Kathleen Marie Hobbs is the 24th governor of Arizona, serving since 2023. A Democrat, she previously served as Arizona's secretary of state and as a state legislator. Hobbs is notable for being the first social worker to become governor of a U.S. state and the fifth woman to hold the governorship in Arizona.
December 28, 1969: Birth of Katie Hobbs
On December 28, 1969, Kathleen Marie Hobbs was born in Phoenix, Arizona.
1988: Katie Hobbs Graduates High School
In 1988, Katie Hobbs graduated from Seton Catholic High School after attending Catholic schools throughout her childhood.
1992: Meeting Patrick Goodman
In 1992, Katie Hobbs met her future husband, Patrick Goodman, at church.
1992: Katie Hobbs Earns Bachelor's Degree in Social Work
In 1992, Katie Hobbs obtained her bachelor's degree in social work from Northern Arizona University.
1992: Katie Hobbs Begins Career as Social Worker
Katie Hobbs embarked on her career as a social worker in 1992, specializing in areas such as domestic violence, mental health, and homelessness.
1995: Katie Hobbs Completes Master's Degree in Social Work
In 1995, Katie Hobbs completed her master's degree in social work from Arizona State University, funding her education through scholarships and work-study programs.
1996: Marriage to Patrick Goodman
Katie Hobbs and Patrick Goodman married in 1996. Goodman works as a child therapist at Phoenix Children's Hospital. They have two children and reside in Phoenix.
2005: Previous Veto Record
In 2005, former Arizona governor Janet Napolitano set the previous record for most vetoes in a legislative session by vetoing 58 bills.
2008: Katie Hobbs as a Delegate at the Democratic National Convention
In 2008, Katie Hobbs participated as a delegate for Hillary Clinton at the Democratic National Convention.
2010: Katie Hobbs Elected to the Arizona House of Representatives
In 2010, inspired by her work with Emerge Arizona, Katie Hobbs successfully ran for a seat in the Arizona House of Representatives.
2011: Katie Hobbs Begins Her Tenure in the Arizona State Legislature
In 2011, Katie Hobbs embarked on her journey as a member of the Arizona State Legislature, a role she held until 2019.
2012: Katie Hobbs Elected to the Arizona Senate
In 2012, Katie Hobbs transitioned to the Arizona Senate, representing the 24th legislative district, a decision prompted by redistricting.
2013: Katie Hobbs Becomes Executive Director of Emerge Arizona
Katie Hobbs took on the role of Executive Director at Emerge Arizona in 2013.
2014: Katie Hobbs Re-elected to the Arizona Senate
In 2014, Katie Hobbs secured re-election to the Arizona Senate, solidifying her representation of the 24th legislative district.
2015: Talonya Adams Raises Discrimination Concerns to Katie Hobbs
In 2015, Talonya Adams, a Black woman working as a Senate staffer, expressed concerns to Katie Hobbs about racial and gender-based discrimination in the workplace.
2015: Katie Hobbs Becomes Senate Minority Leader
In 2015, during her tenure in the Arizona Senate, Katie Hobbs assumed the role of Senate Minority Leader, a position she held for two terms.
2016: Katie Hobbs Wins Second Re-election to the Arizona Senate
In 2016, Katie Hobbs achieved her second re-election to the Arizona Senate, further establishing her presence in the 24th legislative district.
March 8, 2017: Katie Hobbs Announces Candidacy for Arizona Secretary of State
On March 8, 2017, Katie Hobbs publicly declared her intention to run for the position of Arizona Secretary of State.
November 6, 2018: Contested Arizona Secretary of State Election
On November 6, 2018, the Arizona Secretary of State election, where Katie Hobbs faced Republican nominee Steve Gaynor, was prematurely called for Gaynor by the Associated Press. The close nature of the race led to a period of uncertainty as votes continued to be counted.
2018: Katie Hobbs Elected as Arizona Secretary of State
In 2018, Katie Hobbs secured a victory in the election for Arizona Secretary of State, marking a significant win as the first Democrat to hold the office since 1995.
January 7, 2019: Katie Hobbs Sworn in as Arizona Secretary of State
On January 7, 2019, Katie Hobbs officially assumed her role as Arizona Secretary of State.
2019: Katie Hobbs Serves as Arizona Secretary of State
From 2019 to 2023, Katie Hobbs served as the Arizona Secretary of State, a role that positioned her as the first in line of succession to the Governor due to Arizona's lack of a lieutenant governor.
2020: Katie Hobbs Reestablishes Commission on Homelessness and Housing
In 2020, Katie Hobbs took action to reestablish a commission dedicated to addressing homelessness and housing issues.
2020: Katie Hobbs' Role in 2020 Presidential Election Audit Controversy
In 2020, following the presidential election, Katie Hobbs became embroiled in a controversy surrounding the audit of Maricopa County's election results.
June 2, 2021: Katie Hobbs Announces Gubernatorial Candidacy
On June 2, 2021, Katie Hobbs formally declared her candidacy for Governor of Arizona in the upcoming 2022 election.
September 2021: Release of Cyber Ninjas' Audit Report
In September 2021, the auditors from Cyber Ninjas, a firm hired to review the 2020 Maricopa County presidential election results, released their report. The report, despite the firm's lack of experience and partisan leanings, found no evidence of fraud and even showed a slight increase in Biden's margin of victory.
November 2021: Talonya Adams Wins Discrimination Lawsuit Against Katie Hobbs
In November 2021, Talonya Adams, a former Senate staffer, won a discrimination lawsuit against Katie Hobbs in relation to her firing, resulting in a $2.75 million judgment.
2021: Katie Hobbs Criticizes Arizona Senate Republicans' Election Audit
In 2021, Katie Hobbs publicly criticized the Arizona Senate Republicans' decision to fund an audit of the 2020 Maricopa County presidential election results, highlighting concerns about the audit's methodology and potential to fuel conspiracy theories. This stance led to death threats against her, prompting the need for personal security detail provided by the Arizona Department of Public Safety.
2021: American Rescue Plan Act
The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 was signed into law.
December 2022: Katie Hobbs Appoints Allie Bones as Chief of Staff
In December 2022, as Katie Hobbs prepared to assume the governorship, she selected Allie Bones, the Arizona Assistant Secretary of State, to serve as her Chief of Staff.
2022: Gubernatorial Platform and Proposals
During her 2022 gubernatorial campaign, Katie Hobbs campaigned on removing the unauthorized border wall made of shipping containers and expanding the Arizona Promise Scholarship Program to undocumented immigrants.
January 2, 2023: Katie Hobbs Sworn in as Governor of Arizona
On January 2, 2023, Katie Hobbs was officially sworn in as the Governor of Arizona in a private ceremony, followed by a public event on January 5th. This marked a historic moment as she became the fifth woman to hold this position in Arizona.
April 18, 2023: 100th Day in Office and Record Vetoes
On April 18, 2023, Katie Hobbs marked her 100th day as Governor of Arizona. This day was significant as she set a new record for the most vetoes issued by an Arizona governor in a single legislative session, with 63 vetoes of bills passed by the Republican-majority legislature.
May 2023: Banned from Russia
In May 2023, following the Biden administration's increased sanctions on Russia, the Russian government added Governor Hobbs to a list of individuals permanently banned from entering the country.
May 2023: New Bus Routes for Migrants
In May 2023, in anticipation of the ending of Title 42, Governor Hobbs announced the establishment of five new bus routes to transport migrants from small border communities to Tucson.
May 25, 2023: Resignation of Allie Bones, Chief of Staff to Katie Hobbs
On May 25, 2023, Allie Bones, who had been serving as Katie Hobbs' Chief of Staff, stepped down from her position.
2023: Katie Hobbs Becomes Governor of Arizona
In 2023, Katie Hobbs took office as the 24th governor of Arizona, marking a significant milestone as the first social worker to hold this position in any U.S. state and Arizona's fifth female governor.
March 2024: Medical Debt Forgiveness Plan
In March 2024, Governor Hobbs announced that Arizona would use $30 million of federal COVID-19 relief funds from the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act to forgive Arizonans' medical debts, potentially up to $2 billion, using the RIP Medical Debt organization.
March 2024: Veto of Housing Supply Bill
In March 2024, Governor Hobbs vetoed bipartisan legislation aimed at increasing Arizona's housing supply by streamlining regulations. She deemed the bill's effects "unclear" and criticized for not seeking her input during negotiations.
April 9, 2024: Arizona Supreme Court Reinstates 1864 Abortion Ban
On April 9, 2024, the Arizona Supreme Court made a significant decision by reinstating an abortion ban that originated in 1864.
May 2, 2024: Katie Hobbs Signs Bill to Repeal Near-Total Abortion Ban
On May 2, 2024, Katie Hobbs signed a bill into law that overturned a near-total abortion ban dating back to 1864, which the Arizona Supreme Court had reinstated on April 9, 2024.