Arizona's primaries ended with Katie Hobbs (D), the current Secretary of State of Arizona and Kari Lake (R), a University of Iowa graduate and conservative journalist as their respective party gubernatorial candidates. In what will likely be a battle for the hearts and minds of Arizonians for what is falsely called a stolen election, these two candidates are the "poster children" for their party's viewpoints.
Kari Lake (R) Katie Hobbs (D)
Katie Hobbs, born and raised in Arizona, was elected as Secretary of State in 2019 which makes her the second in line to the sitting Governor (who at the moment is a Republican). As Secretary of State, she was the sane voice when the coordinated effort to "Stop the Steal" was going on. Like Joe Biden, she won her race in 2019 in a squeaker that took some time to call due to absentee and mail-in ballots. Prior to that, Hobbs was the minority leader in the Arizona Senate. Solid credentials to lead a state like Arizona. Her campaign site indicates she will:
- Make government more transparent and cut red tape for small businesses
- Ensure voters rights through election security and improved ballot access
- Make the state more inclusive including protecting civil and health care rights
- Make Arizona more affordable by lowering the costs of families with children among other things
Her opponent, Kari Lake, a former Hawkeye, has never been elected to anything but after stints as a weatherperson, was a Fox news anchor for 22 years in Phoenix, the state's largest city. Like a lot of midwest transplants, her politics have shifted dramatically since being a Kerry and Obama Democrat. She is embracing her connection to Donald Trump and his allies like Mike Lindell. Her policies according to her campaign website said she will:
-Finish President Trump’s Wall
-Blow Up Cartel Drug Tunnels
-Shoot Down Cartel Drones AND pledge to deploy troops to STOP Illegals from entering.
If there ever was a contrast of priorities, this pairing is as bi-polar as it gets. A hardworking former social worker with plans to get things done that improve people's day-to-day situations even as her own life has been threatened is challenging a talking head with an agenda that is popular with a significant amount of conservative voters.
In the battle of the two Ks, there is a really good chance that Arizona will end up on the short-sighted end of the stick if moderates stay home. Fortunately, it seems that Katie Hobbs is giving them a great reason to jump in--to support their families, keep jobs and businesses thriving, and most of all, to make sure that hate-mongering seed sowers are defeated at that most democratic of places--the ballot box.
No comments:
Post a Comment