1920s
Beginning in 1923, Hunt served as Governor of Arizona for six consecutive years, winning closely contested reelection contests in both 1924 and 1926. Arizona's primary political issue during this time period was ratification of the Colorado River Compact. The governor opposed ratification of the compact, which appropriated water rights to the Colorado River among seven states, claiming that it gave California an unfair share of "Arizona's birthright". The issue was of such importance to Hunt that Arizonans of the day joked that while Jesus had walked on water, their governor ran on the Colorado River.
In addition to his stance on the Colorado River, Hunt's political longevity became a source of pointed comments. During his fifth term, Hunt's political opponents gave the governor the sobriquet "George V". This was updated to "George VI" after he won a sixth term. During a 1928 meeting at the Phoenix airport, Will Rogers picked up on the theme by asking Hunt to adopt the comedian so that he could succeed to his "hereditary governorship".
Read more about this topic: George W. P. Hunt