Free 9-Day Event Serves as the Sole Qualifier for “The Run for a Million,” the Sport’s Premier Annual Event with a $1 Million Grand Prize

He’s almost singlehandedly reinvigorated the nation’s love affair with Western and cowboy culture, and now, Taylor Sheridan, the hitmaker behind the likes of “Yellowstone,” “Landman” and “The Last Cowboy” is bringing the grit, drama and high-stakes cowboy competition to “The West’s Most Western Town.”

The Cactus Reining Classic, broadcast on CMT and co-owned by Academy Award nominee Sheridan and Scottsdale resident Amanda Brumley, will take over WestWorld of Scottsdale March 14 – 22, 2025. It is the lone qualifying event for August’s “Run for a Million,” an elite-level reining, cow horse and cutting competition in Las Vegas dubbed the “the richest event in the history of reining.” 

Viewed by audiences in 55 countries last year, the Cactus Reining Classic is both a career-defining event for youth, amateur and professional participants and a full-scale spectacle of horsemanship and showmanship, granting attendees a firsthand look at the struggles, triumphs and rivalries that shape and drive the sport’s most famous faces.

“If you’ve been craving more Western content and culture since “Yellowstone” ended, this is a great opportunity to see top industry talent, including Taylor Sheridan, himself, and stars from “The Last Cowboy,” take the reins and put on a show unlike anything you’ve ever seen,” said Brumley. “This action-packed event is a must-attend, whether you’re an established equestrian enthusiast or someone looking to experience the thrill of reining for the first time.”

Featuring 30 different Western and reining competitions, the Cactus Reining Classic differs from more traditional equestrian events because there are multiple components that help determine who reigns supreme. Unlike in, say, barrel racing, where the fastest horse and rider take home the top title, the winners of these events must showcase their skills in a broad range of areas, performing a precise set of maneuvers including spins, sliding stops, circles, rollbacks and lead changes without error. Judges then score each horse and rider in terms of speed, flow, accuracy and smoothness, among other areas, with the top 10 finishers (out of an estimated 85 – 100) joining six already-qualified participants at the Run for a Million event in Las Vegas Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025. 

In addition to a chance to check out the fast-paced, high-stakes competition, attendees at this year’s 20^th annual Cactus Reining Classic may also be able to score autographs and meet-and-greets with the “Yellowstone” showrunner and some of the most famous faces from recent seasons of “The Last Cowboy.” Drawing more than 15,000 attendees, the Cactus Reining Classic has cemented itself one of the NRHA’s top 10 annual events, uniting elite riders, up-and-comers and fans of cowboy culture alike for an unforgettable celebration of culture, tradition and sport.

While the intensity of the competition is the Cactus Reining Classic’s main draw, event-goers will also find an expansive assortment of Western-inspired vendors onsite selling everything from tack, art and clothing to food, drink, home goods and jewelry. Attendees will also have a chance to see some of the top working ranch and show horses from the reining world, some of which have amassed as large a fanbase and following as their riders.

“As the influence of Western culture continues to grow, we’re seeing more and more Hollywood celebrities attending and fueling the sport’s popularity,” Brumley said. “Stars like Taylor Sheridan are making Western performance disciplines more mainstream, and you never know who you might spot on the sand or in the stands.”

For more about vendor spaces, sponsorships or participation or to view a full event schedule, visit https://brumleyevents.com/cactus-reining-classic/#.

The annual party recognizes Mountainside Fitness employees in all categories from personal trainers, sales representatives, group fitness, child care, and club operations

Mountainside Fitness is proud to celebrate and honor all 1,800 employees at its Annual Peak Awards Party.

The yearly employee recognition party was held at Chateau Luxe Phoenix where employees enjoyed a Roaring 20’s themed celebration and the past year’s accomplishments.   Mountainside Fitness has been celebrating employees at its Annual Peak Awards Party for the last decade.   Each year, the event is held at a large venue and with a new theme.

During the evening, Mountainside Fitness recognized employees within various categories from personal trainers, sales representatives, group fitness, child care, to club operations, and the Spike Spirit Award which is presented to six (6) employees across all categories who exemplify “Outstanding Mountainside Spirit.”

Membership Services Representative of the Year was awarded to Hollie Oldham (Mesa), with Brandon Tarleton (Happy Valley) and John Sheets (Avondale) receiving honorable mentions.

Instructor(s) of the Year was awarded to Mandy Thurman (Surprise), Emily Pelligreen (Desert Ridge), and Amy Larkin (Ocotillo) with honorable mentions to Danae Jones and Sarah Teeter (Peoria), and Jeanette Fougeron (Octoillo), Jackie Stewart and Gretchen Stainecker (Gilbert), Tami Carr (Scottsdale) Tracy Nadler (Paradise Valley), Jessica Hedger (Indian Bend).

Personal Trainer of the Year was awarded to Nicholas Giodano (Peoria), with honorable mentions going to Morgan Allen (Avondale), Zack Wulf (Scottsdale).

Childcare of the Year went to (Carefree), and honored Arrowhead club and Cadence club.

Personal Training Club of the Year went to Queen Creek club, with Peoria club and Cadence club getting honorable mentions.

Most Improved Club of the Year honored Queen Creek club with honorable mentions to going to Platinum club, and Ocotillo club.

The Spike Spirit Award went to Essence Johnson (Tempe), Emily Clark- Baca (Peoria), Sherri Bottano (Surprise), (Indian Bend), Tanya Tomasso (Carefree) Erika Smith (Cadence/Queen Creek), and Sierra Jacobs (Desert Ridge).

The Club of the Year award went to Desert Ridge club with Happy Valley and Scottsdale being honored.

Employees danced and celebrated one the best years on record for the Valley based company.  Entertainment included a live band, DJ, food and beverages reflected the Roaring 20’s period.

The festivities were highlighted by the presentation of Legacy Awards to longtime instructors Jill Toyne, Andy Frus and Robyn Klawitter. The three are each celebrating 20 years of working at Mountainside Fitness

“Our Mountainside Fitness employees, instructors, and trainers are some of the best within our industry, and they are each very important to us and deserve to be recognized.  Some have been with us a very long time, since we began in 1991, but most importantly we honor our entire team’s efforts in working to change the lives of our Members for the better,” said CEO Craig Cote.

For more information or to sign up for membership — visit www.mountainsidefitness.com.

A Feast For The Eyes And The Mind As Polo Party Panache Takes Shape At Scottsdale Ferrari Art Week March 20-23 at WestWorld Of Scottsdale 

If you enjoyed the unique atmosphere at polo, you will appreciate the performances and seminars at the inaugural Scottsdale Ferrari Art Week. Arizona’s top museums, luxury brands, opera singers, and Phoenix Fashion Week will all be a part of bringing to life our initial version of Art Basel. For information on tickets and tables please follow this link.

Scottsdale Ferrari Art Week’s robust cultural programming will feature engaging, intelligent discussions with museum curators and directors, authors, artists, gallerists and other art professionals. These will be held in our Cultural Programming space with several relevant discussions daily. Topics will vary from Art Collecting tips, Latinx Art, the importance of local galleries to a thriving Art Market, the intersection of Artificial Intelligence and Fine Art, photography insights, Contemporary Indigenous Art, Elaine Horwitch and the Rise of the Scottsdale Art Market, and the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women crisis. Don’t miss out as some 100 galleries from across the world make the Valley an epicenter of art just over a month from today.

Event Schedule | March 20 – 23, 2025

Thursday, March 20 – VIP First Look 12PM – 5PM , Opening Night Party and VIP Vernissage 5PM – 8PM

Friday, March 21 – 11AM – 8PM

Saturday, March 22 – 11AM – 8PM

Sunday, March 23 – 11AM – 5PM

Live Bands Join Polo Party Style Fun With Live Local Horseracing, Lower Prices, Bigger Tents And More TV’s

It’s the only Derby party in Arizona that captures the excitement and style of the Kentucky Derby just yards away from live horseracing. For tickets or tables to the Woodford Reserve Kentucky Derby DayClub May 3rd at Turf Paradise go to www.ThePoloParty.com.

This year, Arizona’s favorite Kentucky Derby party, with some 1,600 people last year, just got larger, and better with a bigger tent, reduced prices, more TV’s, and for the first time LIVE bands for the 151st running of the “Run for the Roses.”Watch and wager on the Kentucky Derby simulcast plus a full card of live local horse racing at the Woodford Reserve Derby DayClub at Phoenix’s Turf Paradise May 3rd. It’s the best of both worlds. Polo Party excitement set against the backdrop of an iconic racetrack.

Enjoy mint juleps and a great selection of food and drink at one of two exciting trackside options. New this year is the addition of live music. Whiskey’s Quicker brings its classic rock sound to the event along with other bands.The Sanderson Lincoln Black Label Lounge and the NÜTRL Vodka Seltzer Pavilion offer reserved tables and seating as well as general admission seating.The Sanderson Lincoln Black Label Lounge features an expanded Polo Party style tent, some 85 yards long, on-site betting machines and is located right next to the track on the grass at Turf Paradise.

There’s live DJ’s, live bands, and this year there will be more TV screens allowing fans to watch the Kentucky Derby simulcast as well as a full card of horseracing just yards away at Turf Paradise. No-host bars inside the tent offer Mint Juleps, champagne, cocktails and close proximity to food trucks for additional refreshments. Table options include a complimentary bottle of champagne.

Table prices range from $450 to $1,250. All table options include a bottle of Chandon Champagne. Black Label row 3 single reserved seats are $135. Row 4 single reserved seats are $115.The NÜTRL Vodka Seltzer Pavilion is an open-air covered pavilion with great views of the races at Turf Paradise and easy access to onsite betting. It also includes more TV’s than last year, a refurbished pavilion, a live DJ, a live band, a no-host bar inside the tent for mint juleps, champagne, cocktails and close proximity to food trucks for additional refreshments. Table options also include a complimentary bucket of NÜTRL Vodka Seltzer.

Pricing for tables range from $325 to $450. Individual tickets are also available. General admission tickets are $45 before March 31st, $50 after March 31st and $55 at the door. General Admission includes entry to Turf Paradise, betting terminals, no-host bars including Mint Juleps, beer, wine and cocktails, DJs and 65” TVs to watch the Kentucky Derby and live horseracing at Turf Paradise. General admission tickets do not include a reserved seat.

For tickets or tables go to www.thepoloparty.com.In addition to an exciting day of horseracing, guests can enjoy a display of horsepower featuring several of Sanderson Lincoln’s top luxury vehicles for 2025, plus onsite shopping.The event is produced by the Bentley Scottsdale Polo Championships, America’s most attended polo event.

The Arizona Diamondbacks are in a bit of a pickle. Their once classic yet futuristic ballpark is now outdated, breaking down, and in sore need of significant upgrades. A few legislators came up with a potential solution which would cover the costs without putting an extra burden on taxpayers if they do not go to games. The concept is, if you go to the games you help pay for the upgrades (read our coverage here).

It makes perfect sense…right? Anything that seems too perfect to work is almost always never that easy in politics though, as this solution is demonstrating.

This plan is running up against a tough opponent to this plan: Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego. 

What’s the mayor’s problem? It’s pretty simple…the income, state, and local tax revenue that is generated at games, that tax revenue that the plan would divert to help pay for the stadium upgrades, currently goes to the city in order to help fund its operations. 

How much would this plan generate or divert, based on who you’re asking? Proponents say it would bring in $15 to $20 million a year. Since that revenue comes from three different sources, it’s difficult to know how much of that would be generated from the city side. The budget of the City of Phoenix is around $2 billion, so that $20 million estimate would represent 1% of the budget. While the actual shortfall that the city would have to make up is unknown, it is likely that it is enough to make city leaders nervous.

It’s worth noting that the state would also have some tax revenue diverted, yet state leaders seem to be generally in favor of this plan. Meanwhile, the city benefits more from the Diamondbacks playing in Phoenix specifically than the state does, so you would think that city leaders would be willing to acquiesce as much as state leaders, right? Of course, the state budget is much, much larger than the city’s, so the percentage of a hit that revenue would be is significantly smaller, but still…

Considering the multiplier effect of 81 games in Phoenix per year and what that spending in the city, both before and after games, means in the way of economic growth and tax revenue, it seems as though the onus should be on the city to come to the table in a more accommodating way. Losing that potential economic impact would be catastrophic, and the city shouldn’t see itself as in a position of strength here…because they’re not.

By Representative Joseph Chaplik

HB2925 and SB1352 are complete shams and a shameless attempt by Axon to circumvent the will of voters.

I’ve been aggressively opposed to any bad policy bills and working tirelessly to protect our rights. That’s why I am standing up against these horrible legislative bills – SB1352 and HB2925 – that seek to overturn the will of the people and override residents’ votes at the ballot box. This attempt is a blatant assault on the rights of all Arizona citizens to hold their municipal government accountable. I have been doing some good damage on these bills but need your help.

Axon and its lobbyists are lying to my fellow legislative members to work against constituents. That’s why I am exposing these lies and quickly persuading other members to remove their support for this legislation.

In a short summary, here is a list of recent actions taken by Axon:

• Last November, Axon slipped their rezoning approval through a lame-duck session of the Scottsdale City Council where it was approved by Council, three of whom had just been defeated in their reelection by the voters earlier that month.
• After Scottsdale residents organized a petition drive to reverse the decision, Axon paid blockers to discourage city residents from signing petitions at various places in the city.
• After the petition signatures were verified and certified by the County Recorders Office, Axon demanded the City of Scottsdale schedule an election (at taxpayers expense) in 2025 instead of waiting until November of 2026 as called for in the state constitution.

Chairman Weninger will be hearing this bill on Tuesday February 18th at 2pm in the House Commerce Committee. Please reach out to your legislators (Find my legislator if you don’t already know who they are) and let them know how strongly you oppose these bills that are an assault on your rights.

As always, I will fight for constituent voices, not special interest lobbying groups.

For Arizona,

Representative Joseph Chaplik
www.JosephChaplik.com

The actions to mitigate the financial stress caused by our nation’s COVID-19 response were swift and significant; the federal government was throwing checks to every citizen, giving loans with extremely favorable payback requirements or total forgiveness to nearly anyone who asked, and many people received massive amounts of money that they had no real business receiving and with essentially no near-term oversight. In short, it was a fraudster’s dream.

Until…it wasn’t. And what looked like no oversight was only no immediate oversight, and significantly delayed investigations and prosecutions eventually ramped up. Enter Scottsdale business Blueacorn, a firm that was started at the height of the pandemic in order to process Paycheck Protection Program loans for businesses. They are now accused of falsifying all sorts of paperwork as well as taking illegal kickbacks.

This story is one amongst many in this country, perhaps only more notable than others because one of the defendants, Stephanie Hockridge, is a former ABC15 news anchor. But it does speak to perhaps a wider issue: Scottsdale as a hotspot of financial crimes.

For a city of its size, Scottsdale has had a significant number of issues, and while this is the first significant COVID-related issue we can find, it does lead us to a more persistent issue: fraud and crimes in financial planning. In just the last two years there have been three such cases.

In 2023 David Allen Harbour was convicted of investment fraud and sentenced to eight years in prison. Last October financial advisor Luke Johnson was convicted and ordered to pay restitution for misleading investors in a Ponzi scheme. And last July, Scottsdale-based United Planners Financial Services was ordered to pay restitution because of the actions of one of its advisors.

Three such cases is a significant number in this city, but it can also be explained away fairly easily: a retirement haven and a city with significant wealth, it will naturally have a lot of investment firms and representatives who will try to cater to that audience. With that, you will naturally have some bad apples.

While bad actors may be found eventually, the onus is on you to make sure that you avoid fraudulent situations where possible. A basic rule is that if it sounds too good to be true it probably is. High returns with low risk are not possible. If an “investment opportunity” comes with any degree of pressure or with “a limited time”, you should avoid it. Check the credentials of the people and firms who are pitching you on investments. There is nothing wrong with boring investments.

Photo Credit: Axios

Hopes were reasonably high this season; a 49-33 record last season wasn’t quite what was expected with such a star-studded roster, and a first round playoff exit was a disappointing thud of an ending. They switched coaches, rolled into the new year with its three big stars, and ostensibly there was reason for a strong performance this year. With this roster how could they fail, after all?

So far, so disappointing. The trade deadline came and went, and the team was heavily rumored to be making a play for Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler but couldn’t get it done. There were rumors that they were shopping around Kevin Durant but that never went through. The roster is not materially improved at all, it has a jaded aging star that knows that he is not especially wanted there, and there is no reason to think that anything will improve before the playoffs arrive.

As of the time of writing, they are one game over .500 and are holding on to the last play-in seat in the playoffs, 10th place in the Western Conference. They have three gigantic contracts that are handcuffing them, contracts that no one else is willing to take on except for that of cornerstone Devin Booker. There are reports of a toxic locker room that Coach Budenholzer is forced to respond to.

They are stuck in mediocrity with no ability to materially improve, save a lottery ticket win that is a non-lottery pick player eventually working out as a star.

It’s safe to say that the dream is dead. There is no real chance for this lineup to live up to expectations. They will not deliver a Championship. The all-in gamble was a loss. And we all know it.

Perhaps the most difficult part is that this team is dead in the water for a few years. We are wasting Devin Booker’s best years, and when the conversation is not just getting rid of a player or two but a full rebuild including trading Booker??

And this is now the legacy of the Mat Ishbia tenure of ownership: splashy failure with its roster, no cohesion, and utter disappointment. But hey…$2 hot dogs. Cool.

And just like that, the Diamondbacks are our only hope to avoid complete sporting disappointment.

Credit: Axon

Sometimes you can make this stuff up.  Bear with us.

A number of years ago Axon said it would build its new corporate headquarters in Scottsdale.  It received approval to do so.  That turned out to not be true.

Years went by and it returned with a new corporate headquarters plan, this time saying it could and would build it BUT . . . it needed a whopping 2,600 apartments to do so.  After justifiable headwinds with what would have been the largest apartment entitlement in Arizona history x 2, the company said, let us rethink the proposal.

Channeling its inner Pinocchio, Axon returned to say that it really only needed 1,900 apartments, still 50% higher than the state record.

Along the way it denied trying to threaten the job of dissenting Planning Commissioner Christian Serena.  We all know what the real truth was there.

After ignoring repeated warnings that its plan would be referred to the Scottsdale ballot, Axon pledged that it would challenge every single signature to prevent people from voting on its historic rezone. Perhaps after seeing the results – a record 27,000 signatures submitted with high validity rates – no challenge has surfaced.

After criticizing its opponents for not being transparent, Axon itself is now refusing to disclose whether it was six or seven figures it spent trying to bully Scottsdale residents to not sign petitions, a failure for which it may receive fines.

Then, after Maricopa County verified the referendum signatures, Axon made yet more promises that it would leave Scottsdale if there wasn’t a costly special election called before November 2026, the timing of which is its own fault for seeking passage of its zoning in the 2024 Scottsdale City Council lame duck session.

Does anything these guys say stick?

Remember the 2026 point for a moment because it will be relevant in just a bit.  Basically, Axon has said that it won’t wait until 2026 and will move elsewhere if it doesn’t get more special favors.

As many readers know Axon is now trying to short circuit Scottsdale citizens’ constitutional right to put the project to a public vote with state legislation that would eliminate every Arizona citizen’s right, in any town, from ever undertaking a referendum against a city council’s decision. Whether it’s putting a homeless shelter in the middle of a neighborhood or a massive and unnecessary apartment project like this one, rights be damned, ones that have existed since statehood. That’s as extreme as it gets.

But let’s assume Axon runs the legislative gauntlet and Governor Hobbs signs the legislation – a very big if.  There will be a lawsuit, unquestionably and immediately, upon that law taking effect.  It’s as unconstitutional as it gets.  And what will be the effect of that?  Legal wrangling through the Superior Court, Court of Appeals and then the Arizona Supreme Court, taking them all the way to Summer, 2026.  If Axon thinks this won’t happen – just as they didn’t think the referendum would – well, that would be a little like betting on the Chiefs in the Super Bowl.  So all of this to get to the middle of next year, only to lose, and be right back where it is now?! It’s exactly where Axon said it didn’t want to be in 2026, having won nothing but granting opponents yet more ammunition to defeat it at the ballot box with its insane legislation.

As we have said, their strategists can’t shoot straight.  Axon CEO Rick Smith clearly relied on good people to build a good company.  But he apparently doesn’t have any around him now.

At least we will give Axon some credit for finally being straight with some new members of the Scottsdale City Council, admitting privately what anyone with a couple of marbles has known from the get-go.  Smith wants to build a Taj Mahal new headquarters yet his Board of Directors won’t let him do it without financial subsidies (not going to happen in Scottsdale per its charter) or giant new zoning rights that are at issue today.

But Axon’s hubris is not Scottsdale’s problem or Arizona’s.  There probably is a deal somewhere amongst Axon’s arrogance and incompetence, if it could only see it.  But don’t count on it.

By Alexander Lomax

Photo Credit: Getty Images

Unless you live under a rock politically, you are aware that Elon Musk is making some serious waves in American politics. Under the guise of the self-established Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE (with an acronym named after his favorite meme cryptocoin), he has been pouring through government departments, looking for purported waste and using tactics (such as getting a disturbing degree of access at times) that are pleasing some and alienating many.

Republicans seem to be generally united in praise, as arcane expenditures that often appear to have a high degree of political bias and “wokeness” are uncovered. While the cost savings so far appear to be minimal in comparison to the size of the budget, it has the side benefit of making the priorities of President Biden and past Democrats look extreme.

Arizona Republicans seem to now be taking their cue from this development and are implementing Musk-ian type reforms in Arizona, led by Scottsdale Rep. Alex Kolodin, who wants to “take an axe to the size of government”.

So far so good, ehh? Well on the surface it always does, and the examples that he lists as the lowest hanging fruit for cutting, such as the Citrus Research Council and the Acupuncture Board of Examiners are reasonable ones. Much like Musk cutting $2 million in spending for gender-reassignment surgeries in Guatemala through USAID, reasonable people will agree.

But in that same vein, much like cutting $2 million out of a $6 TRILLION budget is de facto meaningless, cutting tiny committees in Arizona is also essentially meaningless. What will Kolodin and Co. find to cut that will have a meaningful positive impact on the budget without getting rid of safeguards for the citizenry? What will they recommend cutting for the real purpose of helping powerful special interests and donors instead of for the betterment of the state? These are the things that they will not call a press conference for. Those are the things that demand sunlight as disinfectant.

And I want to be clear when I say, I agree with smaller government in theory. I agree that reviews should be done from time to time, as the desire to add items for the sake of appearing useful and productive outweighs the desire to streamline most of the time. It is necessary, but it is critical to be done in an objective and sober manner, something which the current administration that’s being used as the example is not projecting out very well. 

Since it is clear that this year and next Republicans will largely be devoted to demonizing and pushing out Governor Hobbs, it’s similarly evident that this initiative will be used as a tool for that. An opportunity for level-setting government will be weaponized instead. I hope that I’m proven wrong, but I don’t think Kolodin is capable of not politicizing an issue.

New Scottsdale Poll Shows Axon Could Face Uphill Battle After Successful Referendum Drive

News Release from Data Orbital

Phoenix, AZ (2/10/2025) Data Orbital is pleased to announce the results of its latest mixed-mode survey of likely 2026 General Election voters in Scottsdale. The survey was conducted from January 11th to January 13th. The survey assessed voter sentiment on a ballot initiative to determine whether to uphold or overturn the rezoning for Axon International’s planned headquarters. This survey was conducted in response to the significant public attention the issue has garnered in recent months, which ultimately led to the submission of 27,000 signatures to place the matter on the ballot.

The rezoning would allow Axon to develop a hotel, restaurants, and a large apartment complex alongside its new corporate headquarters.

Survey results reveal that nearly two-thirds (65.2%) of respondents oppose the zoning change, with 29.1% in support. Notably, 48.6% of respondents are strongly opposed. Among key demographics, Republicans over the age of 55 exhibit particularly high levels of opposition, with 74.5% strongly opposing the rezoning. In contrast, only 15.7% of respondents are strongly in favor of the project.

The survey also highlights a remarkably low percentage of undecided voters, with just 5.6% expressing neutrality or uncertainty. Despite the election being nearly two years away, the combination of a high rate of strong opposition and minimal undecided voters indicates that opinions on this issue are firmly established even before the campaign has begun.

Among Scottsdale voters, more than half (57.3%) have no opinion of the company. Overall, Axon has a slight net favorable rating of +8.5%, with 25.6% expressing a favorable view and 17.1% expressing an unfavorable view.

When presented with language used by Axon in favor of the proposal and opponent arguments against the Axon proposal, a strong majority of respondents agreed with the opposing statement.

Read More

Photo Credit: WM Phoenix Open

The WM Phoenix Open has come under fire in recent years, more specifically last year’s messy event. The Thunderbirds seem to have gotten the message and made necessary changes (read our coverage here), but it’s all talk until the event comes. While the changes seem to have minimized some of the most prominent issues, there is one significant change that has had a lot of people talking. 

Perhaps the most prominent outcome is indicative of the changes that were made; it has been mostly devoid of bad headlines due to bad behavior (we say “mostly” because there is one significant outlier which we will talk about). There haven’t been reports of significant gate-crashers, of entirely out-of-control folks (more so than normal), and any of the issues that cast a dark cloud on last year’s event. 

Regular attendees probably did notice one major change that may also be leading to the relative lack of issues: cost. In short, this year’s event is much, much more expensive than years past. A four-day ticket is now nearly exactly double what it was just five years ago, a rate of inflation that far exceeds inflation. 

It’s not just ticket prices though: concessions are extremely expensive, with $14 beers and $15 cocktails that now put their pricing firmly in line with prices at sporting events. Considering the increasing expense of getting absolutely smashed, it is now the purview of either those who are well off or those who are willing to dedicate more of their budget to a day’s worth of drunkenness than they should, which likely helps minimize out-of-control drunkenness.

Not entirely though, and while most of the stories coming out of this year’s event are neutral or positive (such as this year’s stunning hole-in-one on the 16th), there was one significant outlier. 

One particular man decided it would be a good idea to make video making threats against Mexicans and as well as obvious neo-Nazi references and put it out on social media. He was fired from his job and later arrested for being on the grounds after the course had closed as well as being under the influence of alcohol at the age of 19.

It’s tough to pin much blame on the tournament for a 19 year old being a drunken, racist idiot, so long as they did not serve him alcohol at the event (something which should be investigated to some degree to ensure). One could hypothetically point fingers at a state and an environment where an idiot would feel comfortable doing that, and changes in what is considered acceptable in the wake of a bombastic new presidential regime, but ultimately, preventing an idiot from being an idiot is difficult.

All in all, the changes seemed to have worked, even if the “People’s Open” is now attainable to fewer and fewer people. Perhaps that’s not such a bad thing.

By Ronald Sampson

Axon CEO Rick Smith. Photo Credit: Jim Poulin, Phoenix Business Journal

Axon has developed quite a reputation for bullying its way through Scottsdale. Its attempts to shoehorn in its unwanted apartment megacomplex (apparently the largest apartment complex in the history of the entire state) into the city met stiff resistance, so it ignored the will of the people and leaned on a lame duck City Council. Once the affected citizens organized and made their voices heard, the ridiculous whims of this bully of an organization were imperiled.

But Axon CEO Rick Smith isn’t about to be deterred from his need to vanquish his enemies, i.e. the citizens of Scottsdale. Any response from the citizenry is simply an excuse to escalate.

So what is King Rick’s most recent move? Now he’s escalating matters to the state legislature by leaning on them to take away your ability to have your voice on unpopular zoning matters.

Yeah, you heard that right…instead of simply allowing the people to make their voice heard, they’re choosing to take away your voice.

I fondly remember the last time the legislature took away local control at the behest of specific corporations and their army of lobbyists. After significant lobbying and lots of dollars spent by the short-term rental industry the legislature took away the ability for municipalities to regulate out-of-control party houses. What was the result? A lot of parties, a lot of pissed off residents, a lot of ineffective politicians whose hands were tied, and a lot of upheaval.

Despite what was obviously an incredibly unpopular move, the legislature and their infinite wisdom is yet again weighing in on how little they respect your opinion, all at the behest of King Rick.

Perhaps one of the most beautiful aspects of Arizona and its constitution is the empowerment that it provides you, the average everyday citizen, to stand up to the potential tyranny of legislators. It provides We the People power.

But King Rick can’t have that, because your power threatens his whims.

Putting in the biggest apartment complex in state history would be more than bad enough as it is. But if it directly attacks one of the core aspects of Arizona’s constitution and strips you of your right to speak up against any bad projects in the future? This is tyranny, and it must be rejected.

It’s no surprise that Covid changed the economic dynamics of our world in a lasting way. E-commerce went from a dominant economic factor to THE dominant economic factor, millions of square feet of office space have been rendered null and void due to work-from-home and hybrid work policies, and delivery services became ascendent. 

One of the bigger questions vexing much of the real estate world: what should we do with the excess space? Should old buildings be sold at a significant loss? Or what about completely rethinking the space as it is and creating something new within it?

Enter the old Paradise Valley Mall; a victim of numerous circumstances. The expanded adoption of Amazon’s cost and convenience hurt shopping malls around the country, and like many others covid policies dealt a death blow. It was razed in 2021 but is now entering its next phase: a mixed-use housing development.

Granted, I think it would be the dream of nearly anyone of a certain age (think young Gen Xers and elder millennials) to have a mall directly repurposed as a residential complex. After all, what would you pay to be able to live in your favorite mall’s Hot Topic? Alas, redeveloping from commercial space to residential is not just a nightmare from a development perspective (your Hot Topic probably didn’t have any faucets, let alone the water hookups for showers after all) but from a rezoning perspective as well.

Korman Communities is instead starting from scratch with AVE Paradise Valley, a 400-unit luxury living space paired with “immediate access to an on-site Whole Foods plus tons of dynamic shopping, dining and entertainment options”, along with a fantastic location where PV, Phoenix and Scottsdale meet.

Prices are not for the faint of heart, and it would not be shocking if they are deemed a bit rich when the time to lease comes; studio apartments approach $1,700 per month, and three-bedroom units start at an eye-popping $5,300. Considering that that’s going to be far above a mortgage payment for a three-bedroom house nearly anywhere in the Valley, that feels like a stretch. But by all indications, the complex will have significant trappings of convenience and luxury, so perhaps there is adequate demand to buoy those prices.

So while it’s good to see an old landmark get a new life, we’re still waiting for the opportunity to be able to bunk in the old Spencer’s Gifts and walk over to the old JC Penney’s to have a drink and watch some games.

As we have covered recently, since the November election life has gotten harder for Governor Katie Hobbs. The Republican advantage in both the State House and the State Senate has expanded, meaning that the road to Hobbs bringing anything on her agenda to fruition got much longer and more difficult. We predicted that Republicans would be jockeying for position to take shots at her, and it didn’t take long.

Leading the fight last week was Scottsdale’s own Representative Alex Kolodin. Kolodin has long been a bomb-thrower, albeit one with what some could occasionally say comes with a somewhat tenuous grasp of the facts. So when he called out Governor Hobbs for essentially undercounting her budget by $350 million, eyebrows were certainly raised.

This comes after a tough few months for Hobbs, even leaving aside the unfortunate outcome of the November election. In November her Director of the Office of Tourism Lisa Urias was pressured to resign when merited allegations of self-dealing with a contract came to light. Even more salient to this current issue however was last week’s announcement that the Director for the Office of Strategic Planning and Budgeting Sarah Brown would also be leaving. Kolodin’s tweet came only one day after that announcement.

The timing of this departure is very odd indeed; normally such announcements would be timed for the end of the year for a more orderly-appearing process. This announcement, followed directly by a charge of an additional $350 million request, gives the appearance that Brown was involved in some way in the need for that additional request, and that she was pressured to fall on the sword. All of this is speculative, but timing is very rarely accidental in politics.

Hobbs is of course attempting to point the finger back at Republicans for politicizing everything. In her January 13th speech, she stated, “For too long, politicians have been focused on the wrong things – chasing headlines, playing politics, and looking toward their next election or their next office rather than standing up for the people we represent.” And she’s not wrong. It is clear that the next two years will be chock full of gotchas, of moments designed to demonize the other side (and this goes for both sides, even if the Republicans have more opportunities to use the bully pulpit.

But it does feel like Kolodin did key in on something important: a significant degree of financial malfeasance, albeit likely more a result of incompetence than ill intent. It seemed for a while that Hobbs’s nightmare honeymoon period of poor delegation choices at the start of her term was over, but Kolodin’s charge makes me believe that it went deeper than just a bad first few months.

By Ronald Sampson

What was long a cherished event for the Valley has recently given itself a black eye. The Waste Management Open: it has always been a party. The 16th hole has long been known as one of the craziest atmospheres in all of golf. It has always been different. But in the last few years and especially last year, that vibe has turned darker. Different turned into the tail end of a frat party: ugly, sloppy, and a mess.

It would have been difficult for the Thunderbirds, the planners of the event, to have not gotten the message. Negative headlines pervaded, some went across the world, and something needed to be done.

Enter “Better, Not Bigger”, the theme for this year’s event. So what does that mean? For starters, a larger police presence walking the grounds looking for problematic attendees. That would certainly be an upgrade, and simply a larger more visual presence may be enough to keep some people in line to some degree.

Next is a whole new entrance; a chaotic bottleneck was a problem during the weekend of last year’s event, with a significant amount of gate-crashings taking advantage of the lack of order and getting in without paying. A new entrance should not only minimize that bottleneck but also allow for better monitoring of potential gate-crashers and adjust accordingly.

Next are day-specific tickets. Frankly, it is strange that this is only now being implemented, as nearly all large multi-day events have day-specific passes. Without this, the actual attendance was nearly impossible to predict, and as such appropriate law enforcement staffing and presence was nearly impossible to project. 

Lastly, they are at least talking a bigger game about stronger enforcement of out-of-control activities. And this is where a fine line needs to be better drawn. No one wants to turn this into a typical golf tournament, but running across holes when they are in play and being loud during a player’s swing should be clearly set on the wrong side of that fine line.

If jail time for bad behavior was a real option, or if lifetime bans for people who act like fools and materially distract away from the golf were implemented, perhaps the bleeding would be materially stemmed and we could collectively chart a better path forward.

We could say a lot of positive things about our home state: great weather much of the time, great place to start a business, beautiful landscapes, abundant recreation options. One thing we don’t rarely hear much about is whether or not it’s a good place to raise a family however. 

This Monday we ran a piece about a WalletHub survey that showed Scottsdale as the ideal place to be seeking a job. Well now we have another WalletHub survey, but this one is significantly less rosy. It has ranked Arizona in the bottom 10 states to raise a family, AT THE #41 spot.

As we stated with the job-seeking ranking, the methodology that is used is critical to understanding the value of the survey. After all, such rankings could easily be swayed with weightings of any categories. Much like the job-seeking survey, this one has many, many different criteria, but they are all within five different categories: family fun, health and safety, education and child care, affordability, and socioeconomics.

For family fun, Arizona was ranked at #10, but that’s where the good news ends. While near the middle of the pack in the socioeconomic category, it ranks at #40 and below for the other three categories, with a paltry #48 ranking for both education and child care and affordability.

For education, our public schools’ issues and low ranking here shouldn’t be too much of a surprise to anyone; despite attempts to increase funding we still sit 3rd-to-last on a per-pupil spending basis. Daycare quality and costs also weigh heavily into the rubric. 

As for the affordability category, anyone who has lived here long enough can tell you that the days of Arizona being cheap are long, long gone. That said, the majority of the metrics have less to do with cost of living and more with items such as debt levels and healthcare costs. Does that invalidate their importance? Not necessarily, but items like collective mortgage debt do speak to the difficulty of homeowning for young families in what has been an extremely robust housing market.

That said, if these sorts of items don’t necessarily apply to you, if you make a good income, don’t have outrageous debt, and are in a good school district or have the means for a great private school, then feel free to disregard and expand your family!

As with every January, it’s the start of a brand new legislative session at the State Capitol. And this year portends to be a bit of a departure from recent years, as Republicans have extended their leads in both chambers at the legislature. So what should you expect?

First, there will be precious few issues where both parties get along, and while Republicans have a majority in both chambers, Katie Hobbs’ veto pen as governor can make purely partisan bills difficult to pass, so issues where both parties agree will likely be a priority. Republicans could relatively easily pass through whatever they like, but they do not have enough of a margin to override that veto, as shown by the fact that only 15.6% of bills introduced last year were signed into law.

Both parties agree that the cost of housing is too high, and both parties agree that water is a critical issue. Republicans are hoping to tackle both issues at once by rescinding a groundwater offset rule that developers are beholden to. Nothing is a given with this subject though, because even a bipartisan bill last year limiting municipalities’ ability to set restrictions on housing was vetoed by Hobbs.

One other potential solution that aims to address both problems? An “ag to urban” bill that will incentivize farmers to sell their land for the sake of home development. While the devil is always in the details, in this case likely how much that incentive would cost, it seems like something that on its face both parties could agree on.

The agreements from the parties may more or less end there however. In the state’s most hot-button issue, immigration, it’s clear that the caucuses are far apart. While Republicans want to have a sanctuary city ban and want active compliance with the Trump administration’s actions, the Democratic caucus has come out against even relatively common-sense bills such as the Laken Riley Act.

Education will also be a point of focus as the funding provided by Proposition 123 is set to expire midyear. Republicans will aim to add additional protection to funding for school vouchers, which is almost certain to be a non-starter for Democrats and Governor Hobbs, which is likely to set up a high-stakes game of chicken with a non-insignificant amount of school funding to hang in the balance.

With all that said, while numerous things will be different around the Capitol, one thing will be very much the same as the last few years: Governor Katie Hobbs will have a brutally difficult time advancing anything in her agenda, and she will be taking shots from Republicans all around the state. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Taser manufacturer Axon had to go on the offensive when it faced a campaign that appears to have succeeded in putting its controversial 1,900 apartment project, in what appears to be the largest multi-family entitlement in Arizona history, to a vote of the people. Now it is facing a campaign finance complaint for failing to account for the hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars it spent on petition blockers who tried to stifle the signature drive. This article in the Scottsdale Independent has the details.
https://www.yourvalley.net/scottsdale-independent/stories/campaign-finance-complaint-against-axon-filed-with-scottsdale-city-clerk,559639

Days after the complaint was filed the Scottsdale Fire Fighters Association weighed in on the project basing its opposition on how a massive influx of new residents, and a concentration of apartments in one part of town could put a strain on public safety services.  That’s as rough as it gets if the issue actually goes to an election. The Scottsdale Progress has details of that story.
https://www.scottsdale.org/city_news/firefighter-union-raises-axon-concerns/article_3384d576-daad-11ef-bed8-bfe67070696c.html

And just today, Maricopa County confirmed it had validated a whopping 82% of the record setting number of referendum signatures that were submitted in December.

As an employer, Axon is used to feeling the love. As  a developer it is now feeling the burn.

Photo Credit: YourValley.net

Scottsdale is a city that prides itself on low taxes and small government; it’s a big reason why companies routinely move their headquarters here and new residents continue to flock here. So when unexpected costs hop into the budget it tends to raise a few eyebrows, as a recent development did.

Scottsdale’s employees racked up $25 million in overtime costs last year, an 11% increase over its cumulative salaries. The majority of this additional pay was racked up by law enforcement officers, with firefighters in second place. 

This is absolutely not simply a Scottsdale problem. Chicago racked up over 20-times this amount last year, and 16 individual New York Police Department officers accrued over $100,000 in overtime each. But this is almost to be expected in cities with progressive leadership, where adding to the number of law enforcement officers often encounters significant pushback.

Obviously, the answer to this problem is hiring more officers, and thankfully Councilman Adam Kwasman is asking the right questions and facing this issue head-on. But a new development is making this issue a bit more difficult than simply just hiring people.

Scottsdale’s Chief of Police Jeff Walther will be assuming a new role shortly, and it won’t involve a badge. He has been brought on by interim City Manager Greg Caton to be the interim Assistant City Manager. A truly unique, outside-the-box choice to help him lead the city; obviously he understands the public safety component of city management like no one other, but one has to wonder what else he brings to this role.

In this role, Walther will actually be staying on as Chief of Police, he will simply be taking on additional roles within the city while an interim head is found and eases into the role. One has to wonder how precious little time he will have to focus on increasing the headcount within the department. However, one could also say that his direct link to city management may make for a stronger, more coordinated voice to speak up for increasing headcount.

Regardless of how quickly and effectively this is handled, we should be thankful that we have leadership that both wants to trim costs but also sees hiring more officers as a reasonable way to do so. Not all cities are so lucky.

On January 14th, I was honored to be sworn in as your Scottsdale City Councilmember, with my son by my side—a moment that holds deep personal significance and one I will cherish forever. Thank you to every voter who placed their trust in me. Your belief in my vision of a “Families First” Scottsdale inspires me to serve with dedication and purpose daily.

From our very first council meeting, my colleagues and I have been hard at work ensuring Scottsdale’s future remains as bright as its legacy. Together, we are safeguarding what makes our city extraordinary while building a foundation for future generations. Here’s what we’ve accomplished so far:

1. Budget Review Commission: We established a citizen’s commission to advise the Council on Scottsdale’s operating and capital budgets, including revenue forecasts, taxes, and fees. This ensures transparency, accountability, and fiscal responsibility while prioritizing the needs of our residents.
2. Community Safety Subcommittee: A three-member Council Subcommittee was created to analyze public safety initiatives, regulations, and enforcement actions, focusing on reducing public nuisances and enhancing safety across our city. This committee is critical to enhancing policing and public safety in Scottsdale.
3. Sustainability Task Force: To promote Scottsdale’s long-term viability, we repealed the previous overreaching and unrealistic Sustainability Plan and directed the formation of a Sustainability Task Force. This group will address key fiscal, population, and conservation challenges to keep Scottsdale thriving.
4. Updated Council Procedures: We amended the Council’s rules to ensure greater focus and professionalism during public meetings.
5. Interim City Manager Appointment: We welcomed Greg Caton as Scottsdale’s Interim City Manager, ensuring strong leadership as we search for a permanent appointee.

Celebrating Leadership

Congratulations to Mayor Lisa Borowsky and my fellow new council members Jan Dubauskas and Maryann McAllen. I look forward to collaborating with them to make Scottsdale the best it can be.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve. I remain committed to upholding the trust you’ve placed in me and to delivering on our shared vision for Scottsdale. Together, we’ll protect what we love about our city while embracing its future.

Visit my official website: Councilman Adam Kwasman

Email: akwasman@scottsdaleaz.gov

Office Number: 480-312-2550

Location: 3939 N. Drinkwater Blvd, Scottsdale, AZ 85251

Adam Kwasman

Scottsdale City Council Member

For more information about Adam Kwasman’s plans for Scottsdale, visit www.adamkwasman.com.

Why yes, we did just finish an election, and the new president (same as the old president) was just recently inaugurated. But a good portion of the electorate is already hoping to fast forward four years, so why not take a far-too-early look at what 2028 might look like? Thankfully, recent polling takes a look at how things might play out.

First, it’s worth noting that barring an amendment to or the complete disregard of the Constitution, we will see a new president after the 2028 general election. As a reminder as per the Constitution, presidents are limited to two terms, and they don’t need to be consecutive. While many progressives seem to be afraid of Trump disregarding that and anointing himself Forever King, this concern likely sits somewhere between weird and unhinged.

Notable in this poll is the “if the 2028 primaries were held today” question. Democrats apparently are comfortable with losing yet again, as 41% of voters said that they would vote for Kamala Harris. Gavin Newsom, Josh Shapiro, Pete Buttigieg and Tim Walz are all next, getting between 6-8% of the vote. In all likelihood, most voters likely weren’t extremely familiar with anyone except Harris, so Harris was the default choice. 16% were unsure.

On the Republican side, the exact same dynamic is at play, with JD Vance getting 39% of the vote. Vivek Ramaswamy, Nikki Haley, and Ron DeSantis came in the next three positions, getting either 8 or 9% of the vote. 18% were unsure who they would vote for.

Perhaps one of the most interesting dynamics captured in this was the ever-changing landscape of how people consume information. 23% of voters reported getting information about Donald Trump from podcasts or livestreams, and a whopping 72% of those people saw him on the Joe Rogan podcast. 30% of people who saw him on a podcast or livestream said that it influenced their vote a great deal. While the numbers for Harris were significantly less (likely because her handlers dissuaded her from going on the podcast with the most reach in the world), it’s clear that 2028’s contenders will have to navigate new media more deftly than Harris did.

Another notable outcome is favorables versus unfavorables, and on the Republican side Marco Rubio seems to be on top in that regard, at least insofar as government positions go. With 39% in favor of him in a leadership role within the administration versus 30% against, his +9% is the best in that field, and his role as Secretary of State will set him up for significant visibility (but he would very likely have to fight JD Vance to get the ring however).

That said, four years is a long ways away, and so many things can change in that time. But for those who were unhappy with how the electorate voted and may want to use any reason to think about four years, here’s at least your first glance.

If you had paid attention to the myriad advertisements and mailers distributed up to last year’s election day, you might have been confused into thinking that Scottsdale is in a downward spiral of sorts, with serious fiscal and social issues threatening to take the city down. To oust an incumbent you need to make a case that things are going in the wrong direction, which many of the city’s new leaders effectively did; according to 2024 polling, Republicans were nearly split on whether the city was going in the right direction and the wrong direction.

That said, data doesn’t lie (although it can be manipulated), and recent data implies that Scottsdale is absolutely exemplary in at least one category as per a recent report.

According to a recent report from WalletHub, Scottsdale is the top city in the country to find a job. In a testament to the state’s currently robust hiring market, both Chandler and Tempe are also in the top 10.

As with any ranking, the methodology is a crucial component; are they using the right metrics? Are they weighing them correctly? In this case the metrics are extremely varied and even but with job opportunities, employment growth, the employment outlook and the unemployment rate having a higher weighting. Various socioeconomic metrics are also weighed, albeit to a lesser degree.

With 31 different metrics at play and most of them equal-weighted, one could pick apart the methodology and consider it too watered down and without an emphasis on important items. That said, no one could call it lazy or thoughtless!

And it’s not hard to see how Scottsdale ranks this high. It has managed to become a bit of a small scale tech hub of sorts, with numerous companies moving their headquarters and hundreds, if not thousands of jobs, to the city. With a low tax level, a light, business-friendly regulatory framework, an educated workforce and an excellent lifestyle, the city (and the state more overarchingly) has become an ideal place to move your business.

While the new set of city leaders may have won their seats because of purported discontent, it appears as though they find themselves in the enviable position of fixing a city with very few things wrong with it, least of all the economy. Not a bad spot to be in.

By Mary Manross, Former Scottsdale Mayor and Chairwoman for Vote YES YES Scottsdale PAC
and Carla, Preserve Pioneer and Campaign Coordinator for Vote YES YES Scottsdale PAC

In most campaigns there are winners and losers. Not when it comes to the passage of Propositions 490 and 491 in Scottsdale which happened on November 5th. We believe everyone in Scottsdale wins.

Proposition 490 will help revitalize and maintain Scottsdale’s parks, beginning with the Indian Bend Wash Greenbelt, and will provide ongoing care and protection for the McDowell Sonoran Preserve.  It will provide funding to prevent and fight fires in and around the Preserve, and funds for increased police rangers for the parks and the Preserve.

Almost sixty years ago Scottsdale had the wisdom and foresight to create the Greenbelt and, thirty years ago, to create the McDowell Sonoran Preserve. They are two of Scottsdale’s greatest decisions and treasures. That wisdom and foresight are still with us today as evidenced by this vote.

Proposition 490 contains legal safeguards to ensure the money is properly spent. And we think these safeguards, and the benefits of the measure will win over many who voted no and maybe even some critics. Now that the voters of Scottsdale have spoken overwhelmingly in support of Proposition 490, we look forward to working with the new Mayor and Council to see that it is implemented properly and responsibly.Read More

By Carla (Carla), Preserve Pioneer

This year Scottsdale was fortunate when it came to wildfires. Next year we might not be so lucky.

As every summer gets hotter and drier, nature and human caused fires are a fact of life in Scottsdale and our Preserve. Thanks to the quick response and hard work of our Firefighters  – plus a little luck with wind direction  – we have avoided a catastrophic fire this year.

But next year, unless Propositions 490 & 491 pass, we won’t have as many tools to help prevent fires.

Year round our Fire Department does excellent outreach work with developments in Northern Scottsdale to address not planting invasive species and removing fire loads. They also work with the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management to get grants which provide for wildfire prevention. Specifically invasive plant removal and preventative measures along our Preserve boundary and major roadways.

But Scottsdale did NOT get a grant to fund this work in 2025!

Proposition 490 would add Fire Department funding to provide quicker response times; increased Fire prevention programs; a second Technical Rescue Team; and additional resources to better protect you and your neighborhoods.

Proposition 491 – which is not a tax increase or budget override  – would allow Scottsdale to spend the money it already collects on programs and services that residents want and need. Without its passage, city services will face cutbacks, including in public safety.

Please join the Firefighters, who dedicate their lives to protecting you,  in voting YES-YES on Props 490 and 491. It’s critical to Scottsdale’s safety and future quality of life.

Carla (Carla), Preserve Pioneer

Data Orbital, in conjunction with AZ Free News, is pleased to announce the results of its latest statewide, live caller survey of likely General Election Voters. The survey was conducted from September 7th 2024 – September 9th 2024. The survey measured support for candidates in Arizona’s Presidential contest. This survey was sponsored by AZ Free News.

For President, the Democratic candidate Vice President Kamala Harris trails Republican former President Donald Trump by a slim 46.0% to 46.2% margin. 7.7% reported as being undecided or refused the question.

Speaking with AZ Free News about the Presidential race, George Khalaf, President of Data Orbital, stated “That 7.7% undecided number, I would say, is going to be one of two things: 1.) Either individuals that are saying that they are likely to vote but don’t end up voting or 2.) People that really are truly undecided. But I would be shocked if the true undecided number is in the high single digits”. Khalaf goes on to explain, “I would guess that right now, the true percentage of people that are undecided is maybe one or two percent, if that. This is a high-profile race and so most people have made up their minds. But I think a portion of people that are undecided likely will not end up making a decision on November 5th”.

By Jeanne Beasley
Candidate for Scottsdale School Board

As students return to school this week, let’s consider what we can do to help support and strengthen our local public schools. I am running for a seat on the Scottsdale Unified School Board on November 5, alongside Gretchen Jacobs and Drew Hassler, to serve our community positively.

We are parents, professionals, and community leaders who have had students in our Scottsdale schools and believe that strong communities should have strong public schools. Families shouldn’t have to look elsewhere for the excellent academic opportunities and well-rounded extracurricular experiences they desire for their children.

Our campaign, “Just Be Honest,” will bring a new era of transparency, accountability, and integrity to SUSD. Our mission is to ensure that every decision made is in the best interest of our students, families, and teachers.Read More

With just five days remaining until Arizona’s 2024 primary election, let’s take a closer look at how Republicans and Democrats are performing across the state.

Focusing first on the Republicans, a total of 1,156,580 GOP ballots have been requested. Of these, 1,089,498 are from registered Republicans and 67,082 from Independents. These numbers surpass the total requests from both 2020 and 2022, which were 1,035,288 and 1,059,348, respectively. Currently, Republicans have a 32.7% ballot return rate, while Independents have a 49.2% return rate, resulting in an overall return rate of 33.7%.

At this stage in the election, GOP ballot returns across the state are ahead of 2022 but are behind 2020. In 2020, returns at this time were 426,571, compared to 375,714 in 2022. So far in 2024, a total of 389,458 GOP ballots have been returned.

Now looking at the Democratic side, total ballot requests stand at 1,063,267, with 1,008,909 from Democrats and 54,358 from Independents. This exceeds the totals from both 2020, which had 1,044,288 requests, and 2022, which had 1,041,271 requests. Democrats are returning their ballots at a 29.4% rate, while Independents are returning at a 48.9% rate, resulting in an overall return rate of 30.4%

At this stage in the cycle, Democratic returns are lagging behind both 2020 and 2022. In 2020, Democratic returns were 439,383, and in 2022 they were 368,745. Both figures are notably higher than the current returns in 2024, which stand at 322,984.