Arizona State Treasurer Kimberly Yee (R) acted as the acting governor of the state for an unclear period of time between Wednesday night and Thursday afternoon, as three of Arizona’s top Democrats happened to be in Washington, D.C. for meetings. Yee’s tenure was ended when Governor Katie Hobbs (D) returned to appear alongside President Joe Biden at the Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport to honor the legacy of John McCain.
On Wednesday afternoon, Yee (pictured above) revealed she would serve as “Acting Governor beginning later this evening until mid-morning tomorrow” in a statement posted to X, formerly Twitter. Yee used the opportunity to draw attention to Hobbs’ recent decision to withdraw her nominations for Arizona’s state agencies and appoint permanent “executive deputy directors” to avoid legislative oversight.
“While I am pleased to step into this role, I will refrain from naming directors to the 13 agencies that currently have vacancies,” said Yee in a statement. “I do hope when the Governor returns to Arizona, she will promptly name qualified directors,” Yee added, saying such action would allow officials to “get back to getting the work done for Arizona taxpayers.”
I have been notified that I will be serving as Acting Governor beginning later this evening until mid-morning tomorrow. Read my full statement below. pic.twitter.com/sSuiSCebk4
— Arizona Treasurer Kimberly Yee (@AZTreasurerYee) September 27, 2023
While some social media users wondered about Hobbs’ location, others questioned the whereabouts of Secretary of State Adrian Fontes and Attorney General Kris Mayes, who both rank higher than Yee in the line of succession for Arizona’s government.
Attorney Jennifer Wright, who served as the civil attorney for Arizona’s Election Integrity Unit under former Attorney General Mark Brnovich, noted that the Democrats appeared to be absent on the day Biden planned an appearance in the state.
Where is the Governor, SOS, & AG while Biden is in Arizona? 🤨
The Treasurer is far down the list to act as Governor. https://t.co/VvO80L6KeN
— Jen Wright (@JenWEsq) September 28, 2023
Representatives for Hobbs, Fontes, and Mayes later explained the elected officials all happened to be attending separate meetings in Washington, D.C., necessitating the brief Republican stewardship of the state, according to The Arizona Republic.
After her visit to Taiwan, Hobbs flew directly to Washington, D.C., where the outlet reported she met with the Department of Homeland Security and Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to discuss “border issues.” Similarly, Fontes’s staff told the outlet he served as acting governor until Wednesday when he left Arizona for Washington to meet with members of Congress and their staff “about the need for federal funding for elections.” Mayes, too, was attending “meetings” in Washington, but her staff did not clarify a purpose for her travel.
Hobbs was back in Arizona on Thursday evening to appear on stage with Biden to “celebrate the life and legacy” of McCain, who she described as “one of Arizona’s most impactful and devoted public servants.”
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Georgia Star News and a reporter for the Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Background Photo “Arizona Capitol” by Gage Skidmore. CC BY-SA 2.0.
