No Labels gubernatorial nominee Teri Ann Hourihan named Angela Harrolle Mohan as her preferred lieutenant governor ahead of the Friday deadline set by the Secretary of State’s Office, sharpening her campaign’s focus on household costs and utility policy. Harrolle Mohan is a registered independent, a real estate broker and health and wellness coach, and the former CEO of The 100 Club, which supports families of fallen and injured first responders, according to Capitol Media Services reporting published by Arizona Capitol Times.
The political consequence lands squarely on Gov. Katie Hobbs’ affordability narrative. Hourihan used the announcement to criticize Hobbs for what she described as failing to make Arizona more affordable and for signing a utility-backed “securitization” bill that allows companies to issue low-interest bonds tied to aging coal-fired power plants. Critics argued the measure would let utilities keep coal plants operating longer. Hobbs’ press aide Christian Slater said the governor disagreed with APS’s decision-making but defended the securitization law as a way to “help deliver more energy.”
Strip away the talking points and the ledger questions remain. Securitization, as described in the report, grants utilities access to below-market financing backed by legacy coal assets. That design inherently begs two fiscal questions: who ultimately bears the risk if assumptions go sideways, and what are ratepayers buying besides more years on depreciating plants? Slater’s defense promises more energy, not necessarily cheaper or cleaner energy, and certainly not a guarantee of lower monthly bills.
Hourihan’s attack fits a broader frame: if affordability is the test, policies that stabilize utility balance sheets without a transparent cost-benefit for customers deserve scrutiny. The critics’ warning that the law could extend the life of coal units underscores the potential for stranded-asset math: longer timelines can mean longer recovery, and longer recovery often shows up as higher or longer-lasting charges for consumers. The governor’s office did not address those mechanics in the cited comments.
The choice of Harrolle Mohan also signals No Labels is leaning into a “public safety and community” resume rather than a purely political one. After more than a decade leading The 100 Club, she brings nonprofit management credentials and a donor network that intersects with law enforcement and fire service supporters. For voters, the fiscal question is whether that background translates into disciplined budgeting and operational oversight in state government or simply good intentions without a balance sheet.
The running-mate deadline has forced clarity across the field. Republican hopeful Andy Biggs has already selected former state Sen. Sine Kerr. Incumbent Democrat Katie Hobbs plans to tap former Mesa Mayor John Giles, a former Republican who re-registered as an independent earlier this year, according to a New York Times report cited by Capitol Media Services. Those choices hint at each campaign’s theory of the middle: No Labels pitches independence, Biggs leans legislative experience, Hobbs courts a crossover municipal brand.
Hourihan has also tried to draw a contrast with Biggs on federal oversight, criticizing him for being one of two Republicans on the U.S. House Oversight Committee to oppose a 2025 motion to subpoena Department of Justice files related to Jeffrey Epstein, and accusing him of reflexive loyalty to the former president. That volley may move headlines; it does not answer kitchen-table math. The energy-finance critique of Hobbs does.
For ratepayers, the immediate takeaway is simple: securitization is not free money. It is a financing tool that can lower interest costs for utilities. Whether those savings flow through to customers or are offset by longer asset lives and new surcharges is the only measure that matters. Hobbs’ team says the law delivers more energy. Voters should ask for audited results that show delivered energy per dollar and any changes to monthly bills since enactment.
Hourihan’s gambit is to make the APS-backed law a proxy for Hobbs’ broader affordability record. The governor’s response so far accepts the premise that the utility needed the tool and asks the public to trust that more energy equals better outcomes. In a year when every grocery trip and utility bill is a reminder that prices compound, trust should be earned with numbers, not slogans.
Arizona’s next lieutenant governor will not write utility statutes. But the ticket a candidate builds signals governing priorities. On this score, Hourihan put affordability and utility accountability on the marquee. Hobbs owes voters a clear ledger of who pays, how much, and when.
Sources Cited
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