Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano, with President-elect Barack Obama at a January town hall meeting in Las Vegas.

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If Gov. Janet Napolitano is offered and accepts a position in the Obama administration, the tenor of Arizona politics would change. Republican Secretary of State Jan Brewer would step in as governor for at least the last two years of Democrat Napolitano's term.

At this point, Napolitano's possible departure and Brewer's ascension aren't official. But multiple news agencies are reporting that Napolitano is being considered for Homeland Security chief.

Napolitano, an early supporter of Obama's presidential candidacy, is a member of his transition team.

"I think Obama will offer her something and let her make the decision," said state Rep. Phil Lopes, a Tucson Democrat. "After all she has done for him, it would be hard for him not to offer her something."

Should Napolitano become part of the Cabinet, we believe her departure would be a huge loss for Arizona. However, the state and the country would benefit from her extensive experience and skills as Arizona's attorney general and governor, especially as secretary of Homeland Security.

Arizona Sen. John McCain, the failed Republican contender for president, issued a statement Thursday congratulating Napolitano on her "emergence as top contender" for the Homeland Security post.

Napolitano knows the on-the-ground practicalities facing border states. She knows that a border fence is a flawed solution to security. She's been an advocate of putting the National Guard on the border to support the Border Patrol.

What's more, Napolitano has long said that immigration is a federal responsibility and that states must be reimbursed for the expenses they incur as a result of a broken federal policy. As Homeland Security chief, she would be in a position to help solve both problems.

Napolitano's departure would have serious ramifications for Arizona. She's been a strong supporter of public education and has been a necessary counterweight to the Republican-heavy Legislature's moves to cut school and university funding, and other penny-wise, pound-foolish budget moves.

So what kind of governor would Brewer be? Brewer wouldn't say.

"She asked me to let you know that she is focusing on being secretary of state," Deputy Secretary of State Kevin Tyne told us Wednesday. "She is not going down that road at this juncture."

Pima County Supervisor Ann Day, a Republican, suggested Napolitano's departure would "leave the Republicans to swim in their own blood."

"Things would unravel," said Day, who served for 10 years in the state Senate with Brewer. "She'd undo every positive thing that's been done — all-day kindergarten, university funding … state shared revenues."

Furthermore, said Day, Brewer "won't push the Legislature. She'll go wherever it directs her. That combination — Brewer and the conservative leadership — would not look good for the state."

The new Legislature will be dominated by Republican conservatives from Maricopa County. Among them: Rep. Russell Pearce of Mesa, (who questioned last week whether state universities should build more residence halls, since additional students could live off campus and save the state money), and Sen. Bob Burns of Peoria, who this week ruled out planning for infrastructure projects because of the state budget deficit.

The state faces an estimated $1.2 billion deficit and the Legislature's leadership is on the prowl for funds. One idea to divert university tuition money is an extraordinarily damaging and shortsighted prospect.

Larry Hecker, a local attorney and a Democrat, predicted that because legislative conservatives oppose bonding to pay for building projects, construction of planned kindergartens and other infrastructure, projects would "come to a screeching halt" under Brewer.

Napolitano "understands the importance of a sound and directed economic-development strategy to get high-wage, high-skilled jobs, which means education, which means funding support through the Science Foundation Arizona and so on," Hecker said. "She's the last line of defense" against the legislative conservatives.

Brewer is "known as being fairly conservative, and infrastructure isn't going to happen without some courage and willingness to make some tough decisions when it comes to taxation or bonding," Hecker said.

As governor, Brewer would make judicial appointments as well as appointments to boards and commissions that handle long-term policies.

One of the first would be naming a replacement on the state Transportation Board for Tucson lawyer Si Schorr, a Democrat who believes planning for new and better systems must be done during economic downturns. His term expires in January.

Four members of the Board of Regents will be stepping down as their terms expire over the next two years, including its chairman, Tucsonan Fred Boice.

As for what a Brewer governorship would mean for Pima County, Day was pessimistic.

"She does not have a positive attitude toward Pima County … I don't see her pushing the Legislature on conservation issues or encouraging the state Land Department to work with the local community," Day said.

If Napolitano leaves for Washington, Arizonans will lose a staunch advocate of public education, fiscal responsibility and families — but the country would gain a Homeland Security chief who is experienced in law enforcement, the border, has good relationships with Mexico and a wealth of executive experience to bring to this massive job.

We're certain Napolitano is up to the task at Homeland Security — but as Arizonans, we'd prefer she stay.