Less than a week after the surprise resignation of Chief of Staff Allie Bones, Governor Katie Hobbs has named former House Democratic Leader and public policy consultant Chad Campbell as her new gatekeeper.
In a Gubernatorial press release, the Governor said of Campbell:
“As House Democratic Leader, Chad Campbell effectively led his caucus and worked across the aisle to get big things done for the State of Arizona. While we served in the legislature together, we worked with our Republican colleagues to expand Medicaid to hundreds of thousands of Arizonans. Chad’s extensive experience and commitment to working together to solve tough problems is exactly why he’s the best person for this job, and we’re eager to get to work on more bipartisan accomplishments to move our state forward.”
In the same release, Mr. Campbell stated:
“It’s a great privilege to take on this critical role in Gov. Hobbs’ administration and an incredible opportunity to serve our state. In the many years Gov. Hobbs and I have worked together, we’ve shared a commitment to bipartisan, solutions-oriented leadership. That’s what has made her such an effective governor, and that’s the approach the administration will continue to bring to all we do.”
Mr. Campbell will assume his new duties on Monday, June 5, 2023.
Reacting to the appointment, Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes said:
“Chad Campbell is a seasoned policy professional with a deep understanding of the issues and opportunities facing our state, who also has a long history of working with top employees in my office. I congratulate Governor Hobbs on her choice, and I look forward to working with her and her team on behalf of all Arizonans.”
State House Representative Jennifer Longdon commented:
“This is a really positive change for the Administration and an excellent choice by the Governor. Chad may be a fresh face on the 9th Floor, however, he brings decades of experience to this role knows the legislative process inside and out, understands caucus dynamics, and has strong relationships on both sides of the aisle, most notably as the Democratic Leader who negotiated Medicaid expansion with Republican Governor Jan Brewer in the 2013 budget.
Chad is very well respected in the Capitol community, so this choice inspires a lot of confidence for those of us who work with the 9th Floor.
I would expect things to run a bit differently next session, expect a different legislative strategy, and expect different dynamics with the leadership and caucuses.”
According to news reporting from sources like AZ Mirror, Ms. Bones, Governor Hobbs’s first Chief of Staff and who had served her in the Secretary of States office, officially resigned last week to “pursue new opportunities.”
In a press release announcing the resignation, the Governor thanked Bones for her service, relaying:
“Allie Bones exemplifies the true meaning of a public servant, and I am incredibly grateful for her leadership throughout the transition and this first legislative session of my Administration. Her goal was to build a team that could work across the aisle to navigate divided government, and she accomplished that. With a successful bipartisan budget behind us, she’s ready for her next endeavor, and I wish her nothing but the best.”
However, again according to AZ Mirror, the resignation may have been forced due to widespread discontent among Democrats across the state stemming from the budget negotiation process last month.
More and more, Governor Hobbs’s administration reminds me of the Clinton Administration in its first year except she was able to get a bipartisan budget.
President Bill Clinton, in his first year or so, had to find the right fits in some of his White House positions, including Chief of Staff where the President replaced the underrated Mack McLarty (who did steer much of the Clinton/Gore team’s first-year program to success) with the more versed in the insider game, Leon Panetta.
Time will tell if Mr. Campbell is the Arizona equivalent of Leon Panetta.
Discover more from Blog for Arizona
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.