Chaos among Arizona Democrats: Party chairman attacked Senators Gallego and Kelly

The Democratic Party will have to defend many offices in Arizona in 2026. Gov. Katie Hobbs, Secretary of State Adrian Fontes and Attorney General Kris Mayes will seek re-election in a state that Donald Trump recently won by 5.5 percentage points. Against this backdrop, internal chaos erupted within the party.

It turns out that Robert Branscomb II, who recently took over as chairman of the Arizona Democratic Party, harshly criticized senators Ruben Gallego and Mark Kelly. Specifically, he accused them of wanting to intimidate and threaten him after he fired the CEO.

Branscomb II sent an email to state committee members, in which he claimed Kelly called him to dissuade him "strongly from making personnel charges without consulting him."

"Shortly after I relieved the previous ED of her duties, I received a call from Senator Mark Kelly, who strongly discouraged me from making staffing changes without consulting him. He emphasized his role in raising funds for the party and implied that I should be grateful, even beholden, to him," he wrote.

"Then, I received a text from one of our U.S. Senators stating he would no longer support or participate in state party fundraising. Shortly after, the other Senator called me directly—demeaning me and demanding I reverse my decision within 24 hours or 'face consequences.' Meanwhile, the senior Senator’s top staffer attempted to sow division and cause serious harm between Black and Brown communities by publicly stating that my election was the result of 'Black folks coming after Latinos.' Not only is this kind of rhetoric deeply irresponsible—it’s dangerous," he added.

"No state party chair should be threatened or intimidated by any elected official"

In his statement, Branscomb II lamented the situation and asserted that Gallego and Kelly's actions are unbecoming of their positions.

"Let me be clear: no state party chair should be threatened or intimidated by any elected official for making a decision in the best interest of our party. The idea that both Arizona Senators would withdraw support because I did not choose their preferred candidate is not only troubling—it’s a threat to the integrity and independence of our party. I will not be coerced, and I will not be silenced," he added.

In response, Gallego and Kelly joined Governor Hobbs, Secretary of State Montes and Attorney General Mayes in writing a joint letter. The elected officials asserted that they have lost confidence in Branscomb II, who took office in January of this year.

"His statement today includes many false claims and is the kind of bad-faith response we’ve come to expect from the new leadership over the last several weeks," they stated.