It’s not unheard of for a lame duck governor to buck the Republican majority and pass major legislation with help from Democrats. That’s been the standard operating procedure at the Capitol for years. Republicans hold one-vote majorities in both chambers, an environment that empowers individual Republicans to throw a wrench in any plans for Republicans to legislate without bipartisan support. That could help Ducey’s legacy and political outlook, be that on the campaign trail in 2022 or for any future office he might seek.įor now, though, Ducey must find a way to govern with some of the slimmest margins in the history of the Arizona Legislature. People forget, and looking in the rearview mirror leads to a better context and judgment by voters,” Barnes said. “In the long game, being the leader in a tough environment, I think, yields political benefit. Perhaps Ducey’s governing decisions, for better or worse in the moment, will be seen in a more positive light when the pandemic over. Legislative Republicans and the state Republican Party are in open revolt, claiming Ducey’s executive orders have gone too far, while Democrats say the governor hasn’t done enough, costing the lives of thousands of Arizonans.īarnes said Ducey’s betting on the benefit of hindsight. “At least momentarily, temporarily, Doug Ducey may be the loneliest man in the state of Arizona, because he, he looks to his left looks to his right, and he's got no friends anywhere,” said lobbyist Stan Barnes, a former state senator. Depending on what policies a Biden administration and congressional Democrats push from Washington, they say Ducey can present his own agenda as a conservative alternative.īut first, Ducey will have to grapple with the ongoing and lasting impact of the coronavirus pandemic. “That is his personal mantra.”Īdams and other political operatives also see a shift in national politics as an opportunity for Ducey. “I've heard him say this, I don't know how many times, countless times: ‘Focus on the job that you're doing and everything else will fall in place,’” Adams said. Though rumors abound about Ducey’s political future once his time as governor ends, Adams expects his old boss to focus on the present. “In the same way that Democrat governors across the country have been free to tee off on Donald Trump.”īeyond the scope of Trump’s shadow, Ducey also has the built-in advantage of not running for his own re-election in two years. “He will no longer be tied to the actions, positive or negative, of a Republican administration,” Adams said. Kirk Adams, Ducey’s former chief of staff, says Trump’s loss in Arizona and nationally is liberating for governor.
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