As Arizona governor, Katie Hobbs says she wouldn't raise taxes and Kari Lake says she'd cut them
Democrat Katie Hobbs said Wednesday night she has no plans to raise taxes in Arizona if elected governor.
It’s the first time Hobbs has staked out the position, though she acknowledged it’s hardly possible even if she wanted to — it takes a two-thirds majority vote to raise taxes in Arizona, an unlikely accomplishment in the narrowly-divided state Legislature.
But Hobbs told business leaders at an Arizona Chamber of Commerce gubernatorial forum that the state has a healthy business climate, and that includes its tax structure.
She also credited that positive climate to Arizona’s rehabilitated national reputation, and warned that electing her opponent, Republican Kari Lake, would undo those gains.
“At the end of the day this election is not about Democrats or Republicans, it’s about sanity versus chaos,” Hobbs said.
Hobbs said she has the elected experience to be taken seriously as governor.
Lake downplayed her own inexperience, and likened herself to famous first-time politicians.
“I think the people are ready for some outsiders,” Lake said. “Reagan didn’t have that political experience, government experience. President Trump didn’t either. We had great policies from these people.”
Lake promised to lower taxes each of her first four years in office if elected and vowed to soon release a plan detailing how she’d accomplish the task.
And she repeatedly warned that Arizona could become California-like if left to her opponent, Hobbs. Lake frequently alluded to California when discussing top issues she’d want to tackle as governor, including energy, water and homelessness.
As for Arizona’s business climate, Lake said the best thing the government could do is get out of the way and focus on quality of life issues.
“We want to have safe streets, a secure border. Then people will flock here,” Lake said. “Because trust me, they are running from these blue states. They’re packing up and leaving.”
