By Corinne Murdock |
Governor-elect Katie Hobbs said she doesn’t plan on working with Arizona Senate Republicans.
The comments offer a stark contrast to Hobbs’ public promises for bipartisanship and a confidence that she can work well with GOP leaders.
Hobbs issued the remarks during the Democratic Governor Association’s (DGA) annual winter meeting at the beginning of December in New Orleans, Louisiana: an exclusive Ritz-Carlton Hotel confab with donors, lobbyists, and a handful of journalists.
According to The New York Times relay of Hobbs’ commentary, the governor-elect said that her communication with their leadership was strained to the point that she hadn’t and wouldn’t communicate with them.
Hobbs indicated she would be harsh to those constituents and political leaders who challenge the validity of her election. Hobbs also said that she wasn’t optimistic about finding common ground on voting issues.
“These people are claiming fraud when there is none, these people mounted an insurrection on the Capitol, they’re the ones who have broken the trust,” said Hobbs. “You can’t coddle these people that have been misled by the people they have upheld as leaders. These so-called leaders need to be held accountable.”
Yet over a week later, Hobbs publicized her meeting with State Rep. Ben Toma (R-LD27), speaker-elect, and State Sen. Warren Petersen (R-LD14), president-elect. Her public optimism on the meeting flipped from her DGA outlook. In November, Toma told The Arizona Republic that it was too early to know how the state legislature would work with Hobbs.
Hobbs’ DGA remarks followed controversies over her willingness to end the state’s 1901 abortion ban, universal school choice program, and Border Strike Force.
Hobbs will be sworn in next Thursday, Jan. 5.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
