Key Points:

• Democrats will likely hold a trifecta at the Arizona Capitol for the first time in 60 years

• Legislative leaders will be selected soon

• Democratic lobbyists and consultants predict bipartisan governance

After a shocking, seismic shift in Arizona’s political power dynamics, Democrats are set to hold a trifecta for the first time in more than half a century, giving Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs a rare opportunity to advance policy with a friendly Legislature in 2027. 

Election results are unofficial, and votes are still being counted statewide, but if current results hold, Democrats will lead the House 37-23 and the Senate 20-10. They are also leading the races for attorney general, secretary of state, superintendent of public instruction, treasurer, mine inspector and corporation commission.

Hobbs, who began her Arizona political career at the Legislature, congratulated legislative Democrats at a Wednesday night victory rally.

“When I got to the Legislature in 2011, there were so few Democrats in the Senate that we joked the caucus could share one pizza,” Hobbs said. “We’ve now gone from a one-pizza caucus to a majority in both chambers.”

During her remarks, the governor pledged to work with those majorities to rein in the Empowerment Scholarship Accounts program, pass rural groundwater legislation, extend Proposition 123, cut red tape for starter home developments and accelerate apprenticeship programs. 

And it appears that the current Democratic leadership — House Minority Leader Oscar De Los Santos, D-Laveen, and Senate Minority Leader Priya Sundareshan, D-Tucson — could be Hobbs’ partners in those efforts as the next speaker and president.  

“Oscar De Los Santos is someone that people kind of have quietly underestimated for a long time,” said Liz Goodman, the chair of Rose Law Group’s government affairs department. “We all know [Sundareshan] is a brilliant water and environmental attorney, but she’s really proven to be a talented and successful leader too, and I think she’s brought the caucus together in a way that I haven’t seen in many years where there’s true caucus unity.”

Sundareshan said in a Thursday statement that legislative Democrats understand the responsibility that comes with being elected to the majority. 

“Our commitment to results has always been clear,” Sundareshan said. “This moment strengthens our determination to transform Arizona into a place where everyone has a fair shot at getting ahead.”

Caucus organization meetings are expected to be held over the coming days. Rep. Janeen Connolly, D-Tempe, told reporters on Election Night that she was also interested in making a bid for speaker. 

Democratic political consultants and lobbyists expect Hobbs to stick to the moderate, pragmatic governing approach she used in her first term — even with her newfound support in the Legislature.

“By and large, most people understand this [election] was not a mandate to do ultra-progressive policies,” said consultant Matt Grodsky. “This was about bringing costs down, doing smart policies when it comes to water, reining in data centers where appropriate and making sure that we’re pushing back against federal overreach.”

Brian Murray, a Republican political consultant and lobbyist with Cornerstone Public Affairs, a bipartisan firm, said he and other partners formed Cornerstone when it became clear that Arizona’s Legislature was becoming more bipartisan and that Democrats could flip the chambers. 

“Anything that’s meaningful almost always has to have bipartisan support,” Murray said. 

Hobbs’ first term was marked by her veto pen, which she used to break the state record for most bills rejected in a single legislative session in both 2023 and 2025. While her all-time veto record of 541 bills likely won’t grow exponentially, Democratic consultant Stacy Pearson said she expects the governor to keep setting high expectations for legislation. 

“I think she is going to require the Legislature to continue to bring her bipartisan bills. That was a requirement of her first term; I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s a requirement of her second,” Pearson said. “I could see her continuing that commitment to ensure that we’re not renting these seats for two years, that we’re not renting a majority as Democrats.”

As the minority party, Democratic lawmakers rarely had their bills heard in committee hearings, and even fewer reached the governor’s desk. In 2025, ten bills sponsored by Democrats reached Hobbs’ desk, and in 2026 only 16 Democratic bills made it as far as passing one chamber and receiving a hearing in the other, a small fraction of the more than 2,000 bills introduced during that session. 

“What we’ve had in the past is a Republican-led Legislature that never even thought to hear some of the bills that Democrats put forward,” Secretary of State Adrian Fontes said in a Wednesday press conference. “They never even bothered to respect the voices of those folks who were the duly elected representatives of their constituents”

Roy Herrera, a Democratic lobbyist and founding partner of Herrera Arellano, said Democrats will feel pressure in 2027 to deliver on campaign promises to make living expenses more affordable.

“Now, you actually have to get stuff passed,” Herrera said. “If the Democrats want to keep the majority for more than two years, they’re going to have to deliver … quickly on meeting some of those needs.”

Pearson agreed, arguing the trifecta must make affordability and cost-of-living issues day-one priorities.

“Democrats don’t have time for a victory lap,” Pearson said. “This is an indication of how hard people are suffering.”