Governor Hobbs: “I’m the No. 1 target for extremists nationwide.”

“I’m the No. 1 target for extremists nationwide,” Governor Katie Hobbs said in a letter to supporters.

“In 2020, I served as Arizona’s Secretary of State at a time when our democracy faced its biggest test,” she said. “‘Stop the Steal’ mobs gathered outside election offices to try to intimidate county workers. I faced death threats. Dozens of MAGA extremists, guns in hand, showed up at my house,” she said.

MAGA Extremists want payback for the Governor’s work to count every eligible vote in 2020, to defeat Kari Lake in an election marred by conspiracy theories and to stop their agenda this year.

“They are on the attack. But I’ve never shied away from a tough challenge, so we stood strong and counted every eligible vote. Our democracy survived.”

Hobbs was elected governor in 2022 (the first Democrat to do so in 15 years). It was the closest, most contentious race in the nation. Hobbs won by less than .1%.

“My opponent, Kari Lake, still hasn’t conceded almost a year later. Her election denialism is on full display as she continues to fight in court to either schedule a new election or have a judge declare her governor,” she said.

“These extremists continually push for chaos, spread conspiracy theories, and promote division, fear, and hate. Our grassroots network counters that. We show that sanity, unity and tackling the real issues that impact our families is the best way forward,” Hobbs said.

Hobbs’ grassroots network has been highly effective.

• She delivered on her promise to protect reproductive freedom. She used her executive authority to shield women who seek abortions from prosecution, and did the same for doctors who performed them.
• She vetoed further restrictions on reproductive rights and recently announced the introduction of the Arizona Right to Contraception Act to codify the right to contraception into law.
• Hobbs is backing the initiative on the statewide ballot to create a state constitutional right to abortion.

“You can see why extremists continue to attack us. They’re upset that we’ve stood up for reproductive freedom. They also don’t like that I’ve vetoed a record 143 of their bills,” she said. “I vetoed bills that sought to ban books and trample on the rights of LGBTQ Arizonans, along with vetoing multiple bills that undermined our democracy and watered-down voting rights.

Hobbs used her grassroots network to push back successfully on this right-wing legislation and build support for her agenda.

“I’ve been an effective governor because I’ve learned never to back down from a tough fight,” she said. “It started with my work as a social worker helping run one of the largest domestic abuse shelters in the country. You get to know the women there and see what real courage is all about. I took that courage to the state Legislature, where I developed the leadership skills to get things done,” she said.

Among other accomplishments:

• Hobbs worked with Republican governor Ducey to clear the state’s rape kit backlog and put sexual assault offenders in jail.
• After getting elected Secretary of State in 2018, she saw that the office was a mess. She modernized it, fixed broken systems, battled misinformation and navigated the pandemic. “As a result, the 2020 election was the most secure in Arizona history with record-breaking turnout,” she said.

Extremists don’t like hearing that. The armed MAGA protesters outside my home and outside election offices don’t want to believe it. And Kari Lake convinced them all that our victory over her for governor in 2022 was “rigged.” They will not rest until we are defeated. But we can never let them win,” Hobbs said.