Wadsack, Kern, Arizona Freedom Caucus, Hobbs, lawmakers, MAGA, Republicans, DemocratsRep. Jake Hoffman, R-Queen Creek, speaks at a Jan. 9 press conference as leader of the Arizona Freedom Caucus. The group of largely “MAGA” lawmakers is already pushing back hard against Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs. Photo by Camryn Sanchez || Arizona Capitol Times
By Camryn Sanche || Arizona Capitol Times January 12, 2023
The “spear tip” of legislative conservatism is already pushing back hard against Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs, but not all the dissenters will identify themselves.
Arizona Freedom Caucus – created recently in the interim between sessions – is based off the group with the same name in the U.S. House of Representatives, and led by Sen. Jake Hoffman, R-Queen Creek.
Entirely Republican, the Arizona group of largely “MAGA” lawmakers has members in both chambers and aims to oppose Hobbs already over an anti-discrimination executive order and what it considers other “radical” positions she champions like maintaining abortion access.
Hoffman said the Freedom Caucus will be “the tip of the spear” when it comes to conservativism in the Legislature, where divisive cracks are causing problems.
Hobbs must work with a Republican-majority House and Senate, and within the Republican Party strife between old-school Republicans and MAGA Republicans leads to its own holdups.
Toma, Arizona Freedom Caucus, Hobbs, Republicans, Democrats
House Speaker Ben Toma, R-Peoria
“I am the majority leader of the Republican caucus as a whole. I’m not interested in dividing the majority,” House Speaker Ben Toma, R-Peoria, said of the Freedom Caucus in July.
At that point, several of the caucus’s members were not yet elected, but the general election seems to have swelled the Freedom Caucus ranks.
Freshman Reps. Rachel Jones, R-Tucson, Barbara Parker, R-Mesa, Cory McGarr, R-Tucson, Alexander Kolodin, R-Phoenix, Austin Smith, R-Wittmann, Barbara Parker, R-Mesa, Laurin Hendrix, R-Gilbert, and Justin Heap, R-Mesa, are now associated with the caucus. As are freshmen Sens. Anthony Kern, R-Glendale, and Justine Wadsack, R-Tucson.
Returning representatives Lupe Diaz, R-Benson, Jacqueline Parker, R-Mesa, Joseph Chaplik, R-Scottsdale, and Beverly Pingerelli, R-Peoria, and Sens, Jake Hoffman, R-Queen Creek, and John Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills are also “involved” with the caucus to a degree.
