Latest news with #RobertE.BranscombII
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Arizona Democrats fear infighting will hurt them in midterms
Democratic frustrations are growing in Arizona amid a feud within the state party, triggering concerns about the ramifications for 2026 and beyond. Only months into his tenure as Arizona Democratic Party chair, members of the party have voiced exasperation with Robert E. Branscomb II for various actions, including airing grievances with Democratic elected officials publicly, his handling of the party budget and fundraising, and for suspending another party official. While Branscomb has urged Arizona Democrats to have patience and said his job has a steep learning curve, it's done little to quell discontent within the party: Dozens of Arizona Democratic Party state committee members have signed onto a petition calling for a special meeting to consider removing Branscomb. Members are already bracing for a chaotic state committee meeting on Saturday, and some are concerned the party's fundraising and coordinated campaign could be impacted ahead of the 2026 elections if the dispute doesn't resolve itself soon. 'We run out of money, then what do we do?' said one state committee member, who — like others interviewed in this piece — requested anonymity to speak candidly. 'Who's going to run … the party if there's no money?' Patience is wearing thin among Arizona Democrats since Branscomb was elected chair in January. Months into his term, he roiled the party after accusing the state's two Democratic senators of intimidating him following his selection of a new executive director for the party, prompting both senators, in addition to Gov. Katie Hobbs (D), state Attorney General Kris Mayes (D) and state Secretary of State Adrian Fontes (D) to issue a statement refuting Branscomb's letter to state committee members and saying Branscomb had lost their trust. More recently, he suspended First Vice Chair Kim Khoury, with an investigation being launched 'into potential violations of the ADP Code of Conduct and governing procedures,' according to the Arizona Republic, which obtained a copy of the letter. Democrats have also voiced concern over the state party's fundraising after its treasurer recently estimated that, at the current rate, the party would run out of money by the end of the year. One longtime state committee person believed there would be money coming into the state for elections and congressional races, but they noted 'it's not going to be through the state party at this point as long as he's involved.' In an interview with the Arizona Republic last month, the state party chair said Democrats needed to give him some time to get adjusted to the role and that they needed to have patience. While he's acknowledged there are things he could have done differently as chair, he's suggested the circumstances he entered into when he took over as chair didn't place him in a strong position to lead the party. The Hill contacted Branscomb on Thursday, and he indicated he was not immediately available for an interview. He did not respond to additional requests for comment. While some members of the party are sympathetic to the fact helming a state party can be challenging, they also say Branscomb did himself no favors publishing his letter invoking the two senators. 'I wouldn't disagree with that,' the longtime state committee member said when asked about Branscomb's comments to the Arizona Republic, 'because I know it's a hard job, and I know there's a learning curve, and I know he's new to the job.' 'The problem is that email basically makes it almost impossible to recover from.' State party feuding is not new, of course. Former Arizona GOP Chair Jeff DeWit left his position early last year following a leaked conversation between him and Kari Lake, in which DeWit sought to dissuade the former local news anchor from running for Arizona Senate. In Nevada in 2023, Democrats ousted their chair, Judith Whitmer, whose election prompted a number of officials to exit the state party. And while some members see intraparty conflict as unhelpful and an annoyance, they argue that their candidates, including all three Democratic statewide elected officials, will have the resources needed to be successful and competitive next year. Multiple avenues would be available to them, particularly county parties, to help with fundraising. 'I do think it will be more of a temporary annoyance than something that is actually going to have any sort of electoral impact,' one party insider said, noting that the conflict itself doesn't resolve around an ideological split. But other Arizona Democrats — even those who voted for Branscomb in January — are concerned that the dragged-out rift could negatively impact the party's fundraising and organizational efforts. 'I don't think we'll have an effective coordinated campaign,' said Steven Jackson, the Legislative District 8 chair who has led circulation of the petition calling for the special meeting to consider removing Branscomb. Jackson supported Branscomb during the January chair election. 'I think it would affect the [Arizona Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee], which will affect legislative races. You know, we've got an attorney general who [won] by 250 votes last time, and a governor's race that's going to be tough,' Jackson added, referring to Mayes's race against Rep. Abe Hamadeh (R-Ariz.) in 2022, which she won by 280 votes. Despite members' frustrations with Branscomb, removing him as chair is still a tall task: Two-thirds of the entire state committee need to vote for his removal in order for it to move forward. Some members question whether there's enough frustrated Democrats to meet that threshold. 'It's hard to gauge because it is a high threshold, right?' the first state committee member said. 'But the more he stays on, the more he loses trust and confidence.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Arizona Democrats fear infighting will hurt them in midterms
Democratic frustrations are growing in Arizona amid a feud within the state party, triggering concerns about the ramifications for 2026 and beyond. Only months into his tenure as Arizona Democratic Party chair, members of the party have voiced exasperation with Robert E. Branscomb II for various actions, including airing grievances with Democratic elected officials publicly; his handling of the party budget and fundraising; and for suspending another party official. While Branscomb has urged Arizona Democrats to have patience and said his job has a steep learning curve, it's done little to quell discontent within the party: Dozens of Arizona Democratic Party state committee members have signed onto a petition calling for a special meeting to consider removing Branscomb. Members are already bracing for a chaotic state committee meeting on Saturday and some are concerned the party's fundraising and coordinated campaign could be impacted ahead of the 2026 elections if the dispute doesn't resolve itself soon. 'We run out of money, then what do we do?' said one state committee member who, like others interviewed in this piece, requested anonymity to speak candidly. 'Who's going to run … the party if there's no money?' Patience is wearing thin among Arizona Democrats since Branscomb was elected chair in January. Months into his term, he roiled the party after accusing the state's two Democratic senators of intimidating him following his selection of a new executive director for the party, prompting both senators in addition to Gov. Katie Hobbs (D), Attorney General Kris Mayes (D) and Secretary of State Adrian Fontes (D) to issue a statement refuting Branscomb's letter to state committee members and saying that Branscomb had lost their trust. More recently, he suspended first vice chair Kim Khoury, with an investigation being launched 'into potential violations of the ADP Code of Conduct and governing procedures,' according to The Arizona Republic, which obtained a copy of the letter. Democrats have also voiced concern over the state party's fundraising after its treasurer recently estimated that, at the current rate, the party would run out of money by the end of the year. One longtime state committee person believed there would be money coming into the state for elections and congressional races, but noted that 'it's not going to be through the state party at this point as long as he's involved.' In an interview with the Arizona Republic last month, the state party chair said that Democrats needed to give him some time to get adjusted to the role and that they needed to have patience. While he's acknowledged there are things he could have done differently as chair, he's suggested the circumstances he entered into when he took over as chair didn't place him in a strong position to lead the party. The Hill contacted Branscomb on Thursday, and he indicated he was not immediately available for an interview. He did not responded to additional requests for comment. While some members of the party are sympathetic to the fact that helming a state party can be challenging, they also say Branscomb did himself no favors publishing his letter invoking the two senators. 'I wouldn't disagree with that,' the longtime state committee member said when asked about Branscomb's comments to the Arizona Republic, 'because I know it's a hard job, and I know there's a learning curve, and I know he's new to the job.' 'The problem is that email basically makes it almost impossible to recover from.' State party feuding is not new, of course. Former Arizona GOP chair Jeff DeWit left his position early last year following a leaked conversation between him and Kari Lake, in which DeWit sought to dissuade the former local news anchor from running for Arizona Senate. In Nevada in 2023, Democrats ousted their chair, Judith Whitmer, whose election prompted a number of officials to exit the state party. And while some members see intraparty conflict as unhelpful and an annoyance, they argue that their candidates, including all three Democratic statewide elected officials, will have the resources needed to be successful and competitive next year. Multiple avenues would be available to them, particularly county parties, to help with fundraising. 'I do think it will be more of a temporary annoyance than something that is actually going to have any sort of electoral impact,' one party insider said, noting that the conflict itself doesn't resolve around an ideological split. But other Arizona Democrats — even those who voted for Branscomb in January — are concerned that the dragged-out rift could negatively impact the party's fundraising and organizational efforts. 'I don't think we'll have an effective coordinated campaign,' said Steven Jackson, the Legislative District 8 chairman who has led circulation of the petition calling for the special meeting to consider removing Branscomb. Jackson supported Branscomb during the January chair election. 'I think it would affect the [Arizona Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee], which will affect legislative races. You know, we've got an attorney general who [won] by 250 votes last time, and a governor's race that's going to be tough,' Jackson added, referring to Mayes's race against Rep. Abe Hamadeh (R-Ariz.) in 2022, which she won by 280 votes. Despite members' frustrations with Branscomb, removing him as chair is still a tall task: Two-thirds of the entire state committee need to vote for his removal in order for it to move forward. Some members question whether there's enough frustrated Democrats to meet that threshold. 'It's hard to gauge because it is a high threshold, right?' the first state committee member said. 'But the more he stays on, the more he loses trust and confidence.'
Politico
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Politico
Dems reel in Arizona amid ‘public circular firing squad'
Arizona Democrats are scrambling to contain the fallout from feuding that has engulfed their state party and top elected officials, fearing the skirmish will hurt them in 2026. After the state party chair lashed out at Arizona's Democratic senators this past weekend , local party leaders warned the collapse of key intra-party relationships in the state could damage the party's prospects in the midterms. And Democrats are now looking for county organizations through which they can funnel fundraising and resources, bypassing the state party, according to four people familiar with the conversations and granted anonymity to discuss internal party matters. It's a major setback for Democrats in a state where Republicans were known for years for infighting and dysfunction — but where the left is now reeling. After the party chair, Robert E. Branscomb II accused Sens. Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego of lording their financial contributions over him, the senators and the statewide elected officials released a letter of their own accusing the chair of making false claims and saying he had 'lost their trust.' Steven Slugocki, a former chair of the Maricopa County Democratic Party, called the fiasco the 'stereotype of Dems in disarray.' 'We have critical elections a year ahead of us,' he said. 'We can't have any of these distractions. We've got statewides to win and a legislature to flip. We need a strong party. It's more critical than ever that we have a strong, united party.' Turning to county parties as a sort-of shadow state party to organize voter registration and get-out-the-vote efforts is not unprecedented . But in recent years, such end-arounds have typically been driven by ideological disputes. In Arizona, the divide appears to be precipitated by warring factions and general accusations of mismanagement. It could not come at a worse time for Democrats, who are desperate to reelect Gov. Katie Hobbs and several other statewide elected officials next year. Hobbs is likely to face a more formidable opponent than she did in 2022, and Democrats stressed the significance of a strong state party apparatus to aid their campaign efforts. If they are forced to work instead through a county, Maricopa County, home to most of the state's population, is widely considered the most obvious choice, given its size. But donors have put feelers out across the state, including to smaller, more rural counties like Mohave and Navajo, leaders said. One Democratic county official, granted anonymity to discuss the internal party deliberations, said it's likely that Democratic leaders in all 15 counties have spoken with donors, who are gauging what areas have the infrastructure in place to handle donations on top of their existing local organizing efforts. 'The top of the ticket and donors know what's at stake. And we all know we don't have the luxury of time,' the official said. Above all, it was the mere fact a disagreement between top party leaders quickly devolved into a public spectacle that most upset local Democrats. 'The party has two jobs: Raise money, register voters, and I have no idea how airing this dirty laundry accomplishes either of those goals,' said longtime Arizona Democratic strategist Stacy Pearson. 'This public circular firing squad is remarkably unhelpful.' Or as another longtime Democrat in the state put it, 'People are just really frustrated with the fact that this dirty laundry got aired the way it did … This is pulling us off message at a time when we really don't need to be doing that, especially given the stakes that we've got.' Branscomb brought the party into crisis with a Saturday missive to members of the state central Democratic committee, tearing into Kelly and Gallego. In a letter, he said one senator — but did not specify which — told him he would no longer 'support or participate in state party fundraising' after Branscomb hired an executive director that he said the senators disliked for the position. In response, Kelly, Gallego, Hobbs, Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes and Attorney General Kris Mayes released a letter of their own, declaring the chair had made false claims against them in a 'bad-faith response.' 'Any efforts not devoted to winning are simply a waste of resources,' they wrote. 'While the Chair has lost our trust, we're not going to let that deter us from our mission of winning in 2026.' Branscomb is now under pressure to step down. But whether he will remains unclear. When asked if he would resign, he told a local TV station 'Why? I haven't done anything wrong.' Branscomb said he'd have more to say in the coming days. Democrats hope a decision from Branscomb comes sooner than later so the party can rebuild its reputation and quell donors' worries ahead of 2026, when both Hobbs and Fontes will be at the top of the ticket. But even if he does step down, some Democrats acknowledge it may be too late to repair the damage. 'I mean, the infrastructure is in disarray,' Pearson said. 'So, I mean, at this point, I'm not sure if (a leadership change) matters.'
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Dems reel in Arizona amid ‘public circular firing squad'
Arizona Democrats are scrambling to contain the fallout from feuding that has engulfed their state party and top elected officials, fearing the skirmish will hurt them in 2026. After the state party chair lashed out at Arizona's Democratic senators this past weekend, local party leaders warned the collapse of key intra-party relationships in the state could damage the party's prospects in the midterms. And Democrats are now looking for county organizations through which they can funnel fundraising and resources, bypassing the state party, according to four people familiar with the conversations and granted anonymity to discuss internal party matters. It's a major setback for Democrats in a state where Republicans were known for years for infighting and dysfunction — but where the left is now reeling. After the party chair, Robert E. Branscomb II accused Sens. Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego of lording their financial contributions over him, the senators and the statewide elected officials released a letter of their own accusing the chair of making false claims and saying he had 'lost their trust.' Steven Slugocki, a former chair of the Maricopa County Democratic Party, called the fiasco the 'stereotype of Dems in disarray.' 'We have critical elections a year ahead of us,' he said. 'We can't have any of these distractions. We've got statewides to win and a legislature to flip. We need a strong party. It's more critical than ever that we have a strong, united party.' Turning to county parties as a sort-of shadow state party to organize voter registration and get-out-the-vote efforts is not unprecedented. But in recent years, such end-arounds have typically been driven by ideological disputes. In Arizona, the divide appears to be precipitated by warring factions and general accusations of mismanagement. It could not come at a worse time for Democrats, who are desperate to reelect Gov. Katie Hobbs and several other statewide elected officials next year. Hobbs is likely to face a more formidable opponent than she did in 2022, and Democrats stressed the significance of a strong state party apparatus to aid their campaign efforts. If they are forced to work instead through a county, Maricopa County, home to most of the state's population, is widely considered the most obvious choice, given its size. But donors have put feelers out across the state, including to smaller, more rural counties like Mohave and Navajo, leaders said. One Democratic county official, granted anonymity to discuss the internal party deliberations, said it's likely that Democratic leaders in all 15 counties have spoken with donors, who are gauging what areas have the infrastructure in place to handle donations on top of their existing local organizing efforts. "The top of the ticket and donors know what's at stake. And we all know we don't have the luxury of time," the official said. Above all, it was the mere fact a disagreement between top party leaders quickly devolved into a public spectacle that most upset local Democrats. "The party has two jobs: Raise money, register voters, and I have no idea how airing this dirty laundry accomplishes either of those goals," said longtime Arizona Democratic strategist Stacy Pearson. "This public circular firing squad is remarkably unhelpful." Or as another longtime Democrat in the state put it, 'People are just really frustrated with the fact that this dirty laundry got aired the way it did … This is pulling us off message at a time when we really don't need to be doing that, especially given the stakes that we've got." Branscomb brought the party into crisis with a Saturday missive to members of the state central Democratic committee, tearing into Kelly and Gallego. In a letter, he said one senator — but did not specify which — told him he would no longer 'support or participate in state party fundraising' after Branscomb hired an executive director that he said the senators disliked for the position. In response, Kelly, Gallego, Hobbs, Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes and Attorney General Kris Mayes released a letter of their own, declaring the chair had made false claims against them in a 'bad-faith response.' 'Any efforts not devoted to winning are simply a waste of resources,' they wrote. 'While the Chair has lost our trust, we're not going to let that deter us from our mission of winning in 2026.' Branscomb is now under pressure to step down. But whether he will remains unclear. When asked if he would resign, he told a local TV station 'Why? I haven't done anything wrong.' Branscomb said he'd have more to say in the coming days. Democrats hope a decision from Branscomb comes sooner than later so the party can rebuild its reputation and quell donors' worries ahead of 2026, when both Hobbs and Fontes will be at the top of the ticket. But even if he does step down, some Democrats acknowledge it may be too late to repair the damage. 'I mean, the infrastructure is in disarray,' Pearson said. 'So, I mean, at this point, I'm not sure if (a leadership change) matters."
