Editor’s note: This story has been revised to correct Robert Branscomb’s first name and Kim Khoury’s last name. 

Arizona Democrats ousted incumbent chair Yolanda Bejarano and elected Robert Branscomb to take her place at the party’s state committee meeting Saturday. 

The change in leadership follows an election season marked by Democrat losses up and down the ballot and a contentious week after an outgoing vice chair raised concerns about alleged “self-dealing” by the party’s longtime treasurer, allegations Bejarano wholeheartedly denied and deemed “defamatory.”

Both Bejarano and Treasurer Rick McGuire were voted out today. 

Despite Bejarano securing endorsements from most all elected Democrats in the state, Branscomb, a vice chair for the party and owner of an insurance agency in Phoenix, is now the party’s chair, securing 318 votes to Bejarano’s 206.  

Following his election, Branscomb told the Arizona Capitol Times, he believed the party did need an audit and emphasized his focus on transparency and party unity as chair. 

“I want to, number one, get the party together and make sure we come together and make sure we’re solid. It’s hard after a loss,” Branscomb said. “But I don’t want that despair to turn into inaction.” 

Bejarano was first elected party chair in 2022, with endorsements from Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, U.S. Sen Mark Kelly and Attorney General Kris Mayes at the time. She faced off against Maricopa County Supervisor Steve Gallardo, who campaigned with the support of Gov. Katie Hobbs. Despite the split in support from the governor, Bejarano took 70.2% of the vote 

She entered today’s election with backing from a swath of elected Democrats in the state, with Hobbs stepping up to the mic to nominate Bejarano. 

“She is the exact leader we need for the 2026 election cycle to help ensure we reelect our incumbents and elect even more Democrats at all levels of government,” Hobbs said. 

But her candidacy did not go unchallenged. 

Branscomb challenged Bejarano, along with Cathy Ransom, former Democratic candidate for Legislative District 1; Dave Braun, an attorney and former Maricopa County Justice Court Judge; and Nicholas Mink, a coalition lead for Progressive Victory. 

Branscomb touched on election losses in 2024, calling for “bold and transformative change.” 

He said he was committed “to rebuilding trust and respect, by not just listening to your concerns, but by returning your phone calls and advocating for everyday people.” 

“If you believe in bold leadership, if you see the need for change, if you’re ready to fight to turn Arizona blue, vote for me,” Branscomb said.

He saw support from his opponent Cathy Ransom, too, who ended her speech by calling for committee members to vote for Branscomb. Ransom seized on recent frustration with a lack of financial transparency in her remarks.

“The failure that the party suffered was not your failure. It was a failure of our state party leadership,” Ransom said. “If you want transparency, you must vote for change … If you want an audit, you must vote for change.”  

In her candidate speech, Bejarano boasted her endorsements and noted Sen. Ruben Gallego’s win and the success of the abortion initiative. She said she would continue to enter the 2026 cycle with a “bold economic message.” 

“We need to meet voters where they are, engaging them in their neighborhoods and focusing on the economic issues that matter most to them,” Bejarano said. “I believe in an Arizona where every child has the opportunity to succeed, where every worker is treated with dignity and respect, and where no one is left behind. This is not just political to me, it’s personal. As a child of immigrant parents, I understand what it means to work hard to face adversity and dream of something better.” 

Branscomb ultimately prevailed by 112 votes in the final call. 

Some intrigue swirled around the treasurer’s election as well after former vice chair Will Knight penned a letter earlier this week to the party raising concerns of “self-dealing” by the party’s treasurer, Rick McGuire, given contract payments spanning back to 2021 and totalling $121,500.

Bejarano and the party maintain the payments were above board and properly compensated McGuire for outside work assisting county parties and legislative districts with treasurer training, and said any claim of the contract being improper are misplaced. 

Following some slight unrest at the meeting, Greg Freeman, candidate for Maricopa County Assessor last year, successfully challenged McGuire, who has served as party treasurer since 2007.  

Some slight cracks in the party’s concerns over a lack of financial transparency appeared early in the meeting. After McGuire’s treasurer report, committee members called for further information and a light on staff salaries and contractors employed by the party. 

The same frustration built as Bejarano later moved past the rules adoption portion of the meeting without a proposal to create a financial oversight committee. She said the item would be taken up at a later meeting, which resulted in some boos. 

Secretary of State Adrian Fontes spoke after and said the party has “far too many other major issues to deal with than to worry about internal squabbles and a little bit of pettiness,” which was met with light booing. 

He noted though that he did want to see an audit every two years and ended his remarks with a call for greater unity in the party. 

“Do not lose focus on the battles out there because the politics outside of this hall are far more important to our communities, our families, our people and the whole state than the politics in here,” Fontes said. “Whether we agree or disagree, regardless of the results, folks, we have an obligation as Democrats and as leaders in Arizona to fight like hell for all Arizonans, and for all of Arizona.”I

ncumbent Lisa Sanor will again serve as secretary after running unopposed. Committee members elected Kim Khoury as first vice chair, Paul Eckerstrom as senior vice chair and Shanna Leonard, Shawnté Rothschild, Joshua Polacheck, Nicholas Mink, Aaron Marquez and Melissa Galarza as the six remaining vice chairs.