Katie Hobbs is Arizona's 24th governor, serving since January 2023. Born December 28, 1969 in Phoenix, she earned degrees in social work from NAU and ASU and worked as a social worker for homeless youth and as director of a domestic violence shelter. She served in the Arizona House (2011-2013) and Senate (2013-2019), including two terms as Senate Minority Leader, before being elected Secretary of State (2019-2023). She narrowly defeated Kari Lake in 2022 with 50.3% of the vote. Hobbs is a cautious campaigner who limited media access in 2022 and declined to debate her opponent, instead focusing on scripted public events.
Hobbs grew up in a working-class family in Tempe that sometimes relied on food stamps. She worked her way through college with jobs at Burger King and Pizza Hut. As social worker, she specialized in domestic violence, homeless youth, and mental health. She has been married to Pat Hobbs and has two children, Sam and Hannah.