Doug Ducey

Doug Ducey

Republican Party

Prior offices

Arizona Treasurer

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Governor of Arizona

Successor: Katie Hobbs

Predecessor: Janice Kay Brewer

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Education

Bachelor's

Arizona State University

Personal

Religion

Christian: Catholic

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Twitter

Personal LinkedIn

Doug Ducey (Republican) was the 23rd Governor of Arizona. He was first elected governor in 2014 and served two terms. Ducey was ineligible to run for re-election in 2022 due to term limits.

Ducey succeeded term-limited Gov. Jan Brewer (R). He won re-election in 2018. Before his election as governor, Ducey served a single term as state treasurer, winning election in 2010.

Ducey served as a partner and chief executive officer at Cold Stone Creamery, an ice cream chain based in Scottsdale, Arizona, before entering public office.

Biography

Ducey was born and raised in Toledo, Ohio where he attended St. John's Jesuit High School and Academy. He graduated from Arizona State University with a degree in finance in 1986.

Before entering public office, Ducey worked as a sales and marketing executive at Procter & Gamble from 1986 to 1993. In 1996, he joined Cold Stone Creamery, an ice cream chain based in Scottsdale, Arizona, where he became chairman and chief executive officer. Ducey and his partners sold the company in 2007. From 2008 to 2012, Ducey was chairman of iMemories, a film editing and digitization services provider.

Political career

Governor of Arizona (2015-2023)

Ducey was first elected Governor of Arizona on November 4, 2014 and assumed office in 2015. He was re-elected in 2018.

Treasurer of Arizona (2011-2015)

Ducey served as Arizona Treasurer from 2011 to 2015.

Elections

2022

See also: Arizona gubernatorial election, 2022

Doug Ducey was not able to run for re-election due to term limits.

2018

See also: Arizona gubernatorial election, 2018

See also: Arizona gubernatorial election, 2018 (August 28 Republican primary)

General election

General election for Governor of Arizona

Incumbent Doug Ducey defeated David Garcia and Angel Torres in the general election for Governor of Arizona on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Doug Ducey (R)	56.0	1,330,863
		David Garcia (D)	41.8	994,341
		Angel Torres (G)	2.1	50,962

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 2,376,166 (100.00% precincts reporting)
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Noah Dyer (Independent)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Governor of Arizona

David Garcia defeated Steve Farley and Kelly Fryer in the Democratic primary for Governor of Arizona on August 28, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		David Garcia	50.6	255,555
		Steve Farley	32.3	163,072
		Kelly Fryer	17.2	86,810

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 505,437 (100.00% precincts reporting)
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Governor of Arizona

Incumbent Doug Ducey defeated Ken Bennett in the Republican primary for Governor of Arizona on August 28, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Doug Ducey	70.7	463,672
		Ken Bennett	29.3	191,775

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 655,447 (100.00% precincts reporting)
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Libertarian primary election

No Libertarian candidates ran in the primary.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Barry J. Hess (L)
• Merissa Hamilton (L)
• Jeff Funicello (L)
• Kevin McCormick (L)

2014

See also Arizona Gubernatorial election, 2014

Governor of Arizona, 2014
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Doug Ducey	53.4%	805,062
	Democratic	Fred DuVal	41.6%	626,921
	Libertarian	Barry J. Hess	3.8%	57,337
	Americans Elect	J.L. Mealer	1%	15,432
	Nonpartisan	Write-ins	0.1%	1,664
Total Votes				1,506,416
Election results via Arizona Secretary of State

Governor of Arizona Republican Primary, 2014
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Doug Ducey	37.2%	200,607
Scott Smith	22.1%	119,107
Christine Jones	16.7%	89,922
Ken Bennett	11.5%	62,010
Andrew Thomas	8.1%	43,822
Frank Riggs	4.5%	24,168
Mike Aloisi (Write-in)	0%	27
Alice Lukasik (Write-in)	0%	27
Total Votes		539,690
Election results via Arizona Secretary of State.

2010

Arizona Treasurer, 2010
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Doug Ducey	51.9%	859,672
	Democratic	Andrei Cherny	41.4%	685,865
	Green	Thomas Meadows	2.8%	46,115
	Libertarian	Thane Eichenauer	4%	66,166
Total Votes				1,657,818
Election results via Arizona Secretary of State

Campaign themes

2018

Campaign website

Ducey's campaign website stated the following:

“	Safety and Security for All Arizonans Just a few years ago, families were hurting, and Arizona was $1 billion in the red. Today, Arizona is growing, and we are investing in what matters most — like K-12 education and public safety. Whether it’s taking the fight directly to the cartels on our southern border, combating the scourge of addiction, reducing recidivism in our prisons, or ensuring that law enforcement has the resources they need to properly investigate sexual assaults, Doug is working every day to ensure the safety and security of all Arizonans. Border Security Immediately after his swearing in, Doug got to work creating the Arizona Border Strike Force – a partnership with local, state and federal law enforcement to enhance security along Arizona’s southern border, aimed at drug cartels and human traffickers. Working directly with our border sheriffs, federal agencies, and now the Arizona National Guard, we have made 3,199 arrests and seized over $10 million in cash and tens of thousands of pounds of meth, marijuana, and heroin. Doug will continue the fight against these criminals over the next four years – bringing more resources and technology to our border. Justice for Sexual Assault Victims Doug helped survivors of sexual assault by reducing the state’s backlog of untested rape kits with a plan now in place to totally eliminate the backlog. Eight rapists have already been caught and are now facing criminal charges as a result of the kits being tested. Opioid Epidemic This year, Doug signed the Arizona Opioid Epidemic Act, a comprehensive and bipartisan legislative package aimed at saving lives by combating the opioid epidemic from all angles. The legislation will: Improve access to substance abuse treatment for all Arizonans, including the uninsured or underinsured Enhance education for opioid prescribers Crack down on forged prescriptions, pill mills, and manufacturers who defraud the public about their products Limit the first-fill of an opioid prescription to five days for patients new to opioids, with exemptions that protect chronic pain suffers, cancer, trauma or burn patients, hospice or end-of-life patients, and those receiving medication assisted treatment for substance use disorder. Child Safety The troubled Department of Child Safety (DCS) had more than 16,000 inactive cases in their backlog when Governor Doug Ducey took office. Under the governor’s leadership, the agency has been turned around. Now, the backlog is cleared, DCS has safely reduced the number of kids in foster care by over 20% and the agency has been given an “Excellence for Children” award by national foster-care nonprofit Casey Family Programs. Catching Child Support Evaders Doug’s program to catch child support evaders by posting their information on social media has resulted in over 100 deadbeat parents now making their payments totaling over half a million dollars. More Money for Schools Just a few years ago, families were hurting, and Arizona was $1 billion in the red. Today, Arizona is growing, and we are investing in what matters most — like K-12 education and public safety. Investing in the health, safety, and success of our schools is paramount to the long-term success of our State. That is why Doug has made school safety and school funding his primary focus. School Safety Following the tragic shooting in Parkland, Florida, Doug brought together parents, students, teachers, law enforcement officials, prosecutors and mental health experts to draft the Safe Arizona Schools Plan. This common-sense, multifaceted solution puts more cops on campuses across Arizona, increases the number of school counselors, creates a central tip-line for reporting safety concerns and provides further tools to keep those with severe mental health issues from possessing a gun. Further, it improves the background check system while protecting our rights preserved under the Second Amendment. Improving Education Doug believes a quality K-12 education system is the most important thing we can do to ensure Arizona kids have a strong and secure future. His focus is on increasing our investment in public education and improving results in the classroom. That’s why he has increased education funding every year in office, for a total of $2.7 Billion – all without raising taxes. This includes: A 20% teacher pay increase by school year 2020. Prop 123, the bi-partisan effort that injected $3.5 billion over 10 years into Arizona’s K-12 schools. Restoring recession-era cuts to school funding — $371 million over the next five years — that can be used for support staff, textbooks, technology, and other school improvements. The Arizona Teachers Academy, created to attract new teachers by allowing aspiring teachers the ability to finish college debt-free if they commit to teach in an Arizona school. Being the first state to pass the American Civics Act – a new law requiring all high school students to pass the same civics test any new naturalized citizen has to pass in order to graduate. Doug wants to see more dollars go to the classroom, and continue to drive up teacher pay, while investing in other key priorities like career and technical education and high-speed broadband in our rural and tribal schools. Jobs and Economic Security Just a few years ago, families were hurting, and Arizona was $1 billion in the red. Today, Arizona is growing, and we are investing in what matters most — like K-12 education and public safety. It’s no secret that Arizona’s economy is finally on the right track. When Doug ran in 2014, he promised to “shrink a government and grow an economy,” and that’s exactly what he has done. Key Accomplishments Balancing the budget: Drawing on his private-sector business experience, Doug balanced Arizona’s $1 billion budget deficit his first year in office without raising taxes. He reduced the size of government, consolidated agencies, cut needless regulations and red tape, fired the state’s taxpayer-funded lobbyists, AND cut wait times at government agencies like the Motor Vehicle Division. Adding new jobs: Last year, under Doug’s leadership, Arizona reached a major milestone: We fully recovered all of the jobs lost during the Great Recession. So far, we have added about 240,000 new jobs. And since 2015, more than 300 companies have chosen Arizona to relocate their business. Economic security: Over the last three years, our unemployment rate has dropped to 4.5% — the lowest level in a decade. Wage growth is the third fastest in the country — up 7% — and our state’s credit rating has improved. All of this is evidence that Arizona is open for business and government is getting out of the way of the private sector. Tax relief and reform: In addition to cutting nearly 700 needless and burdensome regulations — equivalent to a $50 million tax reduction — Doug has reformed and simplified the tax code every single year he has been governor. Arizonans are now keeping more of the money they earn. Securing Our Future Doug is a relentless advocate for Arizona. He will continue recruiting businesses to move here and breaking down barriers that keep people from meaningful work. It’s one reason economists project Arizona will add another 150,000 jobs in just the next two years.	”
—Ducey for Governor

Presidential preference

2020

See also: Presidential election in Arizona, 2020

Gov. Ducey endorsed Donald Trump (R) in the 2020 presidential election.

2016

See also: Presidential election in Arizona, 2016

Gov. Ducey did not endorse a candidate in the 2016 Republican presidential primary. He endorsed Donald Trump (R) in the general election.

Campaign finance summary

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Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

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Doug Ducey campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2014	Arizona Governor	Won	$8,081,966	N/A**
2010	Arizona Treasurer	Won	$1,193,024	N/A**
Grand total			$9,274,990	N/A**
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only availabale data.

Noteworthy events

Response to Syria policy (2015)

See also: U.S. governors and their responses to Syrian refugees

In September 2015, President Barack Obama (D) announced a plan to allow up to 10,000 new Syrian refugees into the U.S. over the following year. In November, reports surfaced showing one of the terrorists responsible for an attack in Paris on Nov. 13 may have come to France as a Syrian refugee, leading many governors to issue statements of either support or opposition to Obama's refugee plan.

Ducey expressed opposition to the resettlement of Syrian refugees in the state of Arizona. He said:

“	Given the horrifying events in Paris last week, I am calling for an immediate halt in the placement of any new refugees in Arizona. As governor, I am invoking our state's right under 8 USC, Section 1522 (a), to receive immediate consultation by federal authorities per the United States Refugee Act... I also call on Congress and the President to immediately amend federal law to provide states greater oversight and authority in the administration of the placement of refugees. These acts serve as a reminder that the world remains at war with radical Islamic terrorists. Our national leaders must react with the urgency and leadership that every American expects to protect our citizens.	”
—Gov. Doug Ducey

Policy changes on adoption by same-sex couples (2015)

In April 2015, Ducey made two decisions regarding adoption by same-sex couples. First, Ducey vetoed a bill that would have allowed child safety officials to prohibit same-sex couples from adopting children on a county-by-county basis. Ducey also ordered the Arizona Department of Child Safety to allow married same-sex couples to obtain licenses to adopt and foster children. The latter marked the reversal of a department policy that had been in effect since February 2015, which had allowed officials to refuse the granting of such licenses.

Veto of Senate Bill 1445 (2015)

On March 30, 2015, Ducey vetoed Senate Bill 1445 (S.B. 1445), which would have required law enforcement agencies to withhold the names of officers involved in firearms-related deaths for a two-month period following the incident. The New York Times' Rick Rojas described the bill as having "tapped into broader anxieties that followed the events in Ferguson, Mo., where the officer who fatally shot an unarmed teenager fled his home."

In his veto statement, Ducey wrote that he was concerned "that setting an arbitrary 60-day benchmark for release of names would limit their [police chief's] ability to best manage these often tenuous situations and result in unintended consequences."

Allesandra Soler, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona, said the bill "would have taken Arizona in the wrong direction, by exacerbating distrust between communities and the public safety officers responsible for protecting them, while at the same time eroding the transparency that is critical to our democracy."

Joe Clure, president of the Arizona Police Association, said after the veto, "We certainly have a governor who made it clear that the safety of police officers and their families are not his number one priority."

Ballot measure activity

The following table details Ducey's ballot measure stances available on Ballotpedia:

Ballot measure support and opposition for Doug Ducey
Ballot measure	Year	Position	Status
Tucson, Arizona, Proposition 205, Sanctuary City Initiative (November 2019)	2019	Opposed	d Defeated
Arizona Proposition 126, Prohibit New or Increased Taxes on Services Initiative (2018)	2018	Opposed	a Approved
Arizona Proposition 305, Expansion of Empowerment Scholarship Accounts Referendum (2018)	2018	Supported	d Defeated
Arizona Marijuana Legalization, Proposition 205 (2016)	2018	Opposed	d Defeated
Arizona Education Finance Amendment, Proposition 123 (May 2016)	2016	Supported	a Approved
Arizona Sales Tax Renewal Amendment, Proposition 204 (2012)	2012	Opposed	d Defeated

Personal

Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.

Ducey and his wife, Angela, have three sons, Jack, Joe, and Sam.

External links

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Candidate

Governor of Arizona

Website

Twitter

Personal

LinkedIn

Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by Janice Kay Brewer (R)	Governor of Arizona 2015-2023	Succeeded by Katie Hobbs (D)
Preceded by -	Arizona Treasurer 2011-2015	Succeeded by -