Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs Faces Challenges with Senate Over Department Director Nominees

Image credits: (Photos via Arizona Governor's Office and Arizona Legislature)

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs is facing challenges with the Senate over her department director nominees, with one nominee approved and another facing calls to resign. The Senate Committee on Director Nominations, chaired by Sen. Jake Hoffman, approved Michael Wisehart as the director of the Department of Economic Security. Wisehart, a longtime employee of the department, previously served as director under Republican Gov. Doug Ducey. The full Senate will consider Wisehart's nomination at a later date, and it is likely that he will be confirmed.

However, another nominee, Joan Serviss, who has been leading the Department of Housing, is facing opposition from Senate Republicans. They are calling for her to withdraw from consideration and resign, citing an October 2024 Arizona Auditor General report that flagged the department's failure to curb fraud, theft, waste, and abuse of taxpayer dollars. The report found that the department had failed to prevent a fraudulent $2 million transfer from the State Housing Trust Fund in 2023. Senate President Warren Petersen said that the Senate cannot in good conscience confirm Serviss as director, given the disturbing mismanagement that has occurred under her watch.

The dispute between Hobbs and Senate Republicans over her nominees has been ongoing for several months. In September 2023, the Senate Committee on Director Nominations rejected Serviss as housing director, and Hobbs subsequently withdrew her remaining 13 director nominations. Hobbs then tried to sidestep the committee by naming interim directors, who appointed "executive deputy directors" and resigned, leaving the deputies in charge. However, a Maricopa County Superior Court judge ruled in June 2024 that the executive deputy director appointments were illegal, regardless of the job titles.

Hobbs has since renominated Serviss, who has been leading the Department of Housing. However, Senate Republicans are unlikely to confirm her, given their concerns about her management of the department. A spokesperson for Hobbs disputed the accusations against Serviss, saying that the issues cited by Senate Republicans existed before Serviss' tenure and that she is now fixing the problems created by previous administrations. The spokesperson also praised Serviss for her work in implementing historic investments in the Housing Trust Fund and creating affordable housing units.

The battle between Hobbs and Senate Republicans over her nominees is likely to continue, with several other nominees still pending confirmation. The Senate Committee on Director Nominations will continue to vet Hobbs' nominees, and it is likely that there will be further disagreements over the qualifications and suitability of her appointees. As the political tensions between Hobbs and Senate Republicans continue to escalate, it remains to be seen how the situation will be resolved and what impact it will have on the state's governance and administration.