Feisty Female Friday: Katie Hobbs

The FFF this week is Katie Hobbs.

Kathleen “Katie” Hobbs is a Democratic politician serving as the 24th governor of AZ. Katie was born and attended schools there and has worked as a social worker. She was the chief compliance officer for Sojourner Center, one of the nation's largest domestic violence centers and was an adjunct faculty member in social work at two colleges.

Before seeking elected office, Katie also participated in political leadership programs in multiple organizations and served on the Phoenix Women's Commission and the Phoenix Human Services Commission. She was the executive director of Emerge Arizona and served in the AZ House, Senate, and as Secretary of State. She oversaw the audit aimed at contesting the 2020 presidential election results and finding no proof of any fraud.

Katie became Arizona's fifth female governor, a US record. Since taking office, Hobbs has issued numerous executive orders. She has established several commissions, including an independent prison oversight, homelessness and housing, and a task force on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. She has signed bills to repeal a near-total abortion ban, is an opponent of capital punishment and has proposed an expanded the Arizona Promise Scholarship Program.  

Katie has also established new bus routes to transport migrants from small border communities to larger cities for employment and schooling, has sent the ANG to help federal officials manage an influx of migrants, used federal COVID-19 relief funds to forgive Arizonans' medical debts, established numerous food banks, has launched a program to assist veterans, increased the availability of child care, and always honors those who volunteer in their communities.

Katie is an avid cyclist and triathlete. She is married, has two children, and lives in Phoenix.