Democrat Katie Hobbs to take office as Arizona governor

PHOENIX (AP) — Katie Hobbs takes the oath of workplace Monday to turn into Arizona’s twenty fourth governor and the primary Democrat to carry the workplace since 2009.

Energy will switch in a personal ceremony on the state Capitol as Hobbs formally takes over from Republican Doug Ducey. A public inauguration for Hobbs and others taking statewide places of work is scheduled for Thursday.

Hobbs is the outgoing secretary of state and was beforehand a state legislator who rose to be the highest Democrat within the Senate. As governor, she’ll need to work with a Home and Senate narrowly managed by Republicans. The brand new Legislature convenes for the primary time subsequent week.

Hobbs assumes management of a state with a robust financial system and a strong monetary place, with a big price range surplus forecast for the following fiscal yr.

However there are headwinds on the horizon. Phoenix has a number of the nation’s highest inflation ranges and housing prices have soared as fast inhabitants progress has outpaced residence building, belying the state’s status for affordability. And the water provide is constrained by drought.

Hobbs narrowly defeated Republican Kari Lake, a former tv anchor who was backed by former President Donald Trump. She excited conservatives along with her staunch backing of Trump, together with his lies in regards to the 2020 election, and her robust criticism of masks mandates and enterprise closures as a result of COVID-19 pandemic. However she struggled to attach with Arizona’s normal voters, which has repeatedly eschewed Republicans carefully aligned with Trump going again to the 2018 midterms.

Hobbs would be the fifth girl to be Arizona governor. The final Democratic governor was Janet Napolitano, who resigned in January 2009 to be U.S. Homeland Safety secretary below President Barack Obama. She was changed by Republican Gov. Jan Brewer.

The Arizona Structure says state officers take their place on the primary Monday in January. Whereas Hobbs will take workplace on schedule, the general public ceremony was delayed as a result of Monday is the noticed New Yr vacation.

Additionally formally taking workplace Monday are Democrats Adrian Fontes as secretary of state and Kris Mayes as lawyer normal, each of whom defeated Trump-backed Republicans who refused to concede and unsuccessfully challenged their losses in court docket. Mayes’s 280-vote victory was among the many closest statewide races in Arizona historical past.

Kimberly Yee might be sworn in for her second time period as state treasurer and Tom Horne as superintendent of public instruction, a task he crammed for 2 phrases starting in 2003. Yee and Horne are each Republicans.