Governor Hobbs, Mayor Giles outline plan for the AZ Governor’s Office

For Tucson families, the 2026 governor’s race is taking shape around issues already affecting daily life, including access to children’s health services, public school closures, rising household costs and the demands of new development on water and electricity. Gov. Katie Hobbs and her running mate, former Mesa Mayor John Giles, brought that message to southern Arizona after meeting with local pediatricians and discussing their priorities with Tucson Now. Their proposed approach combines additional education funding with changes to Arizona’s voucher system, potential reforms to early intervention rules and a promise to weigh local concerns more heavily in decisions about economic growth.

Hobbs said doctors raised concerns about Arizona’s requirement that children show a developmental delay of at least 50% to qualify for early intervention services. That threshold is set in state law and is substantially higher than the national average, according to the governor. She said she intends to explore changing the standard, while also preparing for anticipated federal changes to Medicaid eligibility in 2027. For families in Tucson seeking assistance for young children, the issue could determine whether developmental support is available before problems become more difficult and expensive to address.

The candidates also focused on recent elementary school closures in the Amphitheater Public Schools district, a development that has disrupted neighborhood routines and raised broader questions about the condition of public school finances. Hobbs identified two education priorities for a second term. First, she wants tighter oversight of Arizona’s universal Empowerment Scholarship Account program, arguing that limiting spending that is not adequately monitored could return hundreds of millions of dollars to traditional public schools. Second, she wants voters and lawmakers to renew Proposition 123, which directs money from the State Land Trust to schools. Hobbs described that extension as a way to protect education funding without increasing taxes.

The school debate reflects a larger conflict over how Arizona supports public education. Hobbs has often faced a Republican-controlled Legislature that has blocked major policy changes, even as she has used executive authority to pursue areas such as groundwater conservation. Her record includes 541 vetoes over the past four years, many of them aimed at stopping Republican-backed legislation. At the same time, she has taken positions intended to appeal beyond the Democratic base, including stronger border security measures, deploying the National Guard to the border with Mexico, and signing measures designed to assist businesses or reduce regulation.

Giles is an unusual partner for a Democratic incumbent. He is a former Mesa mayor and is no longer registered with either political party, but he is running with Hobbs as her choice for lieutenant governor. During the Tucson discussion, he argued that children’s health and education shortages should not be treated as strictly partisan issues. He also rejected the idea that the ticket is focused primarily on Maricopa County, citing his work with mayors throughout Arizona. His stated case for the partnership is that state officials should pursue practical solutions instead of treating party affiliation as the starting point for every decision.

That argument will be tested in a statewide contest that could alter Arizona’s policy direction, particularly if Republicans retain control of the Legislature. Hobbs is facing Republican U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs, along with third-party candidates Teri Hourihan and Risa Lombardo. Election Day is Nov. 3, and ballots are scheduled to go out Oct. 7. Hobbs entered the campaign as one of the country’s more vulnerable incumbent governors, but recent polling has shown her ahead of Biggs in a political environment that has become more favorable to Democrats. She also holds a major fundraising advantage and has already won two statewide elections.

Hobbs’ political history remains central to the race. She served four terms in the Arizona House and Senate before becoming secretary of state in 2018. She gained national attention while defending Arizona’s 2020 election results against false fraud claims from then-President Donald Trump. In 2022, she defeated Republican Kari Lake by roughly 17,000 votes to become governor. Her administration has also faced continuing criticism over transparency, including questions surrounding a donor who received more favorable terms in a state contract. An Arizona Auditor General investigation remains open, while a separate inquiry found insufficient evidence to support a bribery charge against Hobbs.

For southern Arizona, the candidates’ economic development message may be as consequential as their education proposals. Hobbs and Giles said residents should have a stronger voice in decisions involving contracted immigration detention facilities and the rapid arrival of technology and data centers. Giles pointed to his record of helping attract technology employers while warning that growth cannot be evaluated only by the number of jobs or investment dollars it brings. Large facilities can place heavy demands on power and water systems, and both candidates said state leaders need to balance new projects against the resources available to nearby neighborhoods. That concern has particular resonance in a region where water security and infrastructure capacity are long-running public issues.

The Tucson appearance offered an early look at how Hobbs and Giles intend to campaign together: emphasizing bipartisan cooperation, local input and government services that families can see and use. Their proposals still face major political obstacles, including the Legislature’s Republican majority, the continuing dispute over vouchers and the uncertainty surrounding future federal Medicaid rules. Whether the ticket can turn those themes into a second-term mandate will be decided by Arizona voters this fall, with Tucson residents weighing policies that could affect schools, pediatric care, neighborhood infrastructure and the region’s future growth.