Katie Hobbs Skips Another Arizona Debate, Biggs Says He’ll Show Up
Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs is once again saying no to a debate stage.
Her campaign confirmed Thursday that Hobbs will not take part in gubernatorial debates during the current campaign. That makes it the second election cycle in a row where the Democrat has refused to debate her main opponent in a traditional setting.
Hobbs also skipped debates during the 2022 race, including in the general election against Republican Kari Lake. That decision drew heavy criticism at the time, especially from voters who wanted to see the candidates challenged side by side.
This time, Hobbs’ team is making a similar argument.
In a statement to 12 News, campaign manager Nicole DeMont said, “We respectfully decline debate invitations in this campaign because face-to-face engagement with Arizonans is more effective than a stage designed for short soundbites and political theater.”
DeMont also pointed to Hobbs’ public schedule, saying the governor has done “more than 100 open-press events.” The campaign’s message is clear. They believe that should be enough.
Republicans are not buying it.
The Biggs campaign says Arizona voters deserve a real debate, not a carefully managed campaign calendar. Drew Sexton, a senior adviser to Andy Biggs, said Hobbs is breaking with a long Arizona tradition.
Sexton said, “The independent and persuadable voters up for grabs in Arizona deserve to hear from statewide candidates in a traditional debate setting, one that was held in every Arizona gubernatorial race since 1954 until Katie Hobbs ran for the position in 2022.
Every other statewide Democrat in 2022 and 2024 decided to debate in the general election, but Katie Hobbs thinks the rules don’t apply to her. That may be why she’s also under criminal investigation for corruption and why she’s already been publicly rejected by her first choice for Lt. Governor.
Whatever her reason is, it won’t stop Andy Biggs from campaigning across the state and participating in the Clean Elections Debate on October 6th to ask for the votes of every Arizonan of every background.
Katie Hobbs can avoid the debate stage but she won’t get to avoid voters in November.”
The debate issue comes as Hobbs continues to face questions over political donations and state contracts. Reports have focused on major donations tied to the Democratic Party and a dark money group connected to Hobbs’ inaugural events, along with questions about whether those contributions influenced state contract decisions.
The matter has added more fuel to Republican criticism that Hobbs avoids tough settings when the questions get uncomfortable.
Her campaign used a similar line of attack in 2022 when refusing to debate Lake. At the time, Hobbs’ campaign said, “Debating a conspiracy theorist like Kari Lake – whose entire campaign platform is to cause enormous chaos and make Arizona the subject of national ridicule – would only lead to constant interruptions, pointless distractions, and childish name-calling,”
The campaign added, “Arizonans deserve so much better than Kari Lake, and that’s why we’re confident Katie Hobbs will be elected our next governor.”
Now the same strategy is back, only the opponent has changed.
Biggs, who has been endorsed by Trump, says he will still appear at the Clean Elections Debate on October 6. That gives him a chance to make his case directly to voters, even if Hobbs leaves an empty spot on the stage.
Hobbs has also taken heat recently over Arizona’s no-tax-on-tips policy. She promoted the tax cut as part of her budget work, saying, “Here in Arizona, we eliminated taxes on tips so that service workers like the guys here at Chili Pepper in Yuma can keep every dollar they earn through tips. As families struggle with high costs because of Washington’s misguided policies, I’m working to put more money in Arizonans’ pockets, and we did just that with my fourth bipartisan balanced budget that cut taxes for hardworking families,”
Republicans pushed back, noting that the provision was passed by the GOP-led state legislature as part of the 2026 budget and mirrored Trump’s federal no-tax-on-tips push.
For Arizona voters, the debate question is simple. Should candidates for governor stand on the same stage and answer for their records? Hobbs says no. Biggs says yes.