By Vanessa Rogers Jon Kyl died Thursday at 84. The former senator stepped away from public life last December after announcing a dementia diagnosis. At the time, he said his family faced “moments of joy and increasing difficulties.” Now Arizona says goodbye to one of its most consequential public servants. You do not have to share Kyl’s politics to respect … Read More
Op-Ed: Barry Graham Endorses Election Deniers. Nobody Has Held Him Accountable
By John Ainley Harry Dunn, a former U.S. Capitol police officer who was beaten by January 6th insurrectionists, will be in Maricopa County later this week. This reminded me of Barry Graham’s endorsement of Alexander Kolodin for Arizona Secretary of State. Kolodin was directly involved in efforts challenging Arizona’s 2020 election results. He served as local counsel in Sidney Powell’s … Read More
Supervisor Galvin’s Statement on the Passing of U.S. Senator Jon Kyl
“I am deeply saddened by the passing of former U.S. Senator Jon Kyl, not only for the loss of this great man, but for what his passing represents to all Arizonans. Senator Kyl was a statesman in every sense of the word. He was staunch in his beliefs, yet always sought compromise. Senator Kyl was quick to teach and eager … Read More
Thank You, Readers
Readers, it’s no secret that we enjoy being relative insiders to the world of Arizona (and specifically Scottsdale) politics, and this year has been an interesting one. We’ve been fortunate in our ability to carve a successful niche of sharing a wide variety of viewpoints and stances of one of the best areas and states in the world, and we’re … Read More
Speaker’s Corner: Katie Hobbs Only Believes in Democracy When It’s Convenient
By Ronald Sampson Katie Hobbs stood in front of reporters on August 20 and told them she’s worried about the citizen initiative process getting eroded, while in the same breath standing by her override of the Axon vote. Voters gathering signatures to put a question on the ballot, she said, that’s sacred stuff. She opposed messing with it back when … Read More
Scottsdale Deserves Better, Even From Its Best
By Ronald Sampson We ran a guest editorial from Scottsdale Councilwoman Kathy Littlefield this week, “Steady Water Management, Not Campaign Rhetoric.” It’s exactly what it sounds like: a policy argument about how the city should handle its water future, written by someone with a vote on the council. Worth reading, worth debating. Instead, the comment section produced this, aimed at … Read More
Arizona Democrats Lead Down Ballot Races
By HighGround Public Affairs The latest statewide survey from HighGround Public Affairs reveals that the Democratic nominees for statewide down ballot offices have taken the lead with six weeks remaining until early voting starts. In the same survey that showed Governor Katie Hobbs with a fifteen-point advantage in the Governor’s race, the top of the Democratic ticket is also faring … Read More
Thank You + Key Takeaways from the First End-to-End AI Political Campaign
By John Trobough Friends & Colleagues: I wanted to reach out and express my sincere gratitude for your guidance, partnership, and support throughout our congressional campaign in Arizona’s 1st District. Rebuilding a campaign machine in one of the country’s most competitive open seats was no small feat, and I am deeply grateful for the help you provided along the way. … Read More
Harry Mitchell: A Public Servant Who Put People Before Politics
Arizona lost one of its finest this week. Former Congressman Harry Mitchell died at 86, his family announced on July 29. He was a teacher, a mayor, a state senator, and a congressman. Above all, he was decent. Mitchell spent his career proving that public service could still be honorable. He taught civics at Tempe High School, then lived the … Read More
Too-Early-To-Call Results from Arizona’s Primary Election Day: Primary Validations, Shocks, and Comeback Stories in the Waiting
By Alexander Lomax The first election results dropped from the night, and absolutely nothing is set in stone at this moment, but there is definitely plenty of certainty and more than enough question marks to keep us hitting refresh on our browser constantly. First, Scottsdale. One councilmember is likely advancing and a few incumbents are fighting for their seats. Scroll … Read More