A schism in the Arizona Democratic Party spilled into public view over the weekend, revealing a split between the party’s top elected officials and its new chairman.
Party Chairman Robert Branscomb, who was elected to the position in January, sent an email to state party members on Saturday describing dysfunction and political backstabbing during his first 90 days in leadership after winning a surprising victory over former Chairwoman Yolanda Bejarano, who had the support of most of the state’s high-profile Democratic officials.
Branscomb claims he was met with immediate resistance, accusing previous party leadership of throwing roadblocks in his way after he defeated Bejarano earlier this year.
“When I arrived at the state party office just three days after the state committee meeting, I found an empty workspace — no computers, minimal furniture, and no transition documents. What should have been a professional hand off of responsibilities instead became a scramble to uncover critical information,” he wrote.
Branscomb accused U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly of threatening to withhold support for party fundraising efforts. And he accused an unnamed top Kelly staffer of saying that Branscomb’s election was about “Black folks coming after Latinos.”
“That someone in such a powerful position would make such a statement — and still remain employed by the senator — is unacceptable. These actions deserve accountability, not silence,” Branscomb wrote.
But Arizona’s top Democrats accused Branscomb of lying and say he is the one who is throwing the party into disarray.
“We’ve spent the last several months meeting regularly with the chair and working to support the party through the transition,” according to a response signed by Kelly, U.S. Sen. Ruben Gallego, Gov. Katie Hobbs, Secretary of State Adrian Fontes and Attorney General Kris Mayes. “Unfortunately, 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."
A spokeswoman for the Arizona Democratic Party referred all questions about the ongoing infighting to Executive Director Michael Ruff, who did not respond to a request for comment.
Branscomb’s letter exposes a major rift among the power brokers in the Arizona Democratic Party as three of officials who signed that letter — Hobbs, Fontes and Mayes — prepare to face Republican challenges to their re-election bids next year.
And the inter-party drama could already be affecting those races, or at least the support for the party apparatus that provides support for Democratic candidates.
“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,” Branscomb wrote. “He emphasized his role in raising funds for the party and implied that I should be grateful, even beholden, to him for the party’s financial resources. I found this sentiment troubling, as it undermined the independent leadership you elected me to bring.”
Branscomb said he received the message from Kelly after firing former party Executive Director Morgan Dick. Branscomb had accused Dick of failing to facilitate a smooth transition to new leadership, saying he “was met with resistance and, in some cases, outright obstruction.”
Dick denied those allegations.
“The statement published by the current Chair is an attack on me professionally, riddled with inaccuracies, and is counterproductive to the goal of winning in 2026,” she said in a statement. “I worked incredibly hard to provide a successful transition to the new leadership, and am proud of our work at the ADP.”
The drama has coincided with an exodus of staff members and other party leadership as the party faces accusations that it refuses to negotiate with a nascent staff union.
According to Branscomb’s letter, the “party's long-standing compliance and legal teams resigned” three weeks after he took over.
And Lisa Sanor, who was secretary of the Arizona Democratic Party Board, resigned earlier last week, citing “concerns regarding the organization's current direction and leadership.” Branscomb won the party leadership election in January after promising to bring transparency to the party following allegations of self-dealing by members of the old party leadership structure, but Sanor said he hasn’t fulfilled that promise.
“Over time, I have observed significant challenges within the Arizona Democratic Party, including the absence of strategic planning, a budget, and timely replacement of vital staff members who departed en masse. These issues have been compounded by a lack of transparency in the hiring process, with the board excluded from advising the Chair on key selections,” Sanor wrote.
Sanor was likely referencing the appointment of Ruff, the party’s new executive director.
Ruff, who was the party’s political director, served in an acting capacity following Dick’s departure. Branscomb then named him the party’s executive director rather than select one of two candidates forwarded to him by a selection committee that had conducted a nationwide search.
It’s Ruff’s job to prepare the party to defend the governor’s office and other top-of-the-ticket offices in 2026 while also attempting to gain ground in the state legislature after a disappointing 2024 election cycle for Democrats.
And he will have to do that despite outright opposition from Arizona's top Democratic officials.
According to Branscomb’s letter, after he hired Ruff, “I received a text from one of our U.S. Senators stating he would no longer support or participate in state party fundraising.”
“While the chair has lost our trust, we’re not going to let that deter us from our mission of winning in 2026,” according to the statement from Kelly, Gallego, Hobbs, Fontes and Mayes.
Branscomb told 12News he has no plans to step down. “Why? I haven’t done anything wrong,” he said.
Spokespersons for Gallego and Fontes declined to comment on whether they have asked Branscomb to resign. And Hobbs campaign manager Nicole DeMont did not respond to a request for comment.
