Arizona Democrats Remove State Chair After Six-Month, Tumultuous Tenure

Members of the Arizona Democratic Party voted 476–56 on 16 July to remove Chair Robert Branscomb II after just six months in the post, narrowly clearing the two-thirds margin required under party bylaws. The virtual meeting, hampered by technical glitches and heated procedural disputes, lasted nearly four hours before the recall motion passed. Critics accused Branscomb of failing to produce a budget, presiding over shrinking fundraising and rising spending that could leave the party insolvent within months. Arizona’s top Democratic office-holders had issued a public letter of no confidence in April and moved their coordinated campaign operations to Navajo County, bypassing the state party. Branscomb, the party’s first Black chair, called the effort a “coup” and said racism and internal power struggles, rather than performance, drove the push to oust him. First Vice Chair Kim Khoury becomes interim leader while the state committee schedules a new election for 13 September, when Branscomb may seek to reclaim the post. The leadership turmoil comes as Democrats attempt to regroup ahead of the 2026 mid-term elections amid stalled contract talks with party staff and worries over dwindling donor support.