Former President Obama is lending his support to Katie Hobbs and Charlie Crist, the Democratic nominees for governor of Arizona and Florida, respectively.
Obama said in a video posted on Hobbs’s Twitter page on Thursday that the Arizona secretary of state remained strong in ensuring every vote in the state was counted in elections and is “up to the challenge” of preserving democracy.
Kari Lake, the Republican nominee for governor, is a close ally of former President Trump and has backed his false claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen.
Obama said that as governor, Hobbs will protect people’s right to vote and the right to choose whether to have an abortion. An Arizona trigger ban restricting abortion following the Supreme Court’s ruling this summer overturning Roe v. Wade has been temporarily blocked while challenges to the law play out in court.
“Democracy needs defenders, and Arizona needs a governor like Katie Hobbs,” Obama said.
Obama said in his endorsement of Crist that the former governor and congressman has two qualities that he admires, “guts and decency.”
“Charlie Crist is fearless, guided by what’s right, even when it’s hard,” Obama said.
“So if you’re ready for a governor who will care about people instead of bullying them, who will fight for voting rights and a woman’s right to choose, who understands the challenges you’re facing every day and who will fight for you, vote for Charlie Crist,” he continued.
The Arizona governor’s race is locked in a tight battle, and most polls have shown neither candidate leading by more than a few points.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) is favored to win reelection in the state’s gubernatorial race. FiveThirtyEight’s polling average shows DeSantis leading by about 9 points.