Battleground Dem governor torched for ‘drunken sailor’ spending GOP critic says is symbolic of bigger problem
Arizona Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs’ reelection campaign spent nearly three times what it raised in the second quarter of 2026, burning through more than $7.4 million in three months as...
By Fox News · Fox News
Arizona Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs ’ reelection campaign spent nearly three times what it raised in the second quarter of 2026, burning through more than $7.4 million in three months as a prominent GOP activist in Arizona accused the battleground incumbent of "spending like a drunken sailor" to prop up a struggling campaign. Campaign finance records reviewed by Fox News Digital show Hobbs’ campaign began the Federal Election Commission's (FEC) Q2 filing period with roughly $7.18 million cash on hand, raised about $2.64 million, spent more than $7.44 million and ended the quarter with about $2.38 million in the bank. The filing shows much of the spending went toward communications, TV, advertising and outside campaign firms, giving Republicans a fresh line of attack as Hobbs seeks reelection in one of the nation’s most closely watched battleground gubernatorial races. "She’s spending like a drunken sailor. And drunken sailors typically don’t spend smart," Turning Point USA chief operating officer, former Maricopa County GOP chair and 7th generation Arizonan Tyler Bowyer told Fox News Digital. "When you’re spending that much money on consultants and TV and paid messaging, that tells me there isn’t a lot of organic energy behind the campaign." TOP DEMOCRAT GOVERNORS ARE HOPING TO RIDE THEIR RECORDS TO THE WHITE HOUSE. CAN THEY? Bowyer said the filing reflects a broader challenge for Democrats in Arizona, and nationally, saying Hobbs’ campaign spending more than it raised is "a huge problem" for an incumbent Democrat in a battleground state. Among those problems, Bowyer argued, is a spending strategy focused heavily on paid media and consultants rather than grassroots energy. He pointed to what he described as "a whole lot" of spending on consultants, TV and paid messaging, noting, "these are not real grassrootsy types of moves," and arguing that campaigns with less organic support often struggle down the stretch. Hobbs, who narrowly won the governor’s office in 2022…