By Kiera Riley | Arizona Capitol Times
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.
