to afford school supplies, medications, and get the training they need for a good-paying job, they become part of a healthier and more dependable workforce. And when more businesses are able to grow, they make our state more competitive and attractive to workers.