Nineteen state agency directors will need to be confirmed during the 2025 legislative session, and while some are likely to make it through, others face an uphill battle before the Senate Committee on Director Nominations.

After a failed 2023 confirmation process led to a 2024 legal battle, Gov. Katie Hobbs and Senate President Warren Petersen, R-Gilbert, agreed that the remainder of Hobbs’ agency appointees would be sent back to the Legislature for confirmation this year. Hobbs pulled those 19 appointees from consideration and named them “executive deputy directors” after many were blocked by the chair of the committee, Sen. Jake Hoffman, R-Queen Creek. 

With Hoffman set to return as the committee chair and several rejected nominees reappointed, it’s unclear whether the process will shake out differently this time around. Four agencies do not yet have permanent appointees, but will get new leadership when Hobbs officially submits her nominees to the Legislature during the first week of the session.

Those nominees who have been serving as executive deputy directors will likely have even more questions to answer this time around, as some state agencies have dealt with scandals and criticisms during the past two years. 

In addition to Hoffman as chair, the committee will include Sens. T.J. Shope, R-Coolidge, and John Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills, and Democratic Sens. Flavio Bravo, D-Phoenix, and Analise Ortiz, D-Phoenix.

Nominees facing an uphill battle

Some of Hobbs’ renominated directors already have difficult histories with the committee and Hoffman. Republicans grilled Joan Serviss of the Department of Housing and Elizabeth Thorson of the Department of Administration when they appeared before the committee in 2023.

The committee ultimately rejected Serviss after Republicans accused her of plagiarising letters written during her time as director of the Arizona Housing Coalition. Serviss said during her confirmation hearing that it was accepted practice for advocacy groups to share language in letters.

Additionally, in 2024 the auditor general found that ADOH inadvertently gave $2 million to scammers while working on affordable housing initiatives, a misstep that Republicans criticized heavily.

Thorson was held from consideration after a tense hearing during which Republicans questioned her mainly about abortion issues. ADOA serves as the state government’s human resources department and is responsible for providing employee benefits, maintaining buildings, administering communication services and more. 

Jennie Cunico, the director of the Department of Health Services, did not receive a hearing in 2023 because she was appointed after Hobbs’ first ADHS pick was rejected by the full Senate. However, Cunico will likely face harsh questions from lawmakers about agency decisions made during her tenure.

In September 2024, Republicans criticized the agency for not immediately taking steps to implement the “tamale bill,” which expanded the types of foods at-home vendors can sell. As recently as Jan. 6, Prescott Republican Reps. Selina Bliss and Quang Nguyen chastised Cunico for an agency report that recommended firearms be removed from homes with children to prevent adolescent suicide. 

Another nominee that could face scrutiny is Cynthia Zwick, director of the Residential Utility Consumer Office. RUCO represents utility ratepayers in rate proceedings before the Arizona Corporation Commission.

While Republicans in the Legislature have not voiced opposition to Zwick’s nomination, Republicans on the commission have been vocal in their disagreement with RUCO’s recent arguments and interventions in rate cases and other utility issues before the commission. 

Though a permanent nominee has not yet been announced for the Department of Child Services, that person will likely face extensive questions from the committee. DCS had a particularly rough 2024, with several child deaths in its custody, a U.S. Department of Justice report of discrimination against disabled Arizonans, and involvement in an alleged pay-to-play scheme. 

The same goes for the potential nominees for the Department of Environmental Quality, the Department of Veterans Services and the Office of Tourism. Hobbs’ original appointees to DCS, DEQ and DVS were dealbreakers for Senate Republicans during negotiations to get the appointment process back on track. 

As for the Office of Tourism, the previous executive deputy director, Lisa Urias, resigned in December after news reports that a bid to redesign the state’s logo went to a relative of the head of the communications company she owns. Urias denied any conflict of interest, but the $700,000 rebranding initiative was mocked by Republicans and will likely come up in future committee hearings. 

Nominees likely to make it through

Some Hobbs appointees are more likely to get approval with little fanfare, due to the nonpartisan nature of their agencies or because they already were previously OKd by the committee.

The committee approved Department of Economic Security Director Angie Rodgers in February 2023, but her nomination did not see a vote by the full Senate. 

Other nominees did not have a chance to go before the committee, which Hobbs accused of dragging its feet in 2023. Of the 19 appointees the committee will consider this year, 14 have not appeared for a confirmation hearing.

Most of those nominees have not received criticism or pushback from legislative Republicans. Some, like Jackie Johnson at the Department of Gaming, Alec Thomson at the Arizona Lottery and Thomas Cole at the Registrar of Contractors, run relatively uncontroversial and nonpartisan agencies. 

Other nominees that Republicans have not objected to include Department of Agriculture Director Paul Brierley, Office of Economic Opportunity Director Carlos Contreras, Health Care Cost Containment System Director Carmen Heredia, Department of Homeland Security Director Kim O’Connor, Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions Director Barbara Richardson, State Land Department Director Robyn Sahid and Industrial Commission Director Gaetano Testini.

However, there is no guarantee that those nominees without prior objections will sail through the committee. Hoffman has hinted that the 2025 confirmation process could be similar to 2023, saying he won’t “rubberstamp unqualified radicals” and telling Hobbs to bring “sane, nonpartisan” nominees to the committee. 

All nominees will need to be confirmed during the 2025 session, per state law and the agreement reached by Hobbs and Petersen.