Ducey, the bipartisan governor? We’ll see

In 2014, Gov. Doug Ducey ripped his Democratic opponent Fred DuVal for approving “record-high tuition increases” while a member of the Arizona Board of Regents.

DuVal was, Ducey told us, a “bigspending liberal Democrat” who doubled tuition while boosting spending at the state’s three universities.

Apparently, DuVal has reformed himself because on Monday, Ducey returned him to the Board of Regents.

No longer is DuVal “an arrogant Washington insider and career influence peddler,” as the Republican Governors Association told us ad infinitum four years ago, in campaign ads supporting Ducey.

Now, he’s “a business and community leader” — and a remarkable one, at that.

“In Arizona, we know how to work together, across party lines, put aside our differences and get positive things done for the people we serve,” Ducey said on Monday, in announcing the appointment. “Few individuals have a better record and history of doing that than Fred DuVal.

“Fred is a remarkable leader who brings with him immeasurable higher education experience and knowledge through his long-standing involvement with the University of Arizona.” Two things we should take away: 1. Don’t believe everything you hear in a campaign ad. Or even, hardly, anything.

2. Good for you, Gov. Ducey, for considering a Democrat as something other than an opponent. The election should serve as a call for bipartisanship. While he was easily re-elected, the state’s No. 2, incoming Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, is a Democrat.

In the Arizona Senate, Republicans will continue in control 17-13, but two of those Republicans have been known to buck the party line. (Kate Brophy McGee and Heather Carter).

Meanwhile, in the House, Democrats are within one seat of a split chamber. That’s something we haven’t seen since the 1960s.

That’s huge in a state government where Democrats’ voices have largely been ignored on the biggest, most controversial issues. OK, not largely ignored. More like completely disregarded. It took tens of thousands of teachers taking to the streets to get Ducey to finally focus on the crying needs of the long-overlooked public schools.

So, here’s hoping that Ducey meant what he wrote, as he prepares in 2019 to consider one of this state’s biggest issues: how to further boost public school spending and how to increase student achievement.

“In Arizona,” Ducey says, “we know how to work together, across party lines, put aside our differences and get positive things done for the people we serve.”

In January, we will see if he really means that.