When Governor Raúl Castro announced his resignation to become Ambassador to Argentina, Secretary Bolin ascended to the governorship.
Arizona does not have a lieutenant governor; the secretary of state stands first in the line of succession to the governorship if retaining office by election.
 Bolin in turn appointed Mofford to serve the remainder of his term as Secretary of State.

Bolin died in office on March 4, 1978.
Although Mofford was Secretary of State, she held that post by appointment, so she could not ascend to the governorship; instead, Attorney General Bruce Babbitt became governor.
 At the end of the term she ran for a full term as Secretary of State and won.
She was reelected in 1982 and 1986.
In 1982 she won the election by nearly a 2-1 ratio, and won unopposed in 1986.
Mofford became known in the state capital as the friendly woman with a beehive hairdo, and her office gained a reputation as an efficient operation.
She herself was noted for her punctuality, answering her own phone and replying directly to her mail.
In addition to her state position, she served from 1982 until 1983 as president of the National Association of Secretaries of State.

Although Arizona is considered a traditionally Republican state, Democrat Mofford was well-liked by members of both parties.
She was known for her bipartisanship and her ability to reach across the political aisle.
When Governor Raúl Castro announced his resignation to become Ambassador to Argentina, Secretary Bolin ascended to the governorship. Arizona does not have a lieutenant governor; the secretary of state stands first in the line of succession to the governorship if retaining office by election.  Bolin in turn appointed Mofford to serve the remainder of his term as Secretary of State.
Bolin died in office on March 4, 1978. Although Mofford was Secretary of State, she held that post by appointment, so she could not ascend to the governorship; instead, Attorney General Bruce Babbitt became governor.  At the end of the term she ran for a full term as Secretary of State and won. She was reelected in 1982 and 1986. In 1982 she won the election by nearly a 2-1 ratio, and won unopposed in 1986. Mofford became known in the state capital as the friendly woman with a beehive hairdo, and her office gained a reputation as an efficient operation. She herself was noted for her punctuality, answering her own phone and replying directly to her mail. In addition to her state position, she served from 1982 until 1983 as president of the National Association of Secretaries of State.
Although Arizona is considered a traditionally Republican state, Democrat Mofford was well-liked by members of both parties. She was known for her bipartisanship and her ability to reach across the political aisle.
Rose Mofford