Katie Hobbs

Hobbs was born on December 28, 1969, in Phoenix, Arizona.⁠[1][2]

She graduated from Northern Arizona University in 1992 with a bachelor’s degree in social work and later earned a master’s degree in social work from Arizona State University; her official biography from the governor’s office says she put herself through both universities.⁠[2][3]

Hobbs began her career as a social worker serving homeless youth in Phoenix and later worked at the domestic violence shelter Sojourner Center, where she became chief compliance officer.⁠[3][2]

Her official biography describes her work in government as a continuation of her work as a social worker.⁠[2]

Hobbs was elected to the Arizona House of Representatives in 2010 and represented District 15 from 2011 to 2013.⁠[2][3]

From 2013 to 2019 she served in the Arizona State Senate for District 24; of her four terms in the Legislature, two were as Senate minority leader (2015–2019).⁠[3][2]

Hobbs was elected Arizona’s 21st secretary of state in 2018 and served from 2019 to 2023.⁠[2][3]

In the 2022 gubernatorial election Hobbs defeated Republican Kari Lake by 1,287,891 votes (50.3%) to 1,270,774 (49.6%).⁠[3]

On January 2, 2023, she was sworn in as Arizona’s 24th governor, the fifth woman and the fifth Arizona native to lead the state.⁠[2][1]

In her first legislative session in 2023, Hobbs vetoed more than 100 bills, the most vetoes by an Arizona governor in a single legislative session.⁠[3]

In December 2023 she issued an executive order deploying the Arizona National Guard to the state’s southern border.⁠[3]

On May 2, 2024, Hobbs signed House Bill 2677, formally repealing Arizona’s 1864 abortion ban; she had earlier called for its repeal, including in her State of the State address. At the signing she said: “Today, we should not rest, but we should recommit to protecting women’s bodily autonomy.”⁠[4]

Early in 2025 Hobbs launched a law enforcement task force targeting the flow of illegal drugs, including fentanyl, across the border with Mexico. During the 2025 legislative session she vetoed a Republican bill requiring state and local officials to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement.⁠[5]

On June 27, 2025, Hobbs signed a bill, passed by the Legislature on June 23, that allows up to $500 million in renovations to Chase Field, including air conditioning and the retractable roof, funded over 30 years by sales tax revenue from the stadium and nearby buildings; the Arizona DiamondbacksArizona DiamondbacksThe Arizona Diamondbacks are a Major League Baseball team in the National League West, based in Phoenix, Arizona. The franchise was established in 1995 and began play in 1998.Open the full entry committed $250 million toward the renovations.⁠[6]

On October 8, 2025, Hobbs announced her re-election campaign in a video on her campaign website. She cited “securing the border, securing our water future, lowering costs” as her record and said she wanted to “fix our state’s education system.”⁠[5]

She has consistently pushed to rein in the state’s school voucher program, saying: “Arizonans should be frustrated. I am frustrated.”⁠[5]

On July 21, 2026, Hobbs won the Democratic primary for governor unopposed, receiving 512,550 votes.⁠[3]

In the November 3, 2026, gubernatorial election Hobbs and her running mate, former Mesa mayor John Giles, faced Republican Andy BiggsAndy BiggsAndy Biggs (Andrew S. Biggs) is an American Republican politician and attorney who has represented Arizona’s 5th congressional district in the U.S. House since 2017. A former president of the Arizona Senate and former chair of the House Freedom Caucus, he was the Republican nominee for governor of Arizona in 2026.Open the full entry and his running mate, former Republican state lawmaker Sine Kerr. The Associated Press called the race for Hobbs at 1:25 a.m. Arizona time on November 4.⁠[7][8]

Giles, a Republican-turned-independent, is set to become lieutenant governor of Arizona.⁠[8]

Office of the Arizona Governor: Official website: https://azgovernor.gov/ (opens in a new window).⁠[2]

X: Public account: https://x.com/GovernorHobbs (opens in a new window).⁠[2]

YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is Google’s video-sharing and creator platform, founded in 2005 by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim and acquired by Google in 2006. Built around video uploading, viewing, and creator earnings, the platform has developed Shorts, YouTube Music, Premium, YouTube TV, and products for children, and is headquartered in San Bruno, California, United States.Open the full entry: Public channel: https://www.youtube.com/@GovernorHobbs (opens in a new window).⁠[2]