On Friday, Arizona State Representatives Richard Andrade and Melody Hernandez officially announced that they can no longer support Secretary of State Katie Hobbs in the race for governor. The two lawmakers are now supporting Marco Lopez in the Democratic gubernatorial primary race.
In a joint statement, Andrade and Hernandez cited “increasing concerns from constituents about Hobbs’ ability to lead as governor,” for the leap to Lopez.
“Like many, we were initially excited to support Secretary of State Katie Hobbs in her run for governor,” wrote Andrade and Hernandez. “However over the past several months we’ve lost faith in her ability to lead our state in the direction we all wanted to go. As people of color and as union members, we care deeply about standing up for working families and representing those that too often don’t have a voice in politics. The work we proudly do comprises of ensuring working families have equal and livable wages, that they are afforded all due process when faced with termination, and that they are free of discriminatory practices in the workplace. Given the Secretary of State Hobbs’ role in the firing of Talonya Adams, the fall out we continue to see in response to the rulings, and now increasing concerns from constituents about Hobbs’ ability to lead as governor, we would no longer in good conscience support someone with her record.”
. @TalonyaAdams my legislation
reflects my values when it comes to
worker rights. I will always stand with
workers in Solidarity.#RepresentationMatters https://t.co/Q1eNFWdJsK— Rich Andrade (@RepRichLD29) March 19, 2022
Hobbs was a central figure in a successful discrimination case brought by former Senate staffer Talonya Adams.
According to The Yellow Sheet, a popular Capitol gossip page, just three days ago, “one of Lopez’s former supporters dumped him. On Tuesday, Sophia Carillo Dahl, president of the Creighton School Board and co-chair of the Maricopa County Dems Latino Outreach Committee, said she was withdrawing her support in light of a report by the Arizona Agenda linking Lopez to former Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto and a major corruption scandal.”
I have decided to withdraw my support for Marco Lopez.
My statement is below. pic.twitter.com/fDvoMe62Bn
— Sophia Alexis Carrillo Dahl (@SoySophiaAlexis) March 15, 2022
“As a daughter of Mexican immigrants, I witnessed the oppression and corruption of the Peña Nieto regime firsthand. His dishonesty and crookedness caused thousands of hard-working Mexicans to suffer,” stated Carillo Dahl.