In a statement provided to 12 News, campaign manager Nicole DeMont explained the governor’s position.
“We respectfully decline debate invitations in this campaign because face-to-face engagement with Arizonans is more effective than a stage designed for short soundbites and political theater.”
According to DeMont, the governor has already held more than 100 open-press events during her time in office, arguing that those appearances provide voters with sufficient opportunities to hear directly from her rather than through a televised debate.
The announcement quickly reminded many Arizona voters of Hobbs’ strategy during the 2022 election, when she also declined to debate then-Republican nominee Kari Lake in both the primary and general election campaigns. That decision generated national attention and became one of the defining issues of the race.
At the time, Hobbs’ campaign defended its refusal by arguing that debating Lake would only create unnecessary spectacle.
“Debating a conspiracy theorist like Kari Lake – whose entire campaign platform is to cause enormous chaos and make Arizona the subject of national ridicule – would only lead to constant interruptions, pointless distractions, and childish name-calling,” the Hobbs campaign said last year.
“Arizonans deserve so much better than Kari Lake, and that’s why we’re confident Katie Hobbs will be elected our next governor.”
Despite the criticism she faced in 2022, Hobbs ultimately won the governor’s race. Many conservatives, however, continue to dispute that election and remain sharply critical of both the outcome and her handling of the office since taking power.
This year, Republicans argue the political environment has changed significantly. Instead of facing Kari Lake, Hobbs would have debated Congressman Andy Biggs, one of Arizona’s best-known conservative lawmakers and a longtime ally of President Donald Trump.
Biggs’ campaign wasted little time responding.
Senior Advisor Drew Sexton released a statement arguing that Arizona voters deserve the opportunity to compare candidates directly, pointing out that televised gubernatorial debates have been a longstanding tradition in the state.
“The independent and persuadable voters up for grabs in Arizona deserve to hear from statewide candidates in a traditional debate setting, one that was held in every Arizona gubernatorial race since 1954 until Katie Hobbs ran for the position in 2022.
WATCH:
Every other statewide Democrat in 2022 and 2024 decided to debate in the general election, but Katie Hobbs thinks the rules don’t apply to her. That may be why she’s also under criminal investigation for corruption and why she’s already been publicly rejected by her first choice for Lt. Governor.
Whatever her reason is, it won’t stop Andy Biggs from campaigning across the state and participating in the Clean Elections Debate on October 6th to ask for the votes of every Arizonan of every background.
Katie Hobbs can avoid the debate stage but she won’t get to avoid voters in November.”
The response also referenced ongoing scrutiny surrounding Hobbs’ administration. As previously reported by conservative outlets, the governor is facing an investigation tied to substantial political donations involving the Arizona Democratic Party and a dark money organization connected to inaugural activities. Critics have pointed to reports involving approximately $400,000 in contributions from a company that later received state contracts worth millions, though the investigation remains ongoing.
For Republicans, the timing of Hobbs’ debate announcement only adds to questions they believe voters deserve answered before casting their ballots.
The issue follows another controversy that recently put Hobbs on the defensive. Last week, critics accused the governor of taking credit for Arizona’s elimination of taxes on tips, a measure Republicans say originated in the GOP-controlled Legislature after President Donald Trump promoted a similar policy at the national level.
In a promotional video, Hobbs highlighted the tax change while discussing her latest bipartisan budget.
“Here in Arizona, we eliminated taxes on tips so that service workers like the guys here at Chili Pepper in Yuma can keep every dollar they earn through tips. As families struggle with high costs because of Washington’s misguided policies, I’m working to put more money in Arizonans’ pockets, and we did just that with my fourth bipartisan balanced budget that cut taxes for hardworking families,” Hobbs claimed in a video statement.
Republicans quickly responded that the no-tax-on-tips provision was advanced by the Republican-controlled Legislature as part of Arizona’s 2026 budget package, which they say was modeled after President Trump’s federal “One Big Beautiful Bill.”
With Hobbs refusing to participate in another gubernatorial debate, the campaign is likely to remain focused on whether Arizona voters will hear both candidates share the same stage before Election Day. Meanwhile, Biggs has pledged to attend the scheduled Clean Elections debate in October regardless of whether the incumbent governor joins him, leaving an empty podium a distinct possibility if Hobbs maintains her current position.
