Republicans’ Voter Registration Edge over Democrats Almost Doubles in Maricopa County, Statewide Increases to Almost Six Percent

Voter Registration

Despite the Democratic wins in Arizona in 2020 and 2022, Republicans have been widening their voter registration edge over Democrats over the past four years. According to data from the Arizona Secretary of State earlier this year, between 2020 and 2024, Republicans increased their lead from approximately three percent to 5.77 percent. In Maricopa County, Republicans increased their lead even more, from four percent to seven percent. 

The change has occurred primarily with Democratic voter registrations; Republican voter registration has remained steady at 35 percent of voters. Statewide, Republicans constitute 35.07 percent of voters, followed by independents at 34.10 percent, then Democrats with 29.30 percent. While Republicans outnumber independents at the state level by almost 40,000 voters, independents outnumber Republicans in Maricopa County by 2,631 voters. 

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Arizona State House Hosts Drag Queen Story Hour

Drag Queen Story Hour at the Arizona Capitol

On Tuesday, April 30th Arizona Representative Lorena Austin(D) in conjunction with Planned Parenthood Action hosted a Drag Story Hour at the Arizona State Capitol.

An assistant for Rep. Austin informed The Arizona Sun Times that the Drag Queen read the book “Queer and Fearless: Poems Celebrating the Lives of LGBTQ+ Heroes.”  In an official statement, the Representative declared “this is the people’s house, that includes LGBTQ+community.” Rep. Austin further claimed that there were no minors present and it was an educational event and within the mission of the LGBTQ+ Caucus.

In a statement on X, House Majority Leader Representative Ben Toma declared that “Democrat Rep. Lorena Austin deliberately misled House leadership to reserve a conference room to host a drag story hour with Planned Parenthood.” The Speaker said that the “use of House facilities for radical activism to promote dangerously perverse ideology will not be tolerated while I am Speaker.” In a bold move, he ordered that all “Democrats have lost the privilege of accessing House meeting rooms until trust can be restored.”

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Kari Lake, Ruben Gallego Statistically Tied in First Poll of Arizona U.S. Senate Race Since Abortion Law Decision

Kari Lake and Ruben Gallego

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake is statistically tied with Representative Ruben Gallego (D-AZ-03) in the first New Emerson College poll of the contest since the Arizona Supreme Court enacted a 19th century law that bans abortion without exceptions for rape or incest.

The pollsters found Lake has the support of 43.1 percent of Arizonans, leaving her just behind Gallego, who polled at 45.3 percent. In the wake of the confirmation Senator Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) will not seek another term, an additional 11.6 percent of respondents told pollsters they remain undecided.

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Arizona State University’s School of Social and Behavioral Sciences Hosts Book Talk on ‘The Politics of Perverts’

Arizona State University

Arizona State University’s School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, known for its Social Justice and Human Rights degree program, recently hosted a book talk titled “The Politics of Perverts.” The event was sponsored by the university’s faculty and attracted attention for its exploration of non-traditional sexual orientations and practices.

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Arizona Republicans Slam Ruben Gallego’s Support for Ukraine, Inaction at Border in New Ad

A new advertisement released by the Arizona Republican Party (AZGOP) highlights both the alleged inaction by Representative Ruben Gallego (D-AZ-03) at the southern border and the support U.S. Senate candidate expressed for providing funding Ukraine.

The AZGOP wrote in a post to the social media platform X that Gallego may claim “he cares about the safety of Arizonans, but his actions speak louder than his words.”

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Arizona Green Party Accuses Democratic Party of Interfering with ‘Fake’ Candidate and ‘Fraud’ in Their Primary Race for U.S. Senate

Mike Norton

The Arizona Green Party (AZGP) accused Democrats of running Mike Norton as a sham candidate in their primary race for the U.S. Senate. The AZGP said a detailed thread posted on X earlier this month, that the scheme by the state Democratic Party was to have Norton drop out at the last minute before ballots were printed and endorse the Democratic candidate, Representative Ruben Gallego (D-AZ-03). The third party group noted that a candidate did that in the 2018 U.S. Senate race to allegedly benefit then-Democratic Senator Kyrsten Sinema – who later switched to an independent and is not running for reelection.

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Ousted Legislator Liz Harris Redeemed with Election as RNC National Committeewoman for Arizona

Gina Swoboda presiding over the Arizona Republican Party State Delegate Convention

Former legislator Liz Harris, expelled in 2023, was tapped by Arizona Republican Party members to represent the Copper State as National Committeewoman at the State Delegate Convention held at the Arizona Grand Resort in Phoenix on Saturday. Freedom Caucus Chair State Senator Jake Hoffman won the position of RNC National Committeeman. Over 1,200 elected delegates gathered to determine who would represent Arizona at the 2024 National Convention in Milwaukee.

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Arizona State University Confirms Students Among 72 Arrested at Anti-Israel Encampment on Tempe Campus

ASU protesters

Arizona State University (ASU) confirmed on Saturday a number of its students were among the 72 protesters arrested for the creation of an anti-Israel encampment on the school’s Tempe campus.

A university statement declared, “ASU Police arrested 72 people for trespassing after they set up an unauthorized encampment Friday,” noting that such encampments are not allowed on the institution’s property.

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Arizona U.S. House Candidate Abe Hamadeh Declares A.G. Kris Mayes ‘Illegitimate’ After Indictment of Trump Allies

Abe Hamadeh and Kris Mayes

Arizona U.S. House candidate Abe Hamadeh declared Attorney General Kris Mayes “illegitimate” in a Thursday appearance on Steve Bannon’s War Room after she handed down indictments against Arizona Republicans and allies of former President Donald Trump for their role in the 2020 election contest.

Hamadeh previously ran against Mayes in 2022 and continues to contest the results of the election. Mayes won by just 280 votes and Hamadeh contends there are about 9,000 uncounted ballots that would likely break in his favor.

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Arizona Rancher Accused of Murdering Illegal Immigrant Unlikely to Accept Plea Deal Following Mistrial

George Alan Kelly

The Arizona rancher who was accused of murdering a Mexican national who illegally immigrated to the United States is unlikely to accept any plea deals offered by prosecutors after his case ended in a mistrial, according to Wednesday remarks by his attorney.

Kathy Lowthorp, one of the attorneys who represented rancher George Alan Key after prosecutors charged him with second-degree murder for allegedly killing a Mexican national who trespassed onto his property, said in a Wednesday interview with NewsNation’s Cuomo that her client would be unlikely to accept a plea deal if prosecutors move for a retrial.

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Taiwanese TSMC Workers Reportedly Aim to Have Children in Arizona so Kids Become U.S. Citizens

A Tuesday report which detailed alleged culture clashes between local workers and those from Taiwan at the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) facilities in Arizona reveals some workers from Taiwan, who relocated to Arizona to build the plants, will seek to start or expand families so their children reap the benefits of U.S. citizenship.

The Rest of World report described TSMC’s ventures in Arizona as a “debacle,” with American engineers subjected to intense scrutiny, public humiliation and restricted communications while being trained by TSMC in Taiwan.

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Candidate Running Against Rep. David Schweikert Drops Out After Four People Say They Never Signed Her Petition, Progressives Implicated

David Schweikert

Michelle Martin, a Libertarian candidate running against Representative David Schweikert (R-AZ-01), has dropped out of the race after at least four voters said someone illegally signed her petition with their signatures. Martin’s paperwork revealed that a registered Democrat named Jeremy Garrett was one of the petition signature gatherers, along with four other registered Democrats. Someone named Jeremy Garrett works as an Electoral Campaign Manager at the progressive group Our Voice Our Vote (OVOV). 

Schweikert told The Arizona Sun Times that this is clearly fraud and needs to be prosecuted. He said it has been referred to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office.

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Hamadeh Warns Masters ‘Abandoned America First’ as Businessman Calls Him ‘Anchor Baby’ in Contentious Arizona Primary

Abe Hamadeh

Arizona U.S. House candidate Abe Hamadeh released a new advertisement declaring his Republican primary opponent, Blake Masters, “abandoned America First” and “surrendered to the swamp” after Masters released his own ad accusing Hamadeh of being an “anchor baby.”

Hamadeh posted the video to the social media platform X, where the candidate emphasized his endorsements from former President Donald Trump and Arizona U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake.

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Arizona Mexican Mafia Members Indicted for Stealing Pandemic Unemployment Money

Arizona A.G. Kris Mayes

Thirty alleged members of the Arizona Mexican Mafia were indicted on Friday for their role in an alleged conspiracy to steal pandemic unemployment money.

The Arizona Attorney General’s office confirmed Friday that a state grand jury “returned a 50-count indictment against members and associates of the Arizona Mexican Mafia,” with a total of 30 individual defendants.

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Arizona U.S. Rep Gosar Calls Out Democrats’ Unanimous Votes on House Oversight Committee Opposing Census Citizenship Question

Paul Gosar

In his “This Week with Gosar” newsletter Monday, U.S. Representative Paul Gosar (R-AZ-09) said that during a House Oversight and Accountability Committee hearing, every Democrat voted against H.R. 7109, the Equal Representation Act, which would add a citizenship question to the decennial census. An amended version of the legislation passed the committee vote (22-20) and awaits further action on the House floor.

Gosar, who serves on the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, stated that the new question on the decennial census would ask, “Are you a citizen? YES or NO.”

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Kari Lake’s Attorneys Send Letter to Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer Regarding Settling His Defamation Lawsuit

Kari Lake and Stephen Richer

Kari Lake agreed earlier this month to settle the defamation lawsuit against her filed by Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer, citing the enormous cost it would take to go through a full trial. Her attorneys sent a letter on Monday to Richer’s attorneys regarding Richer’s proposed meet and confer terms, rejecting all three proposals from him, at times sarcastically. 

Lake is running for the U.S. Senate and still fighting two election lawsuits, one over her loss in the gubernatorial race and another challenging the use of voting machine tabulators in elections. Richer filed a defamation lawsuit against her for stating that he intentionally sabotaged the 2022 election. Approximately 300,000 ballots in the 2022 election lacked a chain of custody, a class 2 misdemeanor, but the county has strenuously fought litigation efforts to allow Lake to inspect the ballot affidavit envelopes and other requests from her and voter integrity groups related to the election anomalies.

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Arizona Democrat U.S. Senate Candidate Ruben Gallego Branded ‘Deadbeat Dad’ in New NRSC Commercial

Ruben Gallego Ad

The influential National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) labeled Arizona U.S. Representative Ruben Gallego (D-AZ-03) a “deadbeat dad” in a commercial released less than one month after a court ordered some of his divorce records unsealed.

Ruben Gallego was branded a “deadbead dad” by the NRSC over his 2017 divorce from Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego. The couple reportedly split just days before Christmas in 2016, with reports indicating it was Ruben Gallego who initiated the separation. Kate Gallego was nine months pregnant at the time.

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Arizona Attorney General Confirms No Enforcement of 1864 Abortion Law Until June

Kris Mayes

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes confirmed on Tuesday her office will not enforce the 19th century abortion law recently upheld by the Arizona Supreme Court until at least June.

Mayes said in a video posted to the attorney general’s account on X clarifying that the law is slated to go into effect on June 8. Calling the ruling “outrageous,” Mayes also confirmed she is “working on a plan to fight back” against the abortion ban.

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Elections Analysis Delivers Bad News for Arizona Republicans Following Landmark Abortion Ruling

Jaun Ciscomani and Kari Lake (composite image)

A nonpartisan elections analysis announced two rating changes on Wednesday that endanger Republicans for competitive races in the battleground state of Arizona following a ruling that imposed a near-total abortion ban.

The Arizona Supreme Court decided on April 9 that an 1864 law, which allows for abortion only when the life of the mother is at risk and makes performing or helping procure the procedure a crime, can take effect. The ruling, which has supercharged the issue of abortion in the swing state, prompted Sabato’s Crystal Ball to move the expected Senate matchup between Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego and Republican Kari Lake to “Leans Democratic,” as well as shifting GOP Rep. Juan Ciscomani’s reelection bid to “Toss-Up.”

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Poll by Progressive Group Claims Republicans Divided over 1864 Arizona Abortion Law

Abort the Court

A progressive polling firm released data on Tuesday that claims Republicans are divided over the decision by the Arizona Supreme Court to enact a 19th-century law that bans most abortions, including in the event of rape or incest.

Pollsters at Data for Progress asked likely U.S. voters whether they approve of the state Supreme Court’s decision to ban all abortions “with exceptions only for when the life of the mother is in danger” and with “no exceptions for pregnancy resulting from rape or incest.”

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Arizona State Senator Wendy Rogers Says Squatter Bill Has ‘Teeth’ and ‘Puts the Power Back in the People’s Hands’

Wendy Rogers

State Senator Wendy Rogers (R-Flagstaff) said squatters are a “real problem” in Arizona and explained how her bill, SB 1129, returns power to homeowners. An amended version of the legislation passed in a House vote (39-19) recently and is awaiting further action since its return to the Senate.

“Squatters in homes in Arizona is becoming a real problem,” Rogers said.

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Arizona Republicans Scramble to Counter Abortion Amendment Proposal

Arizona State House Speaker Ben Toma at a March for Life event

Republican lawmakers in Arizona are trying to fast-track ballot initiatives to counter an abortion amendment that will likely be in front of voters this fall, according to Axios.

Activists have been working to get an amendment on the ballot that would enshrine abortion as a right in the state’s constitution and in April, proponents of the measure claimed that they had enough signatures to get the proposal on the ballot in November, according to NBC News. GOP state representatives, however, are considering a series of initiatives that would protect the legislature’s ability to limit abortion and enshrine a law restricting abortion to before the first day of the 15th week of pregnancy, according to Axios.

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Kari Lake Tops $4 Million in First Fundraising Quarter of 2024

Kari Lake campaign

Republican Senate candidate Kari Lake of Arizona brought in $4.1 million in the first fundraising quarter of 2024, her campaign announced on Sunday.

Lake’s haul is roughly twice as much as she raised in 2023’s last fundraising quarter, and she now has $2.5 million in cash on hand, according to her campaign. The Republican’s opponent, Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego, announced on April 2 that his campaign topped $7.5 million in the first fundraising quarter with more than $9.6 million in the bank.

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Arizona Democrats Katie Hobbs, Ruben Gallego Conflicted on Whether Lawmakers Should Repeal 1864 Abortion Law

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs and Rep. Ruben Gallego

Two of Arizona’s most high profile Democrats have publicly disagreed about the correct course of action after the Arizona Supreme Court approved a 19th century law that effectively bans most abortions.

In a Friday appearance on The View, Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs urged the Arizona State Legislature to immediately repeal the 1864 law that predates Arizona’s statehood.

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Arizona Republican Party Joins Two Other State GOPs Filing an Amicus Curiae Brief in Kari Lake’s and Mark Finchem’s Voting Machine Tabulator Lawsuit

Attorney William Olson

The Arizona Republican Party (AZGOP) submitted a joint Amicus Curiae brief on Thursday with the Georgia Republican Party and the Republican State Committee of Delaware supporting Kari Lake’s and Mark Finchem’s Petition for Certiorari with the U.S. Supreme Court. The pair are appealing the lower courts’ decisions against their lawsuit challenging the use of electronic voting machine tabulators in elections. Under the new leadership of AZGOP Chair Gina Swoboda, who has a lengthy history in election integrity work including heading the Voter Reference Foundation, the AZGOP is heavily focused on election integrity. 

Authored by attorney William J. Olson, the brief argues that the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals erred by dismissing the case claiming Lake and Finchem lacked standing. The court affirmed the trial court’s granting of the defendants’ motion to dismiss, asserting that the pair lacked standing because “speculative allegations that voting machines may be hackable are insufficient to establish an injury in fact under Article III.” The complaint emphasized that the lower courts “conflated standing with merits, twisting the standing rules to require much more — that the complaint prove facts sufficient to grant relief.” 

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Conservative Candidate Brad Miller Running Against Election Fraud Denying Pinal County Attorney Kent Volkner

Brad Miller

Republican Brad Miller, a longtime prosecutor who served as Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Marines, where he still works as a prosecutor, is challenging incumbent Pinal County Attorney Republican Kent Volkmer, an election fraud denier, for the office. Miller points to a long list of problems with the office, including mishandling criminal issues and election integrity, as reasons change is needed. 

Miller, who also practices civil law, states his principles on his website, “We must protect our borders, we must stand by and support our police, and we must safeguard our way of life.” He champions the Second Amendment, “I will protect your right to own a gun!” He said he will keep “woke policies” like ESG, “anti-American indoctrination,” and “dubious sexual education” pushed by “extreme leftist ideologies” out of education. He will “stand tall and provide a voice for parents and elected officials, allowing them to make informed decisions based on unbiased information.”

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Arizona Governor Blasted by State Rep. Pingerelli, Superintendent Tom Horne After Vetoing Bill to Limit Phones in Schools

Arizona State Rep Beverly Pingerelli, Gov. Katie Hobba

Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs received rebukes from State Representative Beverly Pingerelli (R-Peoria) and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne after she used her veto power to block legislation that limited the use of smartphones in classrooms.

“There is a growing body of research that clearly links the use of wireless devices like cell phones to increased negative social harms among our youth,” said Pingerelli, who chairs the House Committee on Education and introduced HB 2793 to curtail phone use in schools.

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Arizona U.S. Reps. Gosar, Biggs Call Out Biden Administration: Grand Canyon University Is Being Targeted Over Religious Views, Political Animus

Biggs and Gosar GCU

U.S. Representatives Paul Gosar (R-AZ-09) and Andy Biggs (R-AZ-05) are pushing back against the Biden administration’s record $37.7 million fine of Grand Canyon University (GCU), calling the Department of Education “weaponized” in its “targeted” attack of the Christian school.

The six-term congressman told The Arizona Sun Times, on Tuesday “GCU is being targeted for its religious views and for being the largest Christian university in the country. The Department of Education should recognize GCU’s lawful nonprofit status and stop the harassment.”

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Arizona Rep. Kolodin Lauds Bill Defunding Anti-Semitic University Groups Calling for Genocide ‘Across the Finish Line’

Alex Kolodin

Arizona State Representative Alexander Kolodin (R-Scottsdale) told The Arizona Sun Times that he was “gratified” Governor Katie Hobbs signed his bill, HB 2178, into law Wednesday, enabling students to defund university clubs and organizations calling for genocide.

On Thursday, Kolodin told The Sun Times, “This is something that conservative organizations like Turning Point and my good friend Austin Smith have been working on for a number of years and it is a privilege to be the one to finally get it across the finish line. And it is especially meaningful to me, as a Jew, that we could finally address the grave injustice of Jewish students being forced to fund calls for their own genocide.”

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Election Integrity Investigator Releases New Information About Likely Manipulation of Maricopa County’s Voting Machine Tabulators in the 2020 and 2022 Elections

Ben Cotton, an IT expert proficient in forensics and digital systems analysis, issued a declaration last month about flaws with Maricopa County’s voting machine tabulators. It was included in Kari Lake’s and Mark Finchem’s latest pleadings in their complaint challenging the use of voting machine tabulators in elections. One of those findings was that unauthorized executable programs were installed on the machines at least three times during the 2020 election, which could be used to alter election results without detection.

Cotton, whose firm CyFIR was hired by the Arizona Senate in 2021 to audit the 2020 election, summarized his findings, “It is clear, based on my findings, that unauthorized programs, databases, configuration settings and actions were present on the voting systems in Maricopa County for the elections in both 2020 and 2022.”

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Kari Lake Looks to Arizona Legislature to Create Abortion Exceptions, Endorses ‘Baby Bonus’ Tax Breaks for Families

Kari Lake

U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake on Thursday released a video detailing her full position on abortion in the wake of the Arizona Supreme Court decision to enact a 19th century law that imposes a near-total abortion ban in the state.

Lake announced she opposes the ruling on Tuesday and was joined in her opposition by former President Donald Trump on Wednesday. Both Trump and Lake have suggested Governor Katie Hobbs and the Arizona State Legislature should immediately approve legislation to change the state’s abortion laws.

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Trump Joins Kari Lake in Opposition to Arizona Abortion Ruling, Suggests ‘It Will Be Straightened Out’ by ‘Will of the People’

Donald Trump Arizona Supreme Court

Former President Donald Trump joined Arizona U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake in opposition to the recent ruling by the Arizona Supreme Court that upheld a 19th century abortion law.

In a moment captured by C-SPAN, the former president told reporters on Wednesday that Arizona’s 1864 abortion law is too strict, and that any changes to the state’s abortion policy will represent the “will of the people.”

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Commentary: Lawfare Is a Threat to Democracy

America witnessed the woke’s most recent lawfare attack on Republicans a few days ago. California State Bar Court Judge Yvette Roland formally recommended that attorney John Eastman lose his law license. His license has already been placed on involuntary active status. What was this constitutional scholar’s crime? Interpreting the constitution.

The 2020 elections experienced a bewildering array of election irregularities. These concerns caused state legislators from four of the seven contested states to send letters to Vice President Mike Pence asking him to return their electors back to the states for reconsideration. John Eastman advised Mike Pence that as president of the Senate, he had the constitutional authority to allow the four states to reconsider their electoral slates. In fact, many Democrat opinions from the early 2000s supported Dr. Eastman’s position.

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Kari Lake Declares Opposition to Arizona Supreme Court Abortion Ruling, Urges Legislature Create ‘Common Sense Solution’

Kari Lake Abortion

Arizona U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake on Tuesday declared her opposition to the Arizona Supreme Court’s ruling that maintains a 19th century abortion law.

Lake confirmed she is opposed to the Tuesday decision by the Arizona Supreme Court to uphold the 1864 abortion law that predates Arizona’s statehood. The ruling effectively bans elective abortions in the state, limiting them to extreme instances when the life of a mother is threatened by the pregnancy.

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Arizona Supreme Court Upholds Arizona’s 1864 Law Banning Almost All Abortions

Abortion Supporters

The Arizona Supreme Court issued a 4-2 ruling Tuesday upholding Arizona’s 1864 territorial ban on all abortion unless necessary to save the mother’s life, A.R.S. 13-3603. After the Arizona Legislature passed a law in 2022 banning abortions after 15 weeks except to save the mother’s life, A.R.S. 36-2322, Planned Parenthood challenged the older law, which was revived after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade.

Planned Parenthood alleged that the two laws were in conflict, so the earlier law must be struck down. After a split between the lower courts, the Arizona Supreme Court upheld the law, finding that the two statutes were harmonious. The court relied upon legislative language accompanying the newer law, which said it did not supersede the earlier law. Both laws penalize the provider of the abortion, not the mother.

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U.S. Rep. Raul Grijalva to Reportedly Remain in Arizona for Cancer Treatment, Expanding GOP Majority in House

Rep. Raul Grijalva

Arizona U.S. Representative Raúl Grijalva will reportedly remain in Arizona while he receives treatment following his recent cancer diagnosis.

Grijalva disclosed that he had cancer on April 2, revealing the discovery was made after he sought treatment for a persistent cough. The congressman did not reveal any medical details about his diagnosis, including the type of cancer and stage, but acknowledged that it “has been difficult to process.”

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Arizona Representative John Gillette Calls Prosecution of Elderly Cattle Rancher a ‘Travesty of Justice’

Arizona State Rep John Gillette, George Alan Kelly

Arizona State Representative John Gillette (R-Kingman) called the prosecution of an American cattle rancher accused of killing an illegal alien for trespassing on his property a ‘travesty of justice.’

Arizona rancher George Alan Kelly is on trial for reportedly shooting and killing an illegal alien from Mexico who trespassed on his property located near the border.

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Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs Appoints Former Task Force Member to Citizens Clean Elections Commission

Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Commission member Christina Estes-Werther

Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs announced her appointment of Christina Estes-Werther to the Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Commission on Friday, confirming the former member of her Elections Task Force will be the first new member of the commission since 2017.

Hobbs confirmed the appointment in a press release, with her office noting Estes-Werther “served as deputy general counsel for Governor Jan Brewer, state elections director under Secretary of State Ken Bennett, and as a member of the Bipartisan Elections Task Force established by Governor Hobbs in 2023.”

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Kari Lake and Mark Finchem File New Brief with U.S. Supreme Court in Voting Machine Tabulator Case After Defendants Fail to Respond

Kari Lake Mark Finchem

Kari Lake and Mark Finchem filed a Supplemental Brief with the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday, adding support for their Petition for Writ of Certiorari and Motion to Expedite asking the court to hear an appeal of the dismissal of their lawsuit to stop the use of electronic voting machine tabulators in elections. The defendant Arizona officials failed to file a response to the pair’s petition, boosting the chances SCOTUS might accept the case and implying they did not object to the statements in the petition. 

The new brief added more allegations of false representations by Maricopa County officials. It said the courts relied on their false representations when they dismissed and affirmed their case, sanctioning the pair’s lawyers. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals held that the plaintiffs’ injuries were “too speculative” for Article III, which requires showing of an injury. The brief said the court based this determination “in part on false representations that Maricopa County performed required preelection logic and accuracy (‘L&A’) testing and used certified and approved voting system software.” The court “expressly relied on false representations that Maricopa’s elections were protected from manipulation.”

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Middle School Libraries Feature LGBTQ, Gender Ideology Books as Legislation to Allow Arizona Parents to Challenge ‘Inappropriate’ Selections Stalls

Mohave Middle School SUSD

As legislators continue discussing ways to address questionable content in school libraries, books promoting LBGTQ and gender ideology are readily available to children as young as 11 years old in a Scottsdale Unified School District middle school.

“Mohave Middle School offers 11-year-olds a book that encourages irreversible medical transition,” and that the book targets “pre-teens” and “promotes the idea that a girl can change into a boy,” Scottsdale Unites for Educational Integrity said in a Twitter (X) post on Tuesday.

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Arizona House Committee Warns AG Kris Mayes Against Using Tax Dollars to ‘Influence Water Policy’ and ‘Harass’ Farmers

Kris Mayes Arizona

Two Republicans in the Arizona State House announced its investigation of Attorney General Kris Mayes over using her office to advance her political career with her recent legal threat against farmers over water use.

State Representatives Austin Smith (R-Surprise) and Jacqueline Parker (R-Mesa) on Wednesday sent a letter to Mayes which they say includes requests for “public records related to recent unfounded attacks she has made on the agricultural industry, her threats to file a public nuisance lawsuit against Arizona’s farmers and using town hall events to make campaign speeches.”

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Arizona GOP Chair Gina Swoboda Secures Favorable Court Ruling Allowing Election Integrity Group to Review Voter Rolls

Gina Swoboda Courtroom

Arizona Republican Party (AZGOP) Chairwoman Gina Swoboda secured a favorable court ruling for her election integrity group, the Voter Reference Foundation (VRF), and will gain access to New Mexico voter roll data.

U.S. District Court Judge James Browning in New Mexico made a ruling on Friday in the case brought against that state by the VRF that was largely favorable to Swoboda’s group, with reports indicating VRF was given permission to post voter rolls online and was given access to voter information previously withheld by the New Mexico Secretary of State.

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Maricopa County Elections Official Stephen Richer Wants to Use AI in Arizona Elections

Stephen Richer

Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer wants a private contractor to use artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to optimize his office, according to an online advertisement seeking contractors.

The web listing, made on behalf of the Maricopa County Recorder’s Office, reveals Richer “is seeking a contractor to provide a solution to improve processes around document identification, data extraction, and comparing handwritten signature images with on-file signature images by way of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML).”

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Judge Orders Opening of Court Records of Arizona U.S. Senate Candidate Ruben Gallego’s Divorce Case

Rep. Ruben Gallego

An Arizona judge ordered the divorce case between Representative Ruben Gallego (D-AZ-03) and Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego to be partially unsealed, ruling the decision to permanently make the proceedings private was improper, the conservative media outlet behind the legal action to reveal the divorce records reported Friday.

The Washington Free Beacon reported that Yavapai County Superior Court Judge John Napper ruled last Tuesday that the decision to seal the records in the 2017 divorce case of Ruben Gallego, the likely Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, was improper.

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