Top state issues addressed in forum with Arizona gubernatorial candidates Hobbs, Lake

PHOENIX — Arizona gubernatorial candidates Katie Hobbs and Kari Lake addressed the state’s top issues Wednesday evening on the same stage, but at separate times.

The event held at the Republic National Distributing Company of Arizona in Phoenix saw each candidate on stage for approximately 20 minutes with moderator Danny Seiden from the Arizona Chamber of Commerce.

Topics ranging from taxes, water, border security and bringing businesses to the state were addressed as top issues on both sides.

“Who better than the governor to make the case for why Arizona is a great place to do business and to sell our brand,” Democratic candidate Hobbs said.

“I think it’s important to have someone who is serious about governing and not someone who is going to end up as the butt of late night comedy television jokes. That’s not going to be effective.”

Hobbs named water security, more funding for public education and enhancing the workforce as top issues on her agenda, while echoing her agenda is neither Democratic or Republican.

“At the end of the day, this election is not about Democrats or Republicans. It is about sanity versus chaos,” Hobbs said.

“Governing is not sitting on the ninth floor and telling people what to do. It is working in partnership to make our state the best place it can possibly be for everyone, where every Arizonan can thrive, where we have opportunity for all. That is what I’m going to be focused on. I don’t think that is a Democratic agenda, a Republican agenda. It is an Arizona agenda.”

Republican candidate Lake took the stage in the latter half of the forum, stating her top goal is to secure the border, while also lowering sales and property taxes, and to expand nuclear energy power plants in the state.

“We’re going to issue a declaration invasion. We’re going to start securing the border, take back control from the cartels and stop the fentanyl from pouring across,” Lake said.

Last week, Hobbs turned down an invitation from the Citizens Clean Elections Commission to face Lake in a traditional televised debate on Oct. 12.

Lake has said she would let Hobbs write the questions for a debate she’s willing to have at any time and place.

Hobbs has suggested having each candidate interviewed separately for 30 minutes by local PBS host Ted Simons, who could ask whatever he wanted. The candidates would each get one minute for opening and closing remarks under her proposal.

“I just put a letter out saying that I will not agree to a forum that my opponent wants,” Lake said of Hobbs.

“We’re doing that tonight, we need to be on stage together, we need to talk about our policies.”

With her opponent off stage, Lake said Hobbs was in favor of sexual education for kindergarteners, sex change gender-affirming surgeries and raising taxes.

“We need a transformative leader right now, somebody who’s not afraid to take big steps, not baby steps, because we’ve got big problems and issues,” Lake said.

Hobbs and Lake are booked to participate in an Oct. 3 town hall at the Herberger Theater Center in Phoenix as part of the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce national convention.

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