Hi, it’s Katie Hobbs. This is a longer email than I usually send, but it’s a very personal and important story about my past so I hope you’ll take the time to read it.

In 2016 when I was a legislator in the State Senate, I made $24,000/year. With two teenagers and a mortgage, my husband and I struggled to make ends meet. Like many Arizonans, I did what I had to do to provide for my family, and I made the decision to drive for Uber to help pay the bills.

It was hard to struggle financially, and I never wanted my kids to worry. But when you're a parent, you do whatever is necessary to put food on the table and keep the lights on.

Ultimately I only worked this side job for less than 3 months while the legislature was out of session, and by the end I made about $2,500 for about 260 rides. But I’ll never forget those late nights at the kitchen table, frozen staring at a stack of bills.

There are so many Arizonans who know exactly what that feels like – particularly right now. Working families are too often forced into difficult financial choices, like covering the costs of a prescription medicine or your kid’s school supplies. With costs rising on everything from gas to groceries to housing, I know firsthand how hard it is to make ends meet.

And when I’m governor, I’ll never forget that. You can be sure that when I’m governor, I’ll be working day in and day out for families all across this state who are struggling just like mine. I’m tired of waiting for someone else to do something about it.

I’ve been there, I’ve lived these experiences, I know just how much those extra dollars mean. I’ll show up to the Ninth Floor and get the job done. We’ll look to my Affordable Arizona plan to deliver solutions that will save parents money on school supplies and necessities like diapers. Solutions that put more money in the pockets of working families.

Back in 2016, I did what I had to do for my family. And as your governor, I’ll do the same for yours.

Thank you for reading,
Katie