ARIZONA State Secretary Katie Hobbs is running as the Democratic candidate in the 2022 election for governor.
Former President Barack Obama is endorsing her and is holding a Get Out the Vote rally in Phoenix on November 2 from 4pm to 9pm local time.
Katie Hobbs is the Democratic secretary of state for Arizona and in June 2021, she announced her bid to run for governor in the upcoming 2022 election.
In a tweet announcing her bid, Hobbs wrote: "I’m running for Governor to deliver transparency, accountability, and results for Arizonans — just like I’ve done my whole career."
Hobbs was was chosen to head the secretary of state's office in 2018, and became the first Democrat to hold the position since 1995.
Hobbs is known for her resiliency as she defended the electoral system in the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election.
She detailed the problems with a ballot recount in a six-page letter to Ken Bennett, the US Senate's audit liaison, detailing the problems with the existing audit.
Hobbs suggested replacing the voting machines and vote tabulators and wrote: “We cannot be certain who accessed the voting equipment and what might have been done to them."
Since her outspoken defense of the voting system, Hobbs has received death threats, and in one instance, two armed protestors showed up at her door.
“When you’re under attack, some would have you believe you have two choices: fight or give in. But there is a third option: get the job done,” Hobbs said in her video announcement. “I’m here to solve problems.”
Republicans passed a bill to strip Hobbs of her ability to move forward in defense of election lawsuits and reallocated that power to the Republican attorney general.
The bill would be set to expire when Hobbs' term ends in January 2023, and Hobbs called it "an attack on voters."
“The other side isn’t offering policies to make our lives better, they’re offering conspiracy theories that only make our lives worse,” she said in her video.
Hobbs has a track record of working with Republican governors to effectively expand healthcare, combat the opioid epidemic, and clear Arizona's rape kit backlog while putting sexual assault offenders in jail.
"This election isn’t a choice between Democrats and Republicans – it’s a choice between sanity and chaos," Hobbs told AZ Central.
"I’m focused on bringing people together to tackle our state’s toughest challenges, and I’ve offered comprehensive plans to lower costs, address our water crisis, improve education, and restore access to reproductive health care.
"These aren’t Democrat or Republican issues – they’re Arizona issues and they need Arizona solutions," she said.
Hobbs is running against Republican candidate Kari Lake who has been endorsed by former President Donald Trump.
Lake is a former Fox10 News anchor and resigned from her position in March 2021 to run for governor. She received Trump's support six months later.
The race is expected to be a toss up according to several reports including Inside Elections and The Cook Political Report.
Lake has repeatedly asked Hobbs to hold a debate because of directly oppositional views, making this race a contentious one as Lake has spouted misinformation that the 2020 election was stolen.
She has vowed to create "election integrity bills" to "shore up our election laws that remove loopholes from cheating."
Speaking to Time Magazine, Lake said: "By the 2024 election, we’re going to have honest elections in Arizona, full stop.”
However, the outlet says voters fear that Lake's proclomation of "honest elections" will be one that only Republicans win.
She also says she wants more controlled abortion rights, eliminate "woke teaching" in schools, block all vaccine mandates, and bring forward legal fights to the Biden administration.
Lake's political stance is what has prompted Hobbs to work harder toward a favorable election in which she wins the position of Arizona governor.
"With extremists like my opponent trying to divide us, it’s more important than ever that we find ways to come together and create common-sense solutions to the issues facing us all," Hobbs told AZ Central.
"This race is not about Democrats versus Republicans — and our government shouldn’t be, either."
Phoenix police responded to a burglary call at Hobbs' campaign office on October 27.
In images provided to The Washington Post, a man wearing shorts and a green T-shirt is seen inside the building.
An Apple computer mouse, Apple keyboard, and a black Nikon camera were taken and Hobbs' office was quick to accuse Lake of staging the burglary.
“Secretary Hobbs and her staff have faced hundreds of death threats and threats of violence over the course of this campaign," Hobbs campaign manager Nicole DeMont said in a statement.
"Throughout this race, we have been clear that the safety of our staff and of the Secretary is our number one priority.
“Let’s be clear: for nearly two years Kari Lake and her allies have been spreading dangerous misinformation and inciting threats against anyone they see fit,” DeMont added.
“The threats against Arizonans attempting to exercise their constitutional rights and their attacks on elected officials are the direct result of a concerted campaign of lies and intimidation.”
The suspect was apprehended two days after the burglary and was identified as 36-year-old Daniel Mota Dos Reis.
Dos Reis was arrested and charged with one count of third-degree burglary.
After his arrest, Lake blamed news outlets for "running with bogus stories" and "trying to influence the election."
Lake told CNN DeMont's statement was “absolutely absurd," and asked: “And are you guys buying that? Are you really buying that? Because this sounds like a Jussie Smollett part two."
She added: “[Hobbs is] trying to deflect from her own abysmal campaign and the fact that you know, nobody even knows where her campaign office is.”
DeMont responded to Lake's accusations in a statement, saying: “Let me be clear, Kari Lake’s preposterous allegation that this break-in was staged is unfounded and her refusal to condemn the threats that have become common in our politics continues to stoke chaos."
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