Key Points:

• Arizona Democratic Party members ousted Chair Robert Branscomb after months of controversy
• The meeting was long and disorganized, resulting in frustration from many party members
• A new chair will be elected at the party’s next meeting, though Branscomb can challenge his removal

Members of the Arizona Democratic Party voted to oust Chair Robert Branscomb during a chaotic July 16 special meeting.

Branscomb became chair in January after ousting incumbent Yolanda Bejarano at the party’s annual leadership elections. His short tenure in the position has been plagued by controversy, including a letter of no confidence from Arizona’s top Democrats, public disagreements with the party’s union and fundraising difficulties.

The total number of votes cast to remove Branscomb is unclear, with some state committee members voting via email due to technical difficulties. But 476 members voted for removal via the party’s preferred method of voting, clearing the two-thirds requirement for in the ADP’s bylaws.

“Today’s recall effort is rooted in misrepresentation, divisive tactics and does not reflect our democratic values,” Branscomb said at the meeting. “This effort is not about the strength of the party. It’s about distraction and dividing us at a time when unity is more important than ever.”

Branscomb’s supporters railed against former chair Bejarano and argued elected Democrats want someone they can control. They also claimed the push to remove Branscomb was rooted in racism — not actual issues with his leadership — because he is the first African American leader of the state party. 

Several county chairs and state lawmakers who spoke in favor of ousting Branscomb cited concerns that he would not be able to lead Democrats to victory in the 2026 elections. 

“Donors have told me directly they’re sitting out until the party gets its act together,” said Rep. Aaron Marquez.

The meeting was marred by technical difficulties and confusion among state committee members, with many becoming heated or using expletives during procedural votes.

“I’m trying to maintain decorum, but I’m gonna be honest. I am very upset,” Rep. Quantá Crews said during the meeting. 

Over two and a half hours were spent trying to fix issues with the online voting system the party uses to conduct votes during meetings. Several members were not sent links to vote to establish a quorum, sparking frustration among attendees who were concerned they would not be able to cast a vote on the question of removing Branscomb. 

The issues seemed to stem from miscommunications and tensions between state party officers running the meeting and ADP Executive Director Michael Ruff, who was administering the online voting system with other staff members. Some ADP staff members commented in the Zoom call chat that they had offered to assist with the meeting, but did not receive a response. 

Several attendees suggested cancelling the meeting and rescheduling, while others suggested the difficulties were created by Branscomb and staff members loyal to him to disenfranchise party members. 

“I just feel like this was not well planned, the staff was not prepared for it, Michael Ruff did not prepare us, we had a lack of conversation about this meeting,” said ADP Vice Chair Melissa Galarza. 

The conflicts with Branscomb began in April when he sent a letter to state committee members accusing U.S. Sens. Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego of retaliating against him for making personnel decisions without consulting them. The senators, joined by Gov. Katie Hobbs, Attorney General Kris Mayes and Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, fired back with a letter declaring they had lost confidence in Branscomb.

Arizona’s top Democrats supported Bejarano for reelection as chair, but other members of the party wanted to see a change after Democrats suffered devastating losses in the 2024 elections.

After his public battle with the Democratic elected officials, Branscomb was censured by the state party’s executive board for sharing internal communications and not returning a report on how he accessed those communications.

ADP has also been spending more money than it is raking in, according to recent campaign finance reports. That puts Democrats in a precarious position to defend themselves from Republican challengers heading into the 2026 elections. 

In early July, Kelly, Gallego, Hobbs, Mayes and Fontes announced they would be launching a statewide coordinated campaign through the Navajo County Democrats. The effort allows the Democrats to reroute their funding away from the state party, which would ordinarily be the largest vehicle for fundraising for candidates. 

The feud at the top of the party also comes as negotiations between management and the ADP union have stalled. The Arizona Democratic Party Headquarters Union announced on July 15 that it plans to file a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board accusing party management of retaliation, baseless disciplinary action, delayed responses and more. 

The party will nominate candidates and vote on a new chair in September, though Branscomb could challenge his removal. In the meantime, ADP Vice Chair Kim Khoury will serve as interim chair.