Rose Mofford, the first female Governor of Arizona, has died. The 94 year old Arizona native dedicated most of her life to public service in the state. Arizona Public Radio’s Justin Regan has this remembrance.
Mofford ascended to the state’s top leadership role in 1988 after Governor Evan Mecham was impeached. During her term, she created the Governor's Office of Drug and Substance Abuse. She also pushed legislation that kept baseball spring training in Arizona, and established a task force on the HIV-AIDS epidemic.
Mofford, a Democrat, was the first female Arizona Secretary of State before she became governor. It was a position she held for more than a decade. Mofford was also an accomplished athlete in her youth. She was an All-American Softball player who turned down a contract to play professional basketball.
Governor Doug Ducey says Mofford is an Arizona treasure who will be greatly missed.
