Arizona Democrats oust embattled chair amid party turmoil

PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona Democrats ousted their embattled chairman six months into a tumultuous tenure that prompted top elected officials and national fundraising committees to sideline the state party ahead of the midterms.

Robert Branscomb’s removal late Wednesday was supported by two-thirds of the Democratic activists who make up the state committee.

Party disarray threatens to complicate Democrats’ efforts to hold on to a decade of successes in a state long dominated by Republicans. Arizona has no Senate contest next year but will have at least two battleground U.S. House races, and the campaigns for governor, other top state offices and legislature could dictate how Arizona handles the 2028 presidential election.

Branscomb took over the party in an upset election in January, when Democrats declined to re-elect former Chair Yolanda Bejarano following party’s disastrous performance in the 2024 election. Branscomb promptly fired most of the senior staff.

Behind-the-scenes tension exploded into public view in April. Branscromb sent a letter to members of the state Democratic committee blasting Sens. Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego, a highly unusual move against the state’s top Democrats.

Kelly and Gallego — along with the governor, secretary of state and attorney general — responded with their own letter saying they’d lost trust in Branscomb.

Last month, the party’s treasurer warned that Branscomb was spending more money than he was raising and the party was on track to go broke by the end of the year.

Branscomb was Arizona’s first Black Democratic Party chair, and he has blamed to push against him in part on racial animus. He said Thursday that he was held to a higher standard than his predecessors and was pushed out in a “coup” before he had time to implement changes or explain his side of the story.

“I was trying to make my way there, but I guess change is hard for some people,” Branscomb said.

Gov. Katie Hobbs, Secretary of State Adrian Fontes and Attorney General Kris Mayes — Democrats who all are seeking second terms next year — announced this month that they will outsource grassroots organizing to a small county organization rather than the Arizona Democratic Party.

First Vice Chair Kim Khoury will lead the party until a new chair is elected.