by Cameron Arcand
As Arizona Republican Gov. Doug Ducey leaves office next month, there have been numerous questions about the transition to Democratic Gov.-Elect Katie Hobbs and Ducey’s recent meeting with President Joe Biden at the Taiwan Semiconductor manufacturing plant on Tuesday.
Ducey spoke with The Center Square on Thursday following his last meeting with agency leaders to discuss this pivotal moment.
“The president’s well aware of the importance and priority that I put on the border, and the invitation remains open for him, anyone in his cabinet, including Vice President Harris and Secretary Mayorkas, to come down to the border and see the reality of what we’re dealing with in Arizona,” Ducey said of Biden’s visit, during which the president said there are “more important things” than going to the southern border.
The governor said that he would keep his conversations with Hobbs “in confidence” when asked if they have discussed the border crisis, but said that he’s promised her a “seamless and successful transition.”
As the Republican had just met with his department heads, he said that Hobbs’ style of governing will likely be different in overseeing the agencies.
“I think you also have to realize in this business that you rent this office, you don’t own it. I’m hopeful that the incoming governor can see some of these agencies that were tremendously broken in some situations eight years ago and how they’ve been fixed,” he said.
“And I actually referenced a book that I had read called “Government that Works” and it was co-authored from Martin O’Malley, a Democrat from Maryland, and Rick Snyder, a Republican from Michigan. And they talked about the management system that we now call the Arizona Management System,” he continued.
“And it was basically about agency heads knowing their mission, having certain metrics, transparency for the money, and knowing what they’re gonna do in the next 90 days. Martin O’Malley’s metrics were dramatically different from Rick Snyder’s metrics. I imagine Katie Hobbs’ metrics will be different from Doug Ducey, but the talent in that room, the consistency, the people that don’t wear a partisan color — they lead an agency to serve Arizonans. The talent’s there, the rest is up to the next governor,” Ducey said.
In addition, a major point of focus has been how Hobbs will work with the Republican state legislature. For example, Hobbs has said that she’ll call a special session on abortion on day one of the administration in order to push for the repeal of the 1864 territorial law that only allows abortion if there is risk to a mother’s health.
Ducey offered Hobbs some advice on how to work with the lawmaking body.
“I think this is a relationship business. This is a business of communication, of finding common ground, of working together to achieve the necessary votes to move ideas forward,” he said.
Hobbs will be inaugurated on January 5.
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Cameron Arcand is a contributor to The Center Square.
Photo “Governor Doug Ducey” by Governor Doug Ducey. Photo “Joe Biden” by The White House. Background Photo “U.S.-Mexico Border Wall” by Amyyfory. CC BY-SA 4.0.
