Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs Temporarily Steps Down, Leaving Republican Official to Fill the Void

Arizona Republican Treasurer Kimberly Yee has been appointed as acting governor after a feud with Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs over filling executive branch positions.

Amidst the ongoing political disputes surrounding the actions of Arizona Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs, a Republican who had been engaged in a feud with Hobbs was briefly appointed as the acting governor. Arizona Treasurer Kimberly Yee announced on Wednesday that the order of succession had reached her, and she would be serving as the Acting Governor from later that evening until mid-morning the following day. Yee expressed her satisfaction with assuming this role but made it clear that she would not be appointing directors to the 13 agencies that currently have vacancies, nor would she call the Arizona Legislature into session to confirm them. She urged Governor Hobbs to promptly appoint qualified directors to these important state agencies upon her return to Arizona, in order to eliminate the legal uncertainty surrounding the regulatory actions taken by the agencies. Yee emphasized the importance of a swift resolution to this matter so that the work for Arizona taxpayers can resume, stating that the people of Arizona deserve leaders who uphold the rule of law.

Meanwhile, Governor Hobbs was in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday after a trip to Taiwan, according to the Arizona Republic. The Arizona Capitol Times reported that Secretary of State Adrian Fontes was scheduled to leave Arizona on Wednesday night, which triggered Yee's temporary appointment as acting governor since Attorney General Kris Mayes was also out of the state.

Yee's temporary ascension to the role of acting governor came as a result of her opposition to Hobbs' appointments. Yee prevented two individuals, who Hobbs had named as "executive deputy directors," from sitting on the State Board of Investment. Yee deemed their status as "murky" and accused Hobbs of disregarding the law. She argued that without Senate-confirmed individuals leading these agencies, there would be unaccountable individuals making executive decisions for an extended period of time.

Christian Slater, a press aide for Governor Hobbs, criticized Yee's actions, calling them political games. Yee's actions were a response to a series of maneuvers made by Hobbs regarding her nominees for directors of various state agencies. Despite the lack of confirmation for these nominees, Hobbs had initially appointed them as interim directors. However, she later withdrew their nominations and appointed Ben Henderson, the interim director of the Department of Administration, as the interim director of other agencies. Henderson then named "executive deputy directors" to run these agencies, despite the fact that such positions do not exist under state law. Yee raised concerns about the legality of this tactic and sought legal counsel, which confirmed that it was not in compliance with the law.

This article was originally published on The Western Journal, and we are dedicated to maintaining truth and accuracy in our journalism. We adhere to strict editorial standards to ensure the highest level of integrity in our reporting.

Share With Others