Katie Hobbs wins race for Arizona Governor over Kari Lake, per Associated Press

PHOENIX — Democrat Katie Hobbs has secured enough votes to be declared the winner in the race for Arizona Governor, according to the Associated Press.

The announcement comes after several days of ballot counts and ballot drops by election officials. The race between Hobbs and Kari Lake remained extremely close throughout the ballot-counting process.

Katie Hobbs addressed supporters at a rally in Phoenix Tuesday morning:

Arizona leaders, others react to Katie Hobbs' win for AZ Governor

Following the announcement, Katie Hobbs thanked her supporters on Twitter:

Katie Hobbs released a statement after Monday's announcement following the latest election results:

“I am honored to have been selected to serve as the next Governor of Arizona. “I want to thank the voters for entrusting me with this immense responsibility. It is truly an honor of a lifetime, and I will do everything in my power to make you proud. I want to thank my family, our volunteers, and campaign staff. Without all of your hard work, passion, and sacrifice this night would not be possible. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

“For the Arizonans who did not vote for me, I will work just as hard for you -because even in this moment of division, I believe there is so much more that connects us. We all want safer streets, a secure border, better schools, lower costs, and water for generations to come. This was not just about an election – it was about moving this state forward and facing the challenges of our generation. It is about giving our kids the safe and prosperous future they deserve, while letting our seniors live out their golden years with dignity.
“Let's get to work.”

Hobbs ran her campaign largely focused on abortion rights, lowering inflation, and pushing the federal government to reform the immigration process to help issues at the border.

Hobbs also said she would consider calling a special session over women’s reproductive rights and abortion.

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Hobbs, who is Arizona's secretary of state, rose to prominence as a staunch defender of the legitimacy of the last election and warned that her Republican rival, former television news anchor Kari Lake, would be an agent of chaos. Hobbs' victory adds further evidence that Trump is weighing down his allies in a crucial battleground state as the former president gears up for an announcement of a 2024 presidential run.

She will succeed Republican Gov. Doug Ducey, who was prohibited by term limit laws from running again. She's the first Democrat to be elected governor in Arizona since Janet Napolitano in 2006.

A one-time Republican stronghold where Democrats made gains during the Trump era, Arizona has been central to efforts by Trump and his allies to cast doubt on Joe Biden's 2020 presidential victory with false claims of fraud. This year, many Trump-endorsed candidates faltered in general elections in battleground states, though his pick in the Nevada governor's race, Republican Joe Lombardo, defeated an incumbent Democrat.

Before entering politics, Hobbs was a social worker who worked with homeless youth and an executive with a large domestic violence shelter in the Phoenix area. She was elected to the state Legislature in 2010, serving one term in the House and three terms in the Senate, rising to minority leader.

Hobbs eked out a narrow win in 2018 as secretary of state and was thrust into the center of a political storm as Arizona became the centerpiece of the efforts by Trump and his allies to overturn the results of the 2020 election he lost. She appeared constantly on cable news defending the integrity of the vote count.

The attention allowed her to raise millions of dollars and raise her profile. When she announced her campaign for governor, other prominent Democrats declined to run and Hobbs comfortably won her primary.

She ran a cautious campaign, sticking largely to scripted and choreographed public appearances. She declined to participate in a debate with Lake, contending that Lake would turn it into a spectacle by spouting conspiracy theories and making false accusations.

She bet instead that voters would recoil against Lake, who picked verbal fights with journalists as cameras rolled and struck a combative tone toward Democrats and even the establishment Republicans who have long dominated state government.

Pre-election polls showed the race was tied, but Hobbs' victory was still a surprise to many Democrats who feared her timidity would turn off voters. She overcame expectations in Maricopa and Pima counties, the metro Phoenix and Tucson areas where the overwhelming majority of Arizona voters live. She also spent considerable time in rural areas, looking to minimize her losses in regions that traditionally support Republicans.

Lake is well known in much of the state after anchoring the evening news in Phoenix for more than two decades. She ran as a fierce critic of the mainstream media, which she said is unfair to Republicans. She earned Trump's admiration for her staunch commitment to questioning the results of the 2020 election, a stand she never wavered from even after winning the GOP primary.

She baselessly accused election officials of slow-rolling the vote count this year and prioritizing Democratic ballots as she narrowly trailed Hobbs for days following the election.

Kari Lake tweeted a comment following AP's call of the Arizona governor's race for Katie Hobbs. Lake has not yet conceded the race.

Maricopa County Sheriff Paul Penzone said he increased security around the elections center Monday in anticipation that the race would be called and emotions could run hot, though he said there was no specific threat. Demonstrators have gathered outside the building for several days but have remained peaceful, he said.

"I think we're getting close to the end game so I want to be sure that we're prepared," Penzone told reporters in a news conference hours before the race call.

The sheriff's office was caught off guard two years ago when armed and angry protesters descended on the elections building in downtown Phoenix after Fox News and The Associated Press called Arizona for Biden, marking the first time a Democrat won the state in more than two decades.