T o the left, she’s a savior of the disen- franchised. To the right, she’s a squatter in her own office. In her own eyes, Governor Katie Hobbs is “building an Arizona for everyone.” Polling numbers suggest most Arizonans haven’t made up their minds yet about Hobbs. The public greeted her as a stranger, even after more than a decade of elected service and nearly 18 months of campaigning for the state’s highest office. That’s just how she wanted it. A chance for the outgoing Secretary of State to rein- vent herself as the moderate voice of reason Arizona so desperately needed in the wake of stolen election whispers — a soothingly sane alternative to impending chaos. Action-Packed First Act “January feels like forever ago,” Hobbs told Phoenix New Times. On January 2, a day after her private swearing-in ceremony, the new governor announced her First 100 Days Initiative. Three months and 20 vetoes later, Hobbs says her tenure has been a smashing success. “Looking at the first three months or so in office, I am so proud of everything we have accomplished,” Hobbs said in an interview on March 29, just two weeks shy of completing her first 100 days in office. But her first months in office have included choppy waters — unforced errors, staffing mishaps and rookie missteps you might not expect from a public official who’s held statewide office before. The roller coaster ride was present during Hobbs’ interview with New Times. The night before she spent 30-minutes with us reflecting on her first 100 days as governor, her press secretary was forced to resign. Two days after the interview, she reshuffled her administration and canned a second top aide. They weren’t the first high-profile people to be ushered out of the administration. But Hobbs is powering ahead, taking up the mantle for Arizona’s dynasty of female governors and painting the office blue for the first time since 2009. For Democrats, Independents, and a growing faction of moderate Republicans, Hobbs and her veto stamp represent Arizona’s last line of defense against a conspiracy-fixated right-wing that’s targeting marginalized people. She’s blocked out the noise in her first 100 days. She’s not only governing, she’s campaigning. She’s fundraising. She’s strategizing. She’s planning. “There are leaders on the other side of the aisle that are going to continue to focus on election denialism and conspiracy theo- ries,” Hobbs said. “It is clearly not what Arizonans want. As dangerous as this kind of rhetoric can be, I continue to be focused on doing my job.” Friends on the Other Side Timothy Anthony’s heart pounded as he waited in line to enter the Arizona Biltmore on November 8. It was a sunny Election Day in Phoenix’s treelined Arcadia neighbor- hood, where Anthony watched the hours slowly tick by as rowdy people wearing red MAGA caps squawked about election fraud. Near the door, a reporter from the far-right One America News Network told Anthony his vote wouldn’t count. Anthony fits the Republican mold pretty well. At 35 years old, he’s a new dad. He works for Charles Schwab as a finan- cial analyst. He helped elect Donald Trump. He supported Karrin Taylor Robson in the Republican primary. On Election Day, he already knew who he was going to vote for. But for the first time, it wasn’t a Republican. “It was very loud in the Biltmore,” Anthony told New Times. “The guy behind me was in a red MAGA hat, and he started screaming at me. I couldn’t let the fear overtake me and change what my vote was going to be.” Anthony is one of 33,000 Republican voters in Maricopa County whose vote for Hobbs was a blue speck on an otherwise red ballot. This bloc is credited with propel- ling Hobbs to victory, according to a November analysis of public voting records. “There were people around me filled with biases and hate,” Anthony recalled. “I knew I needed to stay in line and vote. I needed to make sure I did my part as a Republican so I could talk to New Times one day and say, ‘It was me. I was the Republican who voted against fear and hate.’” Hobbs was widely criticized for refusing to debate both her opponent in the Democratic primary and Kari Lake in the general election, but the unconven- tional move paid off. As Hobbs flew a below-radar course to victory, Lake’s fear- mongering, childish pranks, and “fuck you” attitude turned away voters in droves. For many, Hobbs’ best quality was simply not being Lake. “I didn’t vote for Hobbs because she’s a polished public speaker,” said 68-year-old Raymond Zorz from Anthem. “I voted for her because she’s not Trump in a dress, nor someone who disrespects longtime Arizona Republican Senator [John] McCain.” Hobbs said she doesn’t take Republican votes for granted. A new poll from OH Predictive Insights in Phoenix found that 25 percent of Republicans approve of the job she’s doing, and plenty more are still undecided. “I am grateful for all the Democrats, all the Republicans, and all the Independents who voted for sanity over chaos in this last election,” she said. “I am absolutely focused on being a governor for all Arizonans.” Seal Of (Dis)Approval OH Predictive Insights polled 1,000 regis- tered voters between January 31 and February 9. Of those who opted into the online survey, 350 were Republicans, 310 were Democrats, and 340 were Independents. Hobbs’ first report card shows that 43 percent of Arizona voters are giving her a thumbs up for her job approval, while 30 percent of voters disapprove. Mike Noble, chief of research at OH Predictive Insights, said that for Hobbs, these numbers are “pretty good given how visceral the campaign was.” “With a pretty high-profile race, on the state level, voters view it a little less partisan,” Noble told New Times. “They’re more willing to be more open-minded to the other party.” Nearly 3 in 4 Democratic voters approve of Hobbs while fewer than 1 in 10 disapprove, according to the poll. Among Independents, about one-third approve, one-third disap- prove, and one-third have taken a wait-and- see approach. 100 DAYS OF KATIE HOBBS Arizona’s first Democratic governor in nearly 15 years reflects on her vetoes, right-wing attacks, and blocking out the political noise. BY ELIAS WEISS >> p18 Illustration by Charlie Powell
