PHOENIX — Gov. Katie Hobbs has signaled her support for Vice President Kamala Harris to be her party's nominee in the 2024 presidential election.
A day after President Joe Biden announced his decision to not seek another term in office, one of Arizona's top Democrats said she would support Harris as the leader who will "unite us around our shared American values."
"I believe that leader is Vice President Harris, and I look forward to working with her to lower costs for Arizonans, restore reproductive freedom, and defend our democratic rights," the governor wrote in a statement on Monday.
Hobbs joins several other Democrats from Arizona who have announced their support for Harris as the presidential nominee who could face off against Republican Donald Trump in November. U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly, Congressman Greg Stanton and Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego have made public endorsements for the vice president.
During the Biden administration, Harris has maintained an active presence in the Grand Canyon State by making frequent trips to the state.
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What is the Valley?:
“The Valley” is what locals call the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. It is considered the largest metropolitan area in the Southwest.
The Valley is made up of various major cities other than Phoenix, including:
- Mesa
- Chandler
- Scottsdale
- Tempe
- Glendale
- Surprise
- Peoria
- Gilbert
- El Mirage
- Avondale
- Litchfield Park
- Goodyear
- Buckeye
Whether a city is in the “East Valley” or “West Valley” depends on where it is in relation to Phoenix.
The cities of the Valley have a combined population of 4,845,832 people, according to the 2020 United States Census. This makes it the 11th largest metropolitan area in the country right behind the Boston and Atlanta areas.
How big is Maricopa County?
Maricopa County is the United States’ 4th largest county in terms of population with 4,485,414 people, according to the 2020 Census.
The county contains around 63% of Arizona’s population and is 9,224 square miles. That makes the county larger than seven U.S. states (Rhode Island, Delaware, Connecticut, Hawaii, New Jersey, Massachusetts and New Hampshire).
One of the largest park systems in the nation is also located in Maricopa County. The county has an estimated 120,000 acres of open space parks that includes hundreds of miles of trails, nature centers and campgrounds.
The county’s seat is located in Phoenix, which is also the state capital and the census-designated 5th most populous city in the United States.
The county was named after the Maricopa, or Piipaash, Native American Tribe.
