Arizona Democrats descend into internal conflict
The state party chair criticized Senators Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego in a letter, to which they replied that he "lost their trust."
TroibNews 
Arizona's Democratic Party is experiencing significant turmoil.
Intense infighting among the state's prominent Democrats, which seems to have been brewing for weeks, became public on Saturday when state party chair Robert E. Branscomb II issued a letter to members of Arizona’s state Democratic committee. In it, he criticized Senators Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego while also revealing private disputes among them.
In response, the senators, along with Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs and the state’s secretary of state and attorney general, sent a letter declaring that Branscomb “has lost their trust.”
“His statement today includes many false claims and is the kind of bad-faith response we’ve come to expect from the new leadership over the last several weeks,” they wrote in a communication that the party's vice chair forwarded to Arizona Democratic Committee members.
The conflict between the head of a state Democratic Party and its top statewide elected officials is an unusual and troubling scenario in a key swing state. This rift could pose serious risks for the Democratic side in a state that Donald Trump turned in his favor last year, especially with statewide offices like the governorship up for grabs in the 2026 elections.
In his initial letter, Branscomb explained that his move to dismiss the previous executive director upset Kelly, who allegedly “strongly discouraged” him over the phone “from making staffing charges without consulting him.”
Branscomb also noted that his choice to officially promote the acting executive director angered both senators. He claimed that one of them—whom he did not name—texted him to say he “would no longer support or participate in state party fundraising.” The other senator reportedly called him, stating he was “demeaning me and demanding I reverse my decision within 24 hours or ‘face consequences.’”
Branscomb was elected by Arizona Democrats in January, ousting then-chair Yolanda Bejarano, who had been elected in 2023. During Bejarano's reelection campaign in 2025, she received backing from Kelly, Gallego, Hobbs, and Secretary of State Adrian Fontes.
Gallego won an open Senate seat in 2024, but Trump had carried the state. Meanwhile, Republicans retained control of both chambers in the state legislature.
Emily Johnson for TROIB News
Intense infighting among the state's prominent Democrats, which seems to have been brewing for weeks, became public on Saturday when state party chair Robert E. Branscomb II issued a letter to members of Arizona’s state Democratic committee. In it, he criticized Senators Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego while also revealing private disputes among them.
In response, the senators, along with Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs and the state’s secretary of state and attorney general, sent a letter declaring that Branscomb “has lost their trust.”
“His statement today includes many false claims and is the kind of bad-faith response we’ve come to expect from the new leadership over the last several weeks,” they wrote in a communication that the party's vice chair forwarded to Arizona Democratic Committee members.
The conflict between the head of a state Democratic Party and its top statewide elected officials is an unusual and troubling scenario in a key swing state. This rift could pose serious risks for the Democratic side in a state that Donald Trump turned in his favor last year, especially with statewide offices like the governorship up for grabs in the 2026 elections.
In his initial letter, Branscomb explained that his move to dismiss the previous executive director upset Kelly, who allegedly “strongly discouraged” him over the phone “from making staffing charges without consulting him.”
Branscomb also noted that his choice to officially promote the acting executive director angered both senators. He claimed that one of them—whom he did not name—texted him to say he “would no longer support or participate in state party fundraising.” The other senator reportedly called him, stating he was “demeaning me and demanding I reverse my decision within 24 hours or ‘face consequences.’”
Branscomb was elected by Arizona Democrats in January, ousting then-chair Yolanda Bejarano, who had been elected in 2023. During Bejarano's reelection campaign in 2025, she received backing from Kelly, Gallego, Hobbs, and Secretary of State Adrian Fontes.
Gallego won an open Senate seat in 2024, but Trump had carried the state. Meanwhile, Republicans retained control of both chambers in the state legislature.
Emily Johnson for TROIB News
