Gov. Jan Brewer, Arizona's Medicaid expander, won't run again

The Republican governor pushed the state legislature to expand Medicaid coverage to most poor people in the state.

The Associated Press/ABC News: Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer Won't Seek Third Term
She signed the immigration crackdown law known as Senate Bill 1070 in 2010 and sparred with the Obama administration over health care, joining states that sued to overturn his health care law. But she then surprised last year when she embraced a signature part of that law, the expansion of Medicaid (Christie and Galvan, 3/12).

The Wall Street Journal: Arizona Gov. Brewer Will Not Seek Third Term
Ms. Brewer's backers also note she battled her own party at times - pushing for a one-cent sales-tax increase against the wishes of Republicans, and expanding the state's Medicaid rolls. But Ms. Brewer also cut state medical coverage for patients in need of lifesaving organ transplants. Ms. Brewer "will be remembered for making the tough decisions," said her former spokesman, Matthew Benson (Lazo and Audi, 3/12).

Los Angeles Times: Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer Declines To Seek Reelection
Brewer was never a knee-jerk conservative. She angered many in her party by proposing an expansion … under the president's healthcare program - a move made by few Republican governors but driven, in Brewer's case, by a desire to restore cuts to medical and mental health programs in the state (Decker and Carcamo, 3/12).