Just in time for the 2026 elections, the Arizona Democratic Party is embroiled in a cage fight.

No, not with Republicans but among themselves.

State Democratic Party Chairman Robert Branscomb II drew first blood, sending out a scathing Saturday morning email on April 19, complaining that Arizona U.S. Sens. Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego were trying to threaten and intimidate him.

That afternoon, Kelly and Gallego, along with Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs, Secretary of State Adrian Fontes and Attorney General Kris Mayes, counterpunched, calling Branscomb a liar who has “lost our trust.”

As intraparty squabbles go, it’s not as sexy as Kari Lake’s secret tapes, the ones that led to last year’s ouster of then-state GOP Chairman Jeff DeWit.

But such infighting rarely breaks into public view, and it’s a giant red flag going into 2026, when Democrats are hoping to hold onto the state’s three top jobs, pick up a congressional seat and grow their numbers in the Arizona Legislature.

Branscomb is the former party vice chairman who was elected state chairman in January after the party’s embarrassing showing........

© Arizona Republic