As we get ready to flip the calendar to 2025, ABC15 is following up with Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs to discuss what was accomplished in 2024 and highlight which challenges lie ahead for the new year.
In many ways, 2024 has been a rollercoaster year at the state capitol. Democrats did have some key legislative wins, but ultimately, Republicans were able to not only maintain their majorities in the House and Senate, but they ended up adding seats to both.
Despite those gains, Governor Hobbs tells ABC15 she's hopeful to work with GOP leaders, but the question remains: how much will actually get done with a divided government?
When asked to describe 2024, Gov. Hobbs told ABC15 recently it was a "mixed bag."
"The election didn't go how I wanted," Gov. Hobbs admits. "But we've had such great accomplishments in Arizona. I’m really proud of the progress we’ve made on so many fronts and really excited about moving ahead into the next year and getting more done for Arizonans."
Among what she considers to be achievements this year were repealing Arizona's near-total ban on abortions from 1864, increasing our state's water security by ending and canceling leases to Fondomonte, getting rid of $2 billion in medical debt for roughly a million Arizonans, and investing in the border through Task Force SAFE.
"When I came into office, there was so much frustration at the lack of federal support on border security and since I have been here, we have delivered nearly $100 million to local border communities to enhance their technological capabilities. Right now, under Operation Secure, we have 40 National Guardsmen deployed at the border providing support."
Gov. Hobbs also claims Arizona has added more than 160,000 new jobs since she took office in January 2023 and highlights Arizona's economy - but not everyone is reaping those rewards; inflation remains a top concern, helping fuel President-elect Donald Trump's victory in our state and across the country.
"At the kitchen table, a lot of families in Arizona are still hurting. What can you do, what can the state do, to help those families that are still feeling all of these impacts of inflation?" ABC15's Nick Ciletti asked Gov. Hobbs.
"Absolutely. We talk about it every day," she replied. "That's why it was important to do the medical debt cancellation. It’s why we have worked so hard to deliver more affordable housing solutions for Arizonans. We have made more progress there, but there is more to do. We are building more units. We set up the Arizona is Home Program to help with mortgage assistance for first-time homebuyers."
Governor Hobbs adds that her office is currently working on a plan to extend Prop 123 to fund public education in our state; per-student spending in Arizona ranks 49th in the entire country, according to a number of recent estimates.
Governor Hobbs says she wants to work with Republicans to achieve all of this, but her GOP critics remain skeptical; in her first two years in office, the governor vetoed a record-setting 216 Republican-backed bills, according to the Associated Press.
When asked about why Democrats lost more races than anticipated in November, Gov. Hobbs said she'll leave that up to political pundits to debate, but did say voters clearly communicated what they wanted to see, not just here in Arizona, but across the country.
"What I will say is that the message I take away from this election is that Arizonans who elected me, they also elected a Republican majority legislature, they are sending Gallego to the Senate, and they voted for Trump. They want our elected leaders to work together to solve the problems we deal with."
And now, with just weeks until President-elect Trump begins his second term, other Democratic governors from states like California and Illinois have pushed for ways to "Trump-proof" their states, finding methods to block plans from the incoming administration before it even kicks off. Governor Hobbs says that is not the approach Arizona will take.
"What works in Illinois or California isn't going to work in Arizona," Governor Hobbs told ABC15. "Arizona is a state that overwhelmingly voted for President-elect Trump and there are many times that we are going to work with him. And I said from day one of my administration, regardless of who is in the White House, I will do what is right for Arizonans. I will work with the White House when we need to do so. I will stand up to them when we need to, when it's right for Arizonans. And I haven't been hesitant to do that. And that won't change."
ABC15 asked Hobbs for more specifics on what issues she'd work alongside Trump to try to improve. She told us she was eager to see what his plans were on lowering grocery prices and showed a willingness to work together on that front - and also immigration, a key issue for so many Arizona voters.
See part two of this story here: Governor Hobbs pledges to work with Trump on border security, push back when needed
