Looking ahead at Gov. Katie Hobbs’ 2026 reelection bid, where does she stand on key issues?

PHOENIX — Arizona voters will face a pivotal choice in the 2026 general election as they decide who will lead the state as its next governor.

Democratic incumbent Gov. Katie Hobbs is preparing to defend her seat against three prominent Republican challengers:

• U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs, who was backed by President Donald Trump and is backed by Turning Point USA’s Erika Kirk.
• Businesswoman Karrin Taylor-Robson, who also carries Trump’s endorsement.
• U.S. Rep. David Schweikert, who has been in Congress since 2011.

The winner of the Republican primary on Aug. 4, 2026, will square off against Hobbs in the Nov. 3 general election.

Throughout the year, Hobbs has shared her views on issues ranging from crime and immigration to SNAP benefits and school vouchers during her exclusive recurring segment on KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Outspoken with Bruce & Gaydos called Talk to the Governor.

Scroll down for a recap of some of Hobbs’ positions on key campaign topics — specifically the ones she expanded on during her conversations with Bruce St. James and Larry Gaydos. All of her quotes are from different Talk to the Governor segments throughout the year.

Health care, Medicaid

Overall, Hobbs believes American health care is headed in the wrong direction because the Trump administration is cutting funding for cutting-edge medical research.

“My priority as governor, wanting to ensure Arizonans’ health and safety, is that they have access to the health care that they need or want,” she said on Sept. 22.

She has also strongly opposed Medicaid cuts, warning they would devastate health care in Arizona.

“These Medicaid cuts will kill people, and there is not a state in the country … that has the capacity to absorb these kind of cuts. Certainly, Arizona can’t,” she said on May 14,before Congress passed Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

She stressed that Medicaid funding is Arizona taxpayers’ money returned from Washington, not a handout.

“All of these cuts, these are Arizona tax dollars. … They need to send it back to us for us to take care of our folks,” she said.

At the state level, Hobbs rejected GOP budget proposals that would have slashed Medicaid earlier this year, calling them “dead on arrival.”

Social safety nets for hunger: food assistance, SNAP benefits

Back in November, amid the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, Hobbs spoke out forcefully about delays in SNAP benefits, warning that nearly 900,000 Arizonans depended on the program. She even considered declaring a state of emergency.

Hobbs blasted the Trump administration’s shifting promises on SNAP funding, calling them “cruel” and chaotic.

“I am furious. … At this point, they’re just being cruel,” she said on Nov. 6, adding that federal officials had the funds but refused to release them to prevent hunger.

School vouchers, empowerment scholarship accounts (ESAs)

On July 29, Hobbs called Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (ESAs) a “billion-dollar boondoggle,” arguing that taxpayer dollars intended to support student learning are instead being misused on luxury items such as “a $16,000 cello and a Rolex watch.”

Due to the lack of oversight and accountability in the voucher system, pouring more money into the program without reform would be like “just putting lipstick on a pig,” she added.

During the interview, she also said some parents are saving ESA funds rather than spending them during their children’s school years, with no mechanism to reclaim unused dollars, which she finds unacceptable.

“There is nothing; there is no provision to claw back unused funds,” Hobbs explained. “I’m outraged by it. I think that this flies in the face of what we should be doing with dollars to fund choice for all students across the state.”

Immigration, ICE activity

Hobbs said she is tough on crime and proactive in addressing border-related issues, launching a statewide, multi-agency initiative targeting cartel activity called Operation Desert Guardian.

“We have the federal government’s cooperation on that effort that is bearing big results … getting bad guys in jail,” Hobbs said on Oct. 16.

She noted that the program has already produced significant outcomes, including drug interdictions, weapons seizures, and arrests.

“Border security is a top issue when I talk to Arizonans, and it’s why I focused on border security from day one,” she added. “It’s why I fought the Biden administration … and why we’re working hand-in-hand with the Trump administration on border security now.”

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