Regular readers know that we have been highlighting local political races that will impact our area and we project how those campaigns might play out in the November election. One district that we don’t find ourselves talking about much however is legislative district 5, which covers all of Scottsdale north of the 101 and also includes Fountain Hills and Carefree. … Read More
Guest Editorial: Rep. Kolodin Should Stick to Water Issues
By Ronald Sampson Ahhhh, Representative Alex Kolodin…sometimes he shows so much promise, and sometimes he clearly can’t get out of his own way, compelled to foolishness by some unknown forces, some dark angel of conspiracy that convinces him to keep pushing into an abyss. He’s gotten attention a few times this year (get up to date here), and it’s not … Read More
The Rio Verde Foothills Crisis Gets the Governor’s Attention…and a Veto
One of the most explosive local issues in recent memory, the Rio Verde Foothills water crisis, has been moving forward in this year’s legislative session (get up to date on our coverage here). Unfortunately for its residents, it’s not going too well…yet. Indeed, the one bill to help alleviate the crisis has been vetoed by Governor Katie Hobbs, Arizona’s new … Read More
CHAOS with the LD3 Republicans: the Scottsdale/Fountain Hills GOP is Melting Down
As a rule of thumb, the higher up the politics go, the more professional they are, but when the stakes are the lowest (at the more local level), the more messy it can get. We have covered significant political messiness in both local parties here, but what is unfolding in the LD3 Republican Party (covering Scottsdale and Fountain Hills) might … Read More
Arizona Representative Liz Harris Expelled from Legislature: How Did We Get Here?
In what is easily one of the most regrettable developments in the modern times of Arizona politics, freshman Arizona Representative Liz Harris has been expelled from the legislature after a truly bipartisan 46-13 vote. This is the culmination of the sort of behavior that has been a source of national embarrassment for our state for years now. So what happened … Read More
Rio Verde Foothills Update: Rep. Kolodin Does Step Up to the Plate, but Can He Stop Shooting Himself in the Foot?
We recently wrote about one of Scottsdale’s state representatives, Alexander Kolodin, and his dipping his toes into the waters of influence in the Rio Verde Foothills water crisis. Our hope has been that he steps in as a voice of reason, someone who can bridge the divide between the city and county. Recent developments show that the message seems to … Read More
Freshman Rep. Kolodin Grabs Spotlight as Major Water Cuts Expected in Scottsdale: Is He Using His Pulpit Effectively?
Regular readers know just how seriously we take the water issue here at the Arizona Progress & Gazette: you can get up to date here. A recent bombshell report by the Scottsdale Water Director shines a new light on Scottsdale’s potential future water deficit, and freshman Representative Alexander Kolodin has used the opportunity to gain the spotlight regarding this issue. … Read More
The Battle Lines are Drawn: Scottsdale Legislative Reps and SUSD Superintendent Menzel Trade Blows
Note: this post has been edited to reflect that Tammy Caputi changed her voter registration to Independent in 2018, and that Jason Alexander is a social media advisor for her, not a political advisor. The fallout from Scottsdale Unified School District’s Superintendent Scott Menzel and his “woke” comments from a 2019 interview have recently stolen a lot of oxygen from … Read More
How the Scottsdale / Paradise Valley Legislative Races Played Out
At the time of writing this on Sunday night, not every race is completely certain at this point. One thing that is for certain however is that the best case scenario for Republicans did not work out, and we see that playing out in some of the Scottsdale area races rather prominently. As a reminder, the city of Scottsdale is … Read More