Wednesday, November 11, 2026·Focal News

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Arizona Democrats, poised for first trifecta in 60 years, target vouchers, abortion litigation and data center tax breaks

With Gov. Katie Hobbs reelected and both legislative chambers flipped, Arizona Democrats say they will end the state's defense of abortion restrictions, overhaul the school voucher program and reconsider tax breaks for data centers.

Arizona Democrats, poised for first trifecta in 60 years, target vouchers, abortion litigation and data center tax breaks

Arizona Democrats, who will take control of both chambers of the Legislature in January alongside a reelected Gov. Katie Hobbs, laid out an agenda Tuesday centered on ending the state's legal defense of abortion restrictions, overhauling the school voucher program and scrutinizing tax breaks for data centers.

The plans follow last week's elections, in which Democrats won both the House and Senate for the first time in 60 years. Combined with Hobbs' victory, the party will control the governor's office and the Legislature for the first time since 1966, according to unofficial election results.

Hobbs marked the shift on social media, recalling that when she helped found the Arizona Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee in 2014, the party's Senate ranks were so thin that "we joked we could all share one pizza." She added: "Now, Arizona will have a Democratic trifecta for the first time in 60 years. We're going to need a lot more pizza."

On abortion, incoming Senate President Priya Sundareshan said Democrats will stop defending the state's abortion laws in court. The Republican-led Legislature had taken up that defense after Attorney General Kris Mayes declined to do so, and lawmakers appealed after a judge struck down several of the laws in February.

"We will certainly be ending the litigation," Sundareshan said, adding that Democrats will work with partners to determine which laws should be repealed.

Democrats also set their sights on the state's school voucher program, which Sundareshan said has cost more than projected and has produced "significant examples of fraud and abuse."

"So not only from a budgetary perspective, but also from a good government perspective, we must address the voucher program," she said.

Asked whether Democrats would revive the voucher changes Hobbs proposed last year, Sundareshan said those proposals are "absolutely on the table."

Paying for expanded school funding could prove more difficult. Sundareshan said Democrats "absolutely must invest more in public education," but the state's flat income tax has left it with less revenue than in previous years, and Democrats cannot raise taxes on their own.

Democrats are on track to hold a 20-10 Senate supermajority, enough to pass tax increases, which require a two-thirds vote in each chamber. But their projected 37-23 House majority falls short of that threshold.

Instead, Sundareshan pointed to ending tax breaks for data centers as an area where both parties might find common ground. She has said Democratic control of both chambers will let the party deliver on issues with bipartisan support.

"We know the voters of Arizona are not thrilled with how fast data centers have expanded and that they are enjoying tax breaks," she said.

Hobbs and the Republican-led Legislature agreed in June to pause the data center sales tax break for three years. The Arizona Commerce Authority approved 107 applications in the two weeks before the pause took effect.

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