Governor, Arizona
Born and raised in Arizona, Governor Hobbs has spent her life exemplifying hard work and public service. After putting herself through college at both NAU and ASU, she began her career as a social worker working with homeless youth and later helped run one of the largest domestic violence shelters in the country. After seeing her fellow Arizonans continue to struggle with little action from the government, Governor Hobbs decided to take matters into her own hands and run for office. After being elected to the Arizona House in 2010, Governor Hobbs went on to serve in the Arizona State Legislature for four terms, including two as Senate Minority Leader. After working across the aisle to deliver for Arizonans, Governor Hobbs saw an opportunity to use her leadership skills to serve Arizonans across the state. In 2018, she was elected Secretary of State, where she successfully oversaw a contentious election cycle and forcefully defended the votes and voices of every single Arizonan. Seeing her home state at a critical turning point, Governor Hobbs made the decision to run for Governor, and in 2022 was elected the fifth woman, and also fifth Arizona native, to lead the state. With over a decade of public service, Governor Hobbs sees her role in government as a continuation of her social work. In her first term, she has already moved the needle forward on some of our state’s most critical issues, including housing, water security, and economic development. Governor Hobbs approaches every situation and every challenge with a desire to make people’s lives better and give every Arizonan an opportunity to thrive.
The Sedona Forum is the McCain Institute’s annual, high-level gathering of national and international leaders held each spring in the red rock country of Sedona, Arizona. Starting from the assumption of character-driven leadership and core democratic values, The Sedona Forum convenes thought-leaders, decision makers, activists and diverse experts to discuss approaches and solutions to real-world problems.