Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, who burst into the spotlight during the 2020 presidential election, announced Wednesday she’s running for governor.
“I’m running for Governor to deliver transparency, accountability, and results,” the Democrat election official tweeted Wednesday morning along with a video announcing her campaign.
She added she would work to “put aside our differences and work to solve the serious problems facing Arizona.”
Hobbs is running to replace Gov. Doug Ducey, a Republican who is barred by term limits from seeking reelection.
Hobbs, a former state senator, was elected as secretary of state in 2018.
As the state’s top election official, she was thrust into national prominence in the days after the 2020 election as Trump pushed to overturn the results of the states he lost, like Arizona.
A recount confirmed Biden’s win but Trump’s allies continued to attack Hobbs and Ducey for standing by the results.
Pro-Trump groups sued Hobbs, putting her at odds with the Republican attorney general and some GOP lawmakers who sought to strip her ability to use state resources to defend herself against the claims.
All of the lawsuits were rejected by judges.
“Right now, our state government is being run by conspiracy theorists who are more focused on political posturing than getting things done, and that needs to change,” Hobbs said.
In recent weeks, Hobbs has made more headlines for denouncing the Arizona Senate’s audit of election results and review of ballot counting machines in Maricopa County, which includes Phoenix.
The only other Democrat in the gubernatorial race so far is Marco Lopez, a former mayor of the border city of Nogales and Obama administration official.
On the Republican side, state Treasurer Kimberly Yee, developer Karrin Taylor Robson and former Phoenix television news anchor Kari Lake are all vying for the job.
