Democrats win the Arizona House, Senate and governor’s office for the first time since 1966

Arizona Democrats have won both chambers of the state Legislature while retaining the governor’s office, giving the party full control of state government for the first time since 1966. The shift gives Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs a Legislature aligned with her priorities after her first term was marked by frequent clashes with Republican lawmakers.

The Associated Press confirmed the legislative flips on Friday as officials continued counting votes. Republicans had held the Arizona House for 60 years and the Senate since the early 1990s; Hobbs vetoed more than 540 bills during her first term. She has said she wants to address water and affordability, and tackle fraud and abuse in the school voucher programme. Democrats also gained full control in at least five other states and made further legislative gains nationwide.