Arizona Governor: voters sent ‘very strong message’ with first Dem trifecta in 60 years

Well, I want to say for the last four year. I haveve stayed laser focused. on putting partisan politics aside and working. with Republicans and Democrats to deliver. on the biggest issues that are facing arizonans. And I think most of those issues, whether it's. working on the election, I think that the message I. take.

from arizonans with this election. is hey we're giving you another chance. to keep delivering on those and we're going to. hold you accountable. I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE SAW WITH THE. DEMOCRATIC SWEAPS ACROSS THE BOARD, AND I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO. GETTING TO CONTINUE TO WORK ON THOSE priorities, as well as maybe some things that have been. on the back burner for a while because. they weren't priorities for Republicans. But I'm going to continue to work.

with Democrats and Republicans to solve. Arizona SOME OF THE STOUNA ISSUES. LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR GILES, IF I REMEMBER WHEN YOU WERE. a mayor, a mayor. I met you at the U .S. Conference of Mayors Gathering, and you were one of the mayors that was very. involved in the immigration caucus and talking. about the issues of not NOT JUST BORDER STATE. MAYORS, BUT FRANKLY, ISSUES AND CONCERNS THAT. MAYORS HAD ALL ACROSS. THE COUNTRY.

IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, YOU WERE ALSO A REPUBLICAN. SO TALK TO ME ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY THAT YOU NOW. AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT YOU SAID WHEN SHE WAS LIKE, WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS THING TOGETHER. WELL, IT WAS AN IMMEDIATE YES. BECAUSE I'VE WATCHED GOVERNOR. HOBBS VERY CLOSELY FOR FOR THE. LAST FOUR YEARS. I ENDORSED HER FOUR YEARS AGO AND. AS A REPUBLICAN MAYOR AND FRANKLY, I WAS A LITTLE NERVOUS. I HOPE SHE DIDN'T EMBARRASS ME. BY BEING TOO PARTISAN BUT SHE JUST, SHE WAS JUST THE OPPOSITE.

SHE BROUGHT A VERY BIPARTISAN APPROACH. TO THE WAY THAT SHE GOVERNED, AND SO THAT MADE IT EASY FOR ME. SIMONE, I REMEMBER OUR CONVERSATION BACK WHEN. I WAS A MAYOR ON ISSUES LIKE IMMIGRATION. THERE ARE A LOT OF ISSUES IN OUR STATE. The voters spoke very clearly earlier this week. and told us that they care about issues. like affordability and the water crisis. and protecting public education and immigration. These THESE ARE ISSUES THAT ARE TOO. IMPORTANT TO BE SLOWED DOWN BY PARTISAN GAMES.

SO THAT'S WHAT REALLY MADE ME SO. EXCITED TO JOIN GOVERNOR HOBBS. BECAUSE SHE HAS THE REPUTATION. OF BEING BIPARTISAN, I HAVE THE EXPERIENCE OF BEING. NONPARTISAN AS A MAYOR. I THINK THAT'S A GREAT APPROACH. TO BRING TO SOLVING THESE PROBLEMS. YEAH, I WANT TO PIGGYBACK OFF OF THAT BECAUSE, GOVERNOR, YOU CERTAINLY ARE MORE OF A MODERATE DEMOCRAT, AND MODERATE DEMOCRATS ARE WHAT REALLY. PROPELLED THE BLUE WAVE. I WANT TO PUT UP ON THE SCREEN. FROM THE ECONOMIST, QUOTE, THE BLUE WAVE WAS POWERED BY. MODERATE DEMOCRATS.

AS A GROUP, 39 MODERATES IN QUALIFYING. RACES BEAT. THE EFFECTS VARIED BY GEOGRAPHY, THE PENALTY FOR PROGRESSIVISM WAS. GREATEST IN REDDER AREAS. FOR MODERATES, THE TREND. ARIZONA HAS BEEN A PRETTY REPUBLICAN. STATE AT THE PRESIDENTIAL LEVEL, ALBEIT ABSENT IN 2020 WITH JOE BIDEN. IT'S HAD REPUBLICAN SENATORS JOHN KYLE, JOHN YOU HAVE ARIZONA, IT'S BLUE. FOR THE LATE, GREAT JOHN MCCAIN? CERTAINLY MORE OF A PURPLE STATE, EVEN LEAN RED A LITTLE BIT.

THIS IS CLEARLY A BLUE WAVE BASED. OFF THE BACKS OF CENTRIST DEMOCRATS, BUT HERE YOU HAVE ARIZONA, IT'S BLUE, HOW DO YOU KEEP IT BLUE GOING FORWARD AND NOT. ALLOW IT TO TURN INTO A FLORIDA WHICH IS. ANOTHER PLACE IT HAS GOT A LOT OF SNOWBIRDS, GOT PEOPLE FROM ALL AROUND THE COUNTRY TO. retired to, and then took a really hard. turn right. Look, everything you said just. sounded very pundit-y to me, but I will tell you, I think that Democrats... That's what I do for a living. Not Democrats, Arizonans. I know.

I THINK SENT A VERY STRONG MESSAGE. OF WE LIKE WHAT YOU'RE DOING. WE LIKE YOUR APPROACH TO TACKLING THE TOUGH ISSUES, WORKING WITH ANYONE TO DO that. And I think that is the directive. we have moving forward, that the agenda Arizonans tasked us. with is not a partisan agenda. It is about making life more affordable. IT'S ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY, PROTECTING OUR BORDER, PROTECTING OUR WATER FOR.

GENERATIONS TO COME. MAKING SURE WE HAVE GOOD PUBLIC. SCHOOLS AND OPPORTUNITY FOR ARIZONANS ACROSS THE STATE, WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON THAT AGENDA AND. MAKE SURE WE'RE CONTINUING TO. DELIVER IT ACROSS THE STATE. WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO. FOCUS ON THAT THAT WE CAN DELIVER ON THIS, THAT VOTERS WILL KEEP GIVING US. A CHANCE TO DELIVER MORE ON THIS. SO I'M GOING TO ASK AMERICA TO. BEAR WITH ME FOR A MOMENT HERE.

BECAUSE WHEN I FIRST 14 years ago, interviewed for a job in Washington, D .C., with NBC. Part of my interview pitch was. that they needed folks. from the West that were going to ask. about water issues. So, Lieutenant Governor, I'm taking this as my. opportunity now. that we're at a campaign season. America, stick with us. There is a debate in the West. over access to the Colorado River water, and you guys are going up against the federal. government. in a lawsuit right now. What do you guys want the country to understand. about the water crisis that is taking place, especially in the OUT OF THE COMPANIES IN THE. SOUTHWEST RIGHT NOW.

WELL, THIS IS AN EXISTENTIAL CRISIS TO A. LARGE EXTENT FOR THE SEVEN STATES. THAT RELY. GOVERNOR HOBBS, DURING THIS CAMPAIGN I'VE. BEEN OUT TALKING. ABOUT THIS AND I'VE BEEN SAYING. TO CROWDS IF YOU CARE ABOUT. WATER LIKE WE ALL SHOULD THAT'S. THE MOST IMPORTANT REASON TO VOTE. FOR KATIE HOBBS FOR GOVERNOR, SHE'S DONE AN EXEMPLARY JOB FOR. THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS IN WORKING WITH THE OTHER. BASIN. STATES AND NEGOTIATING FIRST A. THREE-YEAR RESOLUTION BUT GOING.

FORWARD WE'VE GOT TO CONTINUE. IT'S FREE TO WORK WITH THEM. AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO HAVE. A LONG-TERM SOLUTION TO THAT CHALLENGE. THIS IS AN ALL SOLUTIONS. IT IS THE TOP OF OUR AGENDA OF THINGS TO WORK ON. COVERAGE HAS BECOME, I TELL PEOPLE, SHE'S THE BEST WATER LAWYER I KNOW, NOT THAT SHE'S A SHE IS A LAWYER, BUT SHE HAS BECOME AN EXPERT IN THE ISSUE. AND WE ARE GOING TO BE WORKING VERY HARD WITH.

THE OTHER BASIN STATES TO COME TO HOPEFULLY A. WORKABLE SOLUTION GOING FORWARD. IN THE TIME THAT WE HAVE LEFT, GOVERNOR HOPS, IN THE TIME THAT WE HAVE. LEFT, I JUST WANT TO PUT ON, YOU KNOW, THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR TALKS ABOUT THE. PRIORITIES YOU ALL HAVE. I WANT TO PUT UP SOME OF. the priorities of the Arizona Democrats. on the screen. Improved voting access for Arizona residents, expand protections for reproductive health care, increase state funding in schools, enact the state's first prevailing wage law, restrict corporations and investors' ability. to buy single-family homes and restrict.

and regulate data centers, introduce new gun safety. legislation. You all will now have, what, a 37, 23-seat majority in the lower chamber. and a 20-10 advantage in the upper chamber? What is the first piece of legislation you are. asking the Democrats to send to your desk? Well, I think, again, we have a directive to. deliver. on a lot of those priorities. that you just mentioned. Looking forward to these conversations.

We have, in Arizona, universal private school. vouchers. There is out-of-control waste, fraud, and abuse in this program. that the Republicans who ushered it. in have had no interest in reigning in. It is a billion-dollar boondoggle. It is sending taxpayer dollars that should be. for education. It's hurting our public schools, and we finally have a chance to bring. some reform and some accountability to. that program.

And I think there is a lot of energy to get that done. so that. THAT WE ARE PROTECTING THAT FUNDING FOR OUR PUBLIC. SCHOOLS. AND LOOKING FORWARD TO DOING. THAT RIGHT OFF THE BAT.