Kathleen Marie Hobbs, born December 28, 1969, is an American politician and social worker serving as the 24th Governor of Arizona since 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, she previously served as Arizona Secretary of State from 2019 to 2023, where she oversaw elections amid significant controversy, including challenges related to the 2020 presidential election and her own 2022 gubernatorial campaign against Kari Lake. She was the 2022 Democratic nominee for Governor of Arizona. Prior to statewide office, Hobbs represented District 15 in the Arizona House of Representatives from 2011 to 2013 and the Arizona Senate from 2013 to 2019. Born and raised in Arizona in a middle-class family that occasionally relied on food stamps, she put herself through college and began her career as a social worker specializing in domestic violence, mental health, and homelessness, including work with homeless youth and as chief compliance officer for Sojourner Center, one of the largest domestic violence shelters in the country. Hobbs's political rise focused on issues like education, public safety, and family support, drawing from her personal experiences as a mother and her professional background. Her tenure as Secretary of State drew opposition from groups like Project Veritas, which accused her of election-related improprieties, though she maintained the integrity of Arizona's elections. As governor, she has addressed challenges such as water scarcity, housing, and border security, positioning herself as a pragmatic leader tackling issues overlooked by career politicians.