Our Favorite AZ Politicians

Record-Breaking Veto Record

Hobbs has vetoed 390 bills across three legislative sessions (143 in 2023; 73 in 2024; 174 in 2025), shattering the previous state record of 181 set by Janet Napolitano across her entire tenure from 2003 to 2009. Of those, 71 were election-related bills designed to restrict voting access or undermine election administration.

Blocked Voter Roll Purges and Data Exposure

Vetoed a bill that would have pulled Arizona out of ERIC, the multi-state system used to maintain accurate voter rolls. Also vetoed HB 2560, which would have released voter registration and ballot image data to the general public. In her veto letter, Hobbs cited the importance of "anonymity and privacy... core tenants of free and fair voting."

Rejected Conspiracy-Based Voting Machine Restrictions

Vetoed HB 2651, which would have banned the Secretary of State from certifying any voting machines with components not manufactured in the United States. Hobbs wrote that the bill was "predicated on conspiracy theories instead of fact."

Stood Against the "Cyber Ninja" Audit

As Secretary of State, Hobbs publicly criticized the Republican-led Maricopa County "audit" conducted by Cyber Ninjas, calling their procedures "a significant departure from standard best practices" and noting they appeared "better suited for chasing conspiracy theories than as a part of a professional audit." Death threats intensified after these statements. She did not back down.

Repealed the 1864 Abortion Ban

On May 2, 2024, Hobbs signed HB 2677, officially repealing Arizona's Civil War-era total abortion ban. A handful of Republicans in each chamber broke ranks to join Democrats in passing it. The 1864 law had been revived by the Arizona Supreme Court just weeks earlier; Hobbs moved swiftly to eliminate it permanently.

Executive Orders: Reproductive Freedom

On June 23, 2023, Hobbs signed an executive order directing AG Kris Mayes to assume all duties over abortion-related prosecutions, directing state agencies not to assist in investigations related to reproductive healthcare, and declining extradition requests from states seeking to prosecute abortion providers.

LGBTQ+ Protections from Day One

Hobbs' first official act as governor (January 2, 2023) was signing EO 2023-01, prohibiting workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity for all state employees and contractors. Arizona is one of nearly 30 states without an LGBTQ-inclusive antidiscrimination law; Hobbs acted via executive authority where the legislature would not.

In June 2023, she followed up with two more executive orders: one ensuring state employee health plans cover medically necessary gender-affirming surgery (reversing a 2017 coverage ban), and another barring state agencies from funding or supporting conversion therapy for minors.

Vetoed Anti-Trans Legislation

Vetoed HB 2438, which would have prohibited transgender individuals from updating gender markers on birth certificates. Also vetoed HB 2062, which would have effectively erased transgender people from legal recognition in Arizona. In her veto letter, Hobbs wrote: "This bill will not lower costs, will not increase opportunity, and will not enhance security or freedom for Arizona."

Vetoed ICE-in-Schools and Forced Cooperation Bills

In April 2025, Hobbs vetoed SB 1164 (the "Arizona ICE Act"), which would have forced schools to open their doors to ICE agents and required state and local officials to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement. She also vetoed SB 1610 (requiring jails to hand over detainee data to ICE) and HB 2099 (another ICE cooperation bill).

Vetoed State Immigration Enforcement (SB 1231)

In March 2024, Hobbs vetoed SB 1231, which would have made it a state crime to enter Arizona illegally and allowed local law enforcement to arrest anyone who broke that law. In her veto letter: "This bill does not secure our border, will be harmful for communities and businesses in our state, and burdensome for law enforcement personnel and the state judicial system."

Condemned FBI Election Subpoenas

In March 2026, after the FBI subpoenaed Arizona Senate records related to the 2020 election, Hobbs issued a forceful statement calling the action "reckless" and an "attack on Arizonans."

Vetoed the Charlie Kirk License Plate

In March 2026, Hobbs vetoed SB 1439, which would have created a "Charlie Kirk memorial" specialty license plate funneling $17 of each $25 fee to Turning Point USA. Hobbs cited concerns about "inserting politics into a function of government that should remain nonpartisan." A small moment, sure... but a telling one.

Tariffs: Co-Led the Case That Won at the Supreme Court

Mayes co-led a 13-attorney-general coalition (alongside Oregon AG Dan Rayfield) arguing that Trump overstepped by imposing tariffs via emergency powers. She personally argued before the Supreme Court. On February 20, 2026, SCOTUS ruled 6-3 that the tariffs were unconstitutional. When Trump attempted new tariffs in March 2026, Mayes filed a second lawsuit.

Birthright Citizenship

In January 2025, Mayes joined attorneys general from Washington, Oregon, and Illinois in challenging Trump's executive order to strip birthright citizenship, a right guaranteed by the 14th Amendment. Three federal judges issued nationwide injunctions blocking the order.

Federal Funding Freeze and Education Funding

Sued over a $3 trillion federal funding freeze, calling it "absolutely appalling." Also joined a 23-state coalition suing over $6.8 billion in frozen education grants ($132.3 million earmarked for Arizona). The coalition won; the Trump administration was forced to release all remaining funds by October 3, 2025.

SNAP Benefits

Filed suit with 21 AGs and 3 governors to force the USDA to continue SNAP funding for over 40 million Americans, including nearly 900,000 Arizonans. A federal judge ruled the administration acted illegally. When the administration then demanded states share SNAP recipients' personal data, Mayes filed a second suit.

DOGE and Treasury Access

Sued to block Elon Musk and DOGE employees from accessing Treasury Department systems containing sensitive personal data of millions of Americans. Mayes called them "an unelected weirdo billionaire and his group of teenage hackers."

Medicaid Data Privacy

Filed suit after discovering that HHS transferred states' Medicaid data files en masse to DHS for immigration enforcement, without consent. Arizonans' private health information was being handed over to be used against them.

Elections Executive Order

Joined 18 AGs in suing to block a Trump executive order that would have changed federal election laws, effectively banning vote-by-mail and Arizona's ballot-curing process.

Indicted 18 Defendants

Mayes launched an investigation shortly after taking office in early 2023. In April 2024, an Arizona grand jury returned a 58-page indictment against 18 defendants on nine felony counts each: fraud, forgery, and conspiracy for submitting forged Electoral College certificates. Defendants included 11 Arizona Republican electors (including state GOP Chair Kelli Ward) and 7 Trump aides (including Rudy Giuliani and Mark Meadows).

Jenna Ellis flipped and signed a cooperation agreement; Loraine Pellegrino pled guilty to filing a false instrument. When Trump pardoned all 11 Arizona fake electors in November 2025, Mayes reminded the public that presidential pardons only apply to federal crimes... not Arizona state charges. She decided to keep the case alive.

Created the Reproductive Rights Unit

On her first day in office, Mayes established the first-ever Reproductive Rights Unit within the AG's Office. She publicly stated she will not prosecute doctors, PAs, nurses, midwives, doulas, pharmacists, or women for providing or receiving reproductive services, including abortions, miscarriage care, IVF, and birth control.

Fought the 1864 Ban and Won Proposition 139

When the Arizona Supreme Court revived the near-total 1864 abortion ban in April 2024, Mayes called the ruling "wrong" and demanded reconsideration. After Arizona voters enshrined abortion rights in the state constitution via Proposition 139, Mayes won Isaacson v. State of Arizona, with the court affirming that challenged abortion restrictions are unconstitutional.

Fighting Corporate Abuse

Beyond the federal fights, Mayes has been aggressive on consumer protection: suing Temu for unlawful data collection and privacy violations; suing Uber One for deceptive subscription practices; securing an $8 million commitment from Frontier Communications to improve internet access in Navajo and Apache counties; a $4.5 million multistate settlement with Hyundai/Kia over vehicles lacking anti-theft technology; building cases against landlord conglomerates for establishing rent monopolies; and suing nursing home facilities for compromising care quality for profit.

An attorney general is expected to defend state laws in court. But that obligation has limits; when a law is plainly unconstitutional, defending it is a waste of taxpayer money and public trust. Mayes has drawn that line repeatedly, declining to defend laws she concluded could not survive legal scrutiny. Each time, the legislature hired outside law firms to do it instead... and each time the courts have agreed with Mayes.

The result? The Arizona House alone spent over $2.5 million on outside counsel from 2023 to 2025, up from roughly $92,000 in 2022. That is a 1,300% increase in taxpayer money spent defending laws that, so far, keep getting struck down.

Save Women's Sports Act (SB 1165) — Transgender Athlete Ban

In May 2023, Mayes disqualified herself from defending SB 1165, which banned transgender girls from competing on girls' sports teams. Senate President Warren Petersen and House Speaker Ben Toma intervened and hired outside counsel to defend the law.

A federal district court issued a preliminary injunction blocking it. The 9th Circuit upheld that injunction in September 2024. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear Arizona's specific case in July 2025. The law remains blocked and unenforceable in Arizona.

The 1864 Near-Total Abortion Ban

In May 2023, Mayes told the Arizona Supreme Court that no one had legal standing to defend Arizona's territorial-era abortion ban, a law written before Arizona was even a state. She vowed she would never prosecute anyone under it. The Supreme Court ruled in April 2024 that the ban was enforceable anyway, triggering national backlash so intense that a handful of Republicans broke ranks to join Democrats in repealing it. Governor Hobbs signed the repeal on May 2, 2024. The law is permanently repealed.

Three Abortion Restrictions (Post-Proposition 139)

In June 2025, Mayes announced she would not defend three abortion laws being challenged in Isaacson v. Arizona: a 24-hour mandatory waiting period (forcing two trips to a provider), a ban on prescribing abortion pills via telemedicine, and a prohibition on abortions based on fetal genetic abnormality. She stated plainly: "We have determined that the three laws that the plaintiffs are challenging here are unconstitutional."

House Speaker Steve Montenegro and Senate President Warren Petersen intervened and hired the firm Holtzman Vogel to defend the laws. On February 6, 2026, Judge Gregory Como permanently struck down all three restrictions, ruling they violated Proposition 139 (the Arizona Abortion Access Act, approved by over 60% of voters in November 2024). The legislature lost. Taxpayers paid for it.

15-Week Abortion Ban

Mayes stated she would not enforce Arizona's 15-week abortion ban. On March 5, 2025, a Maricopa County Superior Court judge permanently struck it down as unconstitutional under Proposition 139.

The Scorecard

Of the laws Mayes refused to defend where the legislature hired outside counsel and a court has issued a final ruling, every single one has been struck down. The legislature spent $2.5 million (House alone; Senate figures not public) on firms like James Otis Law Group ($664K), Snell & Wilmer ($584K), Statecraft ($370K), and Holtzman Vogel to defend laws that courts consistently ruled unconstitutional.

The House GOP responded by forming an "Ad Hoc Committee on Executive Oversight" in April 2024, which produced a 102-page report recommending Mayes be impeached. The full House never voted on it. Senate President Petersen, who is now running for AG in 2026, says he is involved in over 80 lawsuits because of his disagreements with Mayes. His pitch to voters, essentially: "I've been doing the AG's job for her." Mayes and House Democrats called the committee a "sham."

Town Hall Tour (2025)

Starting in March 2025, Mayes joined fellow Democratic AGs on a nationwide town hall tour focused on "corruption, lawlessness, and invasion of privacy" under the Trump administration. About 500 people showed up to the first Phoenix event; 250 packed a Flagstaff event in April; 1,100 turned out in North St. Paul, Minnesota. Mayes told the Flagstaff crowd this was "an attempted coup on our democracy."