As the saying goes, the faster the rise the bigger the fall. And while the rise of Jevin Hodge as an Arizonan political figure wasn’t necessarily fast in the political sense, he is a 30-year old who managed to get the attention of much of the local Democratic establishment by a young age. Now the attention he has is of … Read More
Arizona GOP in Chaos: Kari Lake Espionage Leads to Chair DeWit Resignation
Ohhhh what a week it was for Arizona Republicans…but not in a good way. In an incredible roller coaster ride, the party is now attempting to dig out of self-inflicted peril. It all started with a bombshell: Kari Lake recorded a private meeting with state party Chair Jeff DeWit where DeWit attempted to make her offers she could not refuse … Read More
The Arizona GOP has a Huge Fundraising Problem: Where Do They Go From Here?
Money is the fuel that powers politics: fuel alone won’t drive anything, but the best car around won’t drive an inch without it. And it’s the same with political parties as it is with campaigns. Money helps parties hire staffers, pay for resources, and ramp up in preparation for warfare every two years. And here in Arizona, we found out … Read More
Gov. Hobbs’s Spokesperson Forced to Resign: A Cautionary Tale of Chasing Clout and Failing Up
Governor Katie Hobbs has generally done a good job of hiring department leads who are not idealogues, who have a significant amount of experience and don’t appear to be the result of political favors or seeking the path of least resistance. But for the choice of her Spokesperson, that did not seem to be the case, it blew up in … Read More
A New Era Begins: Republicans Quickly Reminded That They Can and Will Get Vetoed
By Alexander Lomax It’s been the dawn of a new day for Democrats in Arizona: out from under the thumb of Republican domination with several significant statewide wins, they now have a degree of power. With Governor Katie Hobbs in the 9th Floor, they’re no longer an afterthought in governance. Even though they do not control the House or Senate, … Read More
Both State Parties Chooses Their Leadership. What Differences Will We See?
Photo Credit: AZCentral.com This past weekend was the culmination of the post-election festivities in Arizona: the state party reorganization meetings. They serve as a referendum on the performance of the party and provide insight into where the parties might go for the next few years. We outlined the candidates for party leadership in a recent article that you can read … Read More
Looking Forward: What Governor Hobbs’s Transition Team Told Us About How She Will Govern
For the first time in 16 years, a Democrat is the Governor of Arizona. The transition into such an office is complicated, with many appointments to make and many departments to fill. This is not something that one person can reasonably do, so the transition team of any new Governor plays a very significant role in preparing them to step … Read More
Political Party Reorg Time: Newly Electeds are Tipping Scales in the Race to be the Next AZ Dem Chair
By Alexander Lomax Now that midterm elections are out of the way, next comes the tradition of political parties having their “reorganization” meetings. What this entails is all of the dedicated party apparatchiks coming together to vote on who should be in their party’s leadership. At the county level, Precinct Committeepeople (PCs) come together to vote on county party leadership. … Read More
Senator Sinema is Formally Censured by Arizona Democratic Party – Is Her Time with the Democratic Caucus Coming to an End?
By Alexander Lomax In what was a surprise to absolutely no one, the Arizona Democratic Party voted behind closed doors to formally censure Kyrsten Sinema this past weekend. If there was a single saving grace for Sinema (other than the potential support it may elicit from registered independents and other politically homeless voters), it’s that it was not done in … Read More
Guest Editorial: They’re Just Not That Into You. At All.
By Alexander Lomax It should be no surprise to anyone who follows American politics that Arizona’s technically-Democrat Senator Kyrsten Sinema has made some enemies, many of them left-of-center. Her dedication to her independent, “mavericky” branding has been something that has vaulted her to national prominence, but sometimes with the love and adoration of a wrestling heel. The progressive left has … Read More