By Stacey Barchenger || The Arizona Republic
Yolanda Bejarano is the new Arizona Democratic Party chair.
Arizona Democrats chose union organizer Yolanda Bejarano in a landslide to lead the party’s work into 2024, with prying control of the state Legislature away from Republicans a foremost goal.
Bejarano received 70% of votes from the 626 state party committee members who gathered online Saturday to choose their new leaders. She defeated Steve Gallardo, a Maricopa County supervisor backed by Gov. Katie Hobbs, in a contest that some viewed as a test of Hobbs’ influence within the party.
Bejarano will take the helm of a party fresh off victories in November that saw Democrats take the top three posts in state government for the first time in nearly 50 years. U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., won a full six-year term in one of the most competitive races in the nation.
