Who's running for Arizona governor in 2022? Kari Lake, Katie Hobbs face off in November

Arizona voters will choose their next governor on Nov. 8, picking between Democrat Katie Hobbs and Republican Kari Lake.

The governor's job includes overseeing operations of the executive branch that includes state agencies and departments, signing or vetoing bills passed by the Legislature, proposing the annual state budget, appointing judges and appointing members of the Arizona Board of Regents, among other duties. The Governor's Office affords its occupant broad powers, including the ability to issue executive orders.

Current Gov. Doug Ducey is in his second term and cannot run again due to term limits. The Republican will have held the office for eight years and is set to be the first governor to complete two terms after Democratic Gov. Bruce Babbitt, who served until 1987.

These are the candidates for this year’s election and their stances on some of the major issues today.

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Katie Hobbs: Democratic candidate

Currently the secretary of state, Hobbs, 52, previously served eight years in the Arizona Legislature. Having secured a national presence after defending the 2020 election in Arizona, she defeated former Nogales Mayor Marco Lopez by a large margin in the August primary.

Hobbs earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work and has done lobbying work for the Sojourner Center, one of the nation’s largest domestic violence shelters.

In 2015, Hobbs participated in the firing of Arizona Senate staff member Talonya Adams — a Black woman who later won a lawsuit against the Senate based on claims that she was fired for discriminatory reasons.

Where Hobbs stands on some issues:

On abortion: Hobbs said that abortion is a healthcare decision that should have no involvement from the government. She plans to oppose any legislation that restricts abortion and wants to increase access to abortion services and reproductive care.

Border and immigration: Hobbs said she would encourage the Biden administration to provide more work visas for immigrants. She sees the issues as the purview of the federal government. She has said Title 42, a public health measure that allows for the suspension of immigrants into the U.S., does not work but has also said canceling the policy without a backup plan “would be a disaster.”

Guns: Hobbs believes that "common sense" gun reform is necessary to stop "senseless acts of violence” in Arizona.

Education: Hobbs wants to advocate for the implementation of refundable tax credits for Arizonans seeking career and technical education. Hobbs also wants to increase teacher pay and push for universal pre-kindergarten education.

Kari Lake: Republican candidate

Endorsed by Donald Trump, Lake, 53, won the primary against Karrin Taylor Robson, defeating her by about 5 percentage points.

Lake was a television journalist for 27 years before landing in politics as a newcomer in 2021. She received her degree in journalism from the University of Iowa before starting at 12News in Phoenix as a weekend anchor and ending her career as the longtime nightly anchor at Fox 10.

During her primary campaign, Lake claimed “stealing” occurred but never offered proof or submitted evidence to law enforcement. She has not, however, stopped furthering the false claim that Donald Trump defeated Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election. Neither the Arizona election audit nor court cases prove widespread fraud in the 2020 election.

Where Lake stands on some issues:

On abortion: Lake opposes abortion with exceptions for incest, rape and when the life of the mother is at risk.

Border and immigration: Lake wants to increase law enforcement presence and secure the border by finishing the building of Trump's wall. She has said she would declare an "invasion" on her first day in office, which likely would lead to a legal fight with the federal government.

Guns: Lake wants to remove restrictions to bear arms and according to her website, the Second Amendment "Shall. Not. Be. Infringed."

Education: Lake wants students to have access to any educational institution with no barriers on funding — a universal voucher program that lets students choose where they want to study. She also wants to increase teacher pay, start sex education in the fifth grade and has proposed placing cameras in classrooms to monitor teachers.

Reach the reporter at TChristopher@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Kari Lake, Katie Hobbs face off for Arizona governor in November