Hobbs’ top aide resigns, Campbell floated as potential chief of staff 

Gov. Katie Hobbs’ chief of staff Allie Bones resigned on Thursday, the highest-profile departure from a gubernatorial administration that’s already seen some turnover in key positions.

Bones offered her resignation “effective immediately” on Thursday, according to a news release sent by the governor’s office.

She had held the position for less than five months, but, notably, she was the governor’s top negotiator in budget talks with Republican lawmakers that led to a deal earlier this month.

The governor’s office said a new chief of staff would be named next week.

In announcing the departure, Hobbs praised Bones.

“Allie Bones exemplifies the true meaning of a public servant, and I am incredibly grateful for her leadership throughout the transition and this first legislative session of my Administration… With a successful bipartisan budget behind us, she’s ready for her next endeavor, and I wish her nothing but the best,” the governor said in an emailed statement.

Christian Slater, a spokesman for Hobbs, declined to comment on the circumstances of the departure or whether a search for a new chief of staff had been opened. Bones didn’t immediately reply to a message seeking comment.

On Thursday and Friday, rumors swirled about Bones’ potential replacement, with several state capitol consultants and journalists pointing to former Democratic lawmaker turned consultant Chad Campbell as a likely choice.

“If you were to put together a job posting and qualifications for chief of staff to Katie Hobbs, Chad Campbell would fit the description nearly perfectly,” said Barrett Marson, a Republican strategist.

“Even though he didn’t serve with many of the current legislators, he understands the mindset of legislators and, just as importantly, understands the intricacies of state government,” Marson added.

Campbell served three terms in the House, including as minority leader and is now a consultant with Lumen Strategies. He also served on Hobbs’ transition team but returned to his consulting job rather than taking a position within the administration earlier this year.

Campbell and fellow Lumen consultant Stacy Pearson didn’t answer calls and messages on Friday.

Gaelle Esposito, of the progressive firm Creosote, said she thinks it’s “very likely” Campbell will be tapped for the job.

In a text message, Esposito said Campbell might not want to give up his current consulting gig – “He’s got a good life… does he want to give that up for this role?” – but added that “he’s the type of person who answers that call.”

Hobbs and Bones are both social workers who ascended – together – to the highest levels of Arizona government.

Bones served as deputy Secretary of State under Hobbs from 2018 to 2022 and was among a group of staffers that followed Hobbs from the Secretary of State’s office to the Executive Tower after Hobbs won the governor’s office.

Now, she joins a list of aides who have left the governor’s office during Hobbs’ first six months in office.

In March, former spokeswoman Josselyn Berry resigned at Hobbs’ request following a controversial tweet. Days later, Murphy Hebert, Hobbs’ communications director as both Secretary of State and governor, left her post. Earlier this month, former Legislative Director Rebecca Beebe resigned.

The first chief of staff to former Republican Gov. Doug Ducey, Hobbs’ predecessor, lasted four years in the position. But Ducey’s predecessor, former Republican Gov. Jan Brewer, lost her top aide within the first year of her administration, as well.

Bones served as Hobbs’ top deputy in negotiating this year’s budget with Republican legislative leaders Rep. Ben Toma, R-Peoria, and Sen. Warren Petersen, R-Gilbert. The governor earned praise for reaching a deal with Republicans early in the spring, but she also faced criticism from her own party for how the budget was negotiated.

Sen. Catherine Miranda, D-Phoenix, said on the night the budget passed that Democratic lawmakers were frustrated after working mainly through the chief of staff during budget negotiations, calling her “Governor Allie Bones.”

On Friday, Rep. Andrés Cano, D-Tucson, didn’t criticize Bones but said he’s hoping Hobbs’ pick for the job will work with Democrats in the legislature – something Bones was accused of failing to do.

“The next chief must understand that the Democratic caucus is the governor’s biggest partner in negotiations, policy making, and in flipping the legislature in 2024,” Cano wrote in a text message.