No Labels gubernatorial nominee Teri Ann Hourihan was one of only two candidates to participate in a televised Arizona governor debate this week, taking the stage with Republican Andy Biggs to speak on issues facing the state.
According to Howard Fischer of Capitol Media Services, the debate took place October 6 in Scottsdale and lasted roughly an hour. Green Party nominee Risa Lombardo had agreed to attend but canceled at the last minute. Meanwhile, incumbent Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs declined to participate.
Fischer reported that the two candidates clashed at times, with Hourihan confronting Biggs over his political record, including his time as Arizona Senate president. She criticized him for opposing a 2013 Medicaid expansion that made more low-income Arizonans eligible for coverage, as well as his more recent support for federal legislation that will tighten Medicaid eligibility rules.
She also questioned his handling of legislation involving Colorado City, an Arizona community long associated with the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, where the local marshal’s office had faced allegations that officers were acting at the direction of church leaders and ignoring violations involving underage girls being married to adult men. Hourihan further faulted Biggs for initially opposing legislation requiring the release of federal files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Biggs defended his handling of the Colorado City legislation in response as well as noted that he ultimately supported the final Epstein measure.
The event wasn’t entirely adversarial, however, with the two candidates speaking to a variety of other issues throughout the evening. They also both criticized Hobbs for declining to participate.
The full debate, made available online through the Arizona Media Association, is available below:
Hourihan reached the general election ballot after defeating healthcare executive Hugh Lytle in the No Labels primary. Party chair Paul Johnson had originally backed Lytle earlier in the year and called on Hourihan to withdraw from the race, arguing that she should consider seeking a lower office instead. Johnson defended his involvement in the primary at the time by saying party leaders were entitled to support candidates they believed best represented the party’s objectives.
Despite that request, Hourihan remained in the race and won the nomination with 5,596 votes, or 56.1% of the total.
At the start of Hourihan’s candidacy, the Arizona organization was also known as the Arizona Independent Party, a name it adopted after separating from the national No Labels organization. However, a court later ruled that the secretary of state lacked the authority to approve the name change, forcing the party to return to No Labels earlier this year.
With thanks to Ballot Access News for alerting Independent Political Report of the debate.
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