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 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."

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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.

Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs addresses the members of Arizona's Electoral College prior to them casting their votes in Phoenix, Arizona, U.S. December 14, 2020. (Ross D. Franklin/Pool via REUTERS)

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 against then-Republican challenger Kari Lake, is seeking reelection in a state expected to be one of the most closely watched political battlegrounds of the 2026 cycle. 

She won her uncontested primary Tuesday and will advance to the general election to take on Trump-backed Republican nominee Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., who beat out several opponents to win his Tuesday primary. Biggs’ campaign also seized on Hobbs' spending earlier this month, accusing the incumbent governor of "lighting" $7.4 million "on fire" and highlighting what it described as a 281% Q2 burn rate.

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"While Andy Biggs’ campaign is floundering and stuck defending his decision to side with a pedophile cult over protecting women and children, we’re proud of the strong support we’ve received from grassroots donors in all 15 Arizona counties," Hobbs campaign manager, Nicole DeMont, told Fox News Digital in response to the criticism about the governor's spending numbers.

The "pedophile cult" reference appeared to point to a recent Hobbs campaign digital ad that accused Biggs of "protecting predators," citing his opposition to a bill addressing Arizona’s rape-kit backlog and his vote against releasing the Epstein files.

"We’re going to continue using those resources to reach Arizonans across the state in both English and Spanish through face-to-face conversations, community organizing, and on their TVs, local radio stations, and digital platforms."

Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., arrives for a House Judiciary Committee member day hearing in Rayburn building on Thursday, November 20, 2025. (om Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

But, aside from whether Hobbs is earning grassroots support, Bowyer also cast Hobbs’ burn rate as part of a broader problem for the Democratic Party, arguing that the party is spending aggressively to keep pace with Republicans heading into the midterms even though Democrats are the party out of power in Washington and would typically expect the president’s party to face tougher headwinds.

He added that Hobbs’ cash position matters beyond her own campaign because Arizona does not have a Senate race this cycle to help drive Democratic fundraising and turnout infrastructure.

"If the governor doesn't have money, then a lot of candidates down ballot won't have a ton of money," he said, arguing Democrats often rely on federal races as a "crutch" to support campaigns lower on the ticket.

he Arizona state flag flies beside the United States flag at the Visitor Center at Canyon de Chelly National Monument near Chinle, Arizona. Established in 1931, the monument is jointly managed by the National Park Service and the Navajo Nation. The monument is entirely on Navajo tribal lands in northeastern Arizona. (Photo by Robert Alexander/Getty Images) (Robert Alexander/Getty Images)

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Meanwhile, Bowyer said the race should also matter to conservatives outside Arizona because the state is expected to remain central to the 2028 presidential map. He argued that Republicans need to invest now in battleground states like Arizona to build the organization, funding and "boots on the ground" needed for the next White House race.

"Right now, we’re in the battle of our lives for what 2030 and beyond will look like," Bowyer said. "People are totally underestimating what this country will look like if the Democrats win the presidency in 2028 and hijack the census process and redistricting."

"We may look back at 2026 and realize that was the pivot point where we saved America ahead of 2028, or we lost America for good."