Elected in 2014, and re-elected in 2018, Governor Ducey has applied his experience from a successful career in business to bring much-needed change to Arizona government.
Upon taking office, the governor inherited a $1 billion budget deficit. He quickly took action and balanced the budget in his first year — without raising taxes. Today, the state budget is balanced with a one billion dollar surplus and a record one billion dollars in its Rainy Day Fund. Business is thriving and more people are moving to Arizona than almost anywhere in the country.
Committed to investing in public education, Governor Ducey led a historic and bipartisan effort to invest $3.5 billion into K-12 schools in his first year, injecting more dollars into Arizona’s classrooms. With a focus on teacher pay, the governor also successfully championed the passage of legislation to increase teacher pay 20 percent by 2020.
Governor Ducey has cut regulations and simplified taxes every year to stimulate job creation and economic growth. He’s also prioritized public safety, creating the Arizona Border Strike Force, a statewide, multi-agency effort to combat border-related crime.
By working across party lines, Arizona has led the way on some important public policies.
In 2015, Arizona became the first state in the nation to pass the “American Civics Act,” requiring students to pass a civics test—the same test those seeking to earn American citizenship must pass—in order to graduate high school. It was the first bill Governor Ducey signed into law.
In 2019, Arizona became the first state to provide universal recognition of occupational licenses from other states, a priority of Governor Ducey’s outlined in his January state of the state address.
Governor Ducey remains committed to making Arizona a land of “Opportunity for All” and has pledged to work every day to make that vision a reality.
Governor Ducey was born in Toledo, Ohio. He moved to Arizona in 1982 to attend Arizona State University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Finance. He and his wife, Angela, live in Paradise Valley with their three sons, Jack, Joe and Sam. He is Arizona’s 23rd governor.
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