Category: The West

A.G. Kris Mayes Initiates Prosecution of Cochise County Supervisor Who Questioned Voting Machines, Delayed Certification, and Attempted to Hand Count Ballots

Rachel Alexander

Cochise County Supervisor Tom Crosby, who sought to eliminate the use of voting machine tabulators in the 2022 election, delay certification, and conduct a hand count of ballots, received a grand jury summons from Democratic Attorney General Kris Mayes earlier this month. The summons does not indicate what he is being investigated for, but he has tangled with Democratic officials over his concerns about election fraud.

Crosby and fellow Cochise County Supervisor Peggy Judd voted 2-1 against the lone Democrat on the board in favor of a hand count of last year’s election in October 2022, after receiving a letter from Arizona Corporation Commissioner Jim O’Connor threatening legal action if voting machine tabulators were used. The two also voted to delay certification of last year’s election, prompting Mayes to sue the supervisors.

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Police Seize 50,000 Fentanyl Pills, Charge Two Arizona Men with Trafficking Drugs to Pennsylvania

Tom Pappert

Police in Pennsylvania seized 50,000 fentanyl pills disguised as prescription opioids and arrested two Arizona men who they said were trafficking the narcotics in a cross-country trek on Friday.

The arrests of Arizona men Leroy Williams and Ryan Hofer were confirmed by Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry (D) in a statement that confirmed a joint effort from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), her office, and Pennsylvania State Police.

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Arizona County Sheriffs Deploy Deputies to Border

The Center Square

Sheriff’s departments in rural Arizona counties are sending deputies to Cochise County to assist with border security efforts as the crisis persists in southern Arizona. 

The Arizona Sheriff’s Association released a group statement explaining that departments in Coconino, Apache, Navajo, Yavapai and Pinal counties see sending some officers down to the border as a preventative measure. 

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Kari Lake Files Bar Complaint Against Hobbs’ Attorney in Election Lawsuit over Statements Regarding Her U.S. Senate Race Announcement

Rachel Alexander

Kari Lake filed a bar complaint against Katie Hobbs’ attorney, Alexis Danneman of Perkins Coie, on Monday over “false statements” Danneman may have made regarding Lake’s announcement that she was running for U.S. Senate. Danneman, who is representing Hobbs in Lake’s lawsuit challenging Hobbs’ gubernatorial win over Lake, sent Lake’s attorneys an email last week stating that she had violated the state’s resign to run laws and must drop her election challenge.

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Arizona Republican U.S. Senate Candidate Kari Lake Calls on Rivals Gallego and Sinema to Condemn Campaign Donor, Council on American-Islamic Relations

M.D. Kittle

GOP U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake is calling on her rivals in the critical race to condemn the anti-Israel Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and their Israel-hating keynote speaker, U.S. Representative Rashida Tlaib (R-MI-12).

Tlaib, a Palestinian American member of the House’s radical “Squad” and ardent supporter of the leftist Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel, is scheduled to speak at the Arizona chapter of CAIR’s annual banquet, slated for Nov. 18 in Mesa. 

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Blake Masters Joins Race to Replace Arizona U.S. Rep. Debbie Lesko

Tom Pappert

Former Arizona Senate candidate Blake Masters became the latest Republican to enter the race to replace Representative Debbie Lesko (R-AZ-08) in the U.S. House on Thursday, with the candidate joining a growing field that also includes former Arizona Secretary of State candidate Abe Hamadeh.

Masters revealed his intention to run on X, formerly Twitter, where he wrote that “Biden has failed” and suggested he will work with congressional Republicans to stop inflation, finish the southern border wall, and avoid foreign conflicts that could escalate into a world war. Lesko, the Republican who holds the seat, is not seeking re-election in 2024.

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Petition Drive Urges Mesa Sheraton to Cancel Council on American-Islamic Relations Event Featuring Rep. Rashida Tlaib

M.D. Kittle

A Phoenix resident launched a petition urging the Sheraton Mesa at Wrigleyville to cancel next month’s annual Council on American-Islamic Relations banquet, featuring anti-Israel radical U.S. Representative Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-12).

As The Arizona Sun Times first reported, Tlaib is the featured speaker for the Arizona chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations Conference (CAIR)’s signature event, slated for November 18.

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Ukrainian Pilots Begin Training on F-16s in Arizona

Tom Pappert

A small number of Ukrainian pilots have reportedly started training on American-made F-16 fighter jets with the 162nd Wing of the Arizona Air National Guard in Tucson.

Around 10 Ukrainian pilots are learning “F-16 fundamentals” this week at Morris Air National Guard Base, according to the Air & Space Forces Magazine, which reported the pilots are likely to undergo an expedited training program and return to combat duties in early 2024.

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Arizona Rep. Gallego Quietly Deletes 2021 Statement Demanding Israel-Hamas Ceasefire over ‘Human Rights Implications’

Tom Pappert

Some time after Hamas launched its devastating surprise attack against Israel on October 7, Representative Ruben Gallego (D-AZ-03) quietly deleted a 2021 press release from his official House website that expressed human rights concerns about Israel’s tactics during the conflict with Hamas.

The press release from Gallego, who is now running for U.S. Senate in Arizona, came in response to violence a period of violence in Israel and Palestine in May of 2021. Protesters were initially upset by an Israeli court’s intention to evict six Palestinian families from contested territory, and some ultimately threw stones at Israeli police. This provoked an Israeli police response that included the use of tear gas, rubber bullets, and stun grenades during a raid at the Al-Aqsa mosque.

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Council on American-Islamic Relations Arizona Chapter Invites ‘Squad’ Member Rep. Rashida Tlaib to Speak at Banquet

M.D. Kittle

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) bills itself as a leading advocate for justice and mutual understanding, with a mission to “enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.”

CAIR is a wolf in sheep’s clothing, say Jewish groups that have watched the council vilify Israel and stand silent on the unholy warriors of Hamas.

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Arizona Democrats Silent After Rep. Gallego Refuses Questions over Israel and Palestine Record

Tom Pappert

The Arizona Democratic Party (AZDP) did not respond to a comment request from The Arizona Sun Times on Monday after news of its $10,000 donation to the Senate campaign of Representative Ruben Gallego (D-AZ-03) broke the same day the Senate candidate refused to answer questions about his voting record on Palestine and Israel.

Gallego was captured refusing to answer five questions about his votes that would either provide aid to the Hamas terrorist group or deny aid to Israel on Thursday in a video uploaded to social media by the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC).

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More than 300,000 Illegal Aliens Entered U.S. through Southwest Border in September Alone

The Center Square

More than 300,000 people illegally entered the U.S. through the southwest border in September, according to newly released U.S. Customs and Border Protection data and gotaway data first reported by The Center Square.

Border Patrol and Office of Field Operations agents apprehended 269,735 people last month and Border Patrol agents reported at least 33,203 known gotaways, bringing the total to 302,938.

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Semiconductor Company Claims Arizona Factory Will Start Production in 2025 as It Sees Biggest Profit Drop Since 2019

Tom Pappert

The Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) said it is on schedule to begin production at its first Phoenix facility in the first half of 2025 during a Thursday earnings call. During the call, TSMC also revealed its greatest drop in profit since 2019.

TSMC reported a third-quarter profit of about $6.69 billion during Thursday’s earnings call, according to CNBC, which explained the company saw its “largest profit decline” since early 2019, but still “bested” expectations of stock analysts who predicted worse numbers amid weakened demand for consumer electronics following the end of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Arizona to Enlist Off-Duty Police to Guard Schools amid ‘Pervasive Officer Shortage’

Tom Pappert

State Superintendent of Public Schools Tom Horne announced on Wednesday that he contracted with a private company to fill law enforcement vacancies at schools in 11 Arizona counties. Horne said the new contract would ensure safety of students, teachers, and staff despite a “pervasive officer shortage” throughout the state.

The Arizona Department of Education (ADE) revealed a new contract with Off Duty Management (ODM), a private company, to schedule off-duty law enforcement to serve as School Safety Officers (SSOs).

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Abe Hamadeh Launches Arizona House Campaign After Rep. Debbie Lesko Announces Retirement

Tom Pappert

Abe Hamadeh, the former Republican candidate for Arizona Attorney General, announced on Tuesday that he intends to run for U.S. House to represent Arizona’s 8th District following the news that Representative Debbie Lesko (R-AZ-08) will not seek re-election in 2024.

“Our country is in desperate need of courageous fighters, and that’s why I’m proud to announce I’m running for Congress in Arizona’s 8th District,” wrote Hamadeh in a post on X, formerly Twitter. The candidate added that former President Donald Trump “is under attack” and “needs backup.” Hamadeh concluded, “I’m ready to help [Trump] Make America Great Again.”

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Arizona Republicans Want Investigation into Phoenix over Ukraine Firearm Policy

The Center Square

Arizona House Republicans are calling on Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell to investigate a city of Phoenix ordinance that permitted the donation of firearms to Ukraine.

The city ordinance was found to violate state law by Attorney General Kris Mayes, which led to the city’s decision to scrap the ordinance last month. It permitted 599 unclaimed firearms to be given to the National Police of Ukraine as they fight in a war with Russia.

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Turning Point Action Executive Received Extra Maricopa County Ballots for Former Residents

Tom Pappert

Tyler Bowyer, an executive for conservative activist group Turning Point Action, revealed on Monday that he received two Maricopa County ballots for former residents of his home. He told The Arizona Sun Times the episode represented “horrible public policy” and “administration of our elections.”

Bowyer posted an image of four ballots to X, formerly Twitter, on Monday night, revealing that only two registered voters live at his address. Voters in Maricopa County, and much of Arizona, are required to use mail-in ballots for the November 7, 2023 elections.

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North Korean Defector Yeonmi Park Brings Her ‘Warning to America’ to Chandler Event

Rachel Alexander

North Korean defector Yeonmi Park spoke to a Davos in the Desert gathering at The Forum in Chandler Monday evening. The young author contrasted the totalitarian government she fled with increasing wokism in the U.S. Due to her speaking out, she said, “I have become the enemy of the woke.”

David Wanetick, who founded Davos in the Desert, spoke briefly first about the principles of the organization. It is an “anti-globalist movement dedicated to providing forums whereby business leaders, thought leaders and government servants share their ideas for safeguarding freedom and liberty.”

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Senate Republican Conference Chair Endorses Kari Lake, Predicts She ‘Will Shine Brightly for Arizona’

Tom Pappert

Arizona Senate candidate Kari Lake received a key endorsement on Monday from Senator John Barrasso (R-WY), the chair of the Senate Republican Conference, after officially announcing her candidacy for the U.S. Senate last week. In a statement to The Arizona Sun Times, Lake said she looks forward to working with Barrasso and other Senate Republicans with whom she shares priorities.

Barrasso said “Kari Lake will shine brightly for Arizona,” according to a statement obtained by German-owned Politico. Barrasso called lake “a generational communicator who is giving voice to Arizona citizens,” and said she “is in this race to make Arizona and America stronger.”

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AZGOP Files Motion to Intervene to Stop 14th Amendment ‘Lawfare’ Lawsuit Seeking to Boot Trump from the Ballot

Rachel Alexander

The Arizona Republican Party (AZGOP) filed a Motion to Intervene on Wednesday defending against a lawsuit that is attempting to keep Donald Trump off the ballot for president in Arizona. John Anthony Castro, a third-party presidential candidate, has been filing lawsuits in various states claiming Trump is not qualified due to the 14th Amendment. 

The 40-year-old Republican’s lawsuits against Trump state, “Section 3 of the 14th Amendment creates an implied cause of action for a fellow candidate to obtain relief for a political competitive injury by challenging another candidate’s constitutional eligibility on the grounds that they engaged in or provided ‘aid or comfort’ to an insurrection.” 

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Phoenix Teens Arrested After High Speed Chase as Police Warn Juveniles Increasingly Recruited for Human Smuggling

Tom Pappert

Two Phoenix teenagers were arrested in Cochise County last Thursday after police say they attempted to evade law enforcement at high speeds while smuggling illegal immigrants into the United States. Their arrests came just days after Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels warned more than 100 juveniles have been arrested after being recruited to participate in illegal human smuggling since April 2022.

The Cochise County Sheriff’s Office wrote on Facebook that the two minors arrested “were 14 and 15 years of age.” The teens allegedly refused to pull over for a routine traffic stop, and instead fled until “being stopped after tire deflation devices were employed.” Before they were forced to stop, the sheriff’s office claims the minors “reached speeds in excess of 124 miles per hour,” requiring a multi-agency response that included the Douglas Police Department and United States Border Patrol.

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‘Woke’ and ‘Sexual’ Books Found in 2nd Grade Classroom Library in Fountain Hills

Rachel Alexander

A parent of a child in second grade attending McDowell Mountain Elementary School in the Fountain Hills Unified School District was appalled to discover over 10 books in the classroom library inappropriate for children that age. The parent, who wished to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation, informed Fountain Hills City Councilman Allen Skillicorn, who referred to the books “woke” and “sexual.” 

“As I finished my parent teacher conferences last week, my attention went to the classroom library section of the room,” the parent said. “I often wonder how teachers pick the books to line their classroom shelves. One particular SECOND GRADE classroom in the Fountain Hills Unified School District had the following books in their classroom library:

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Commentary: California Launches New ‘Ebony Alert’ Searches Only for Black Youths

Admin

The 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution provides all Americans with “the equal protection of the laws.” But California’s Gov. Gavin Newsom seems to think this doesn’t apply to the once “Golden” state, since he has now signed into law a bill that creates a special emergency alert — but only for missing black children and no one else.

Called — we’re not making this up — the “Ebony Alert,” the new signal is just for missing black youths between the ages of 12 and 25. The usual “Amber Alert” that has been sounding off Americans’ phones for years applies only to children (of all colors) under 17 years of age. Amber Alerts were started in 1996 after the abduction and murder of 9-year-old Amber Hagerman in Arlington, Texas.

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Arizona State University Students Hold Anti-Israel ‘Day of Resistance’ on Taxpayer-Funded Campus

M.D. Kittle

Arizona taxpayers — in part — provided the space this week for anti-Israel rallies on the Arizona State University campus. A group called Students for Justice in Palestine held the rally on Thursday as part of a national “Day of Resistance” at Arizona State University in Tempe, five days after Palestinian terrorist group Hamas’ barbaric attack on Israel. The national chapter of the leftist SJP posted a “call for action” on Sunday as Israelis were dealing with the devastation of more than 1,000 civilians murdered and taken hostage by Hamas. Campuses from New York to California reportedly responded to the call for demonstrations for Palestine, against Israel, and — by proxy — for Hamas. A similar SJP event scheduled for The University of Arizona in Tucson was canceled. According to social media posts, organizers called on students “to demonstrate in support of Palestinians and to demand that the US government and University of Arizona disinvest from Israeli apartheid and violence against the Palestinian people.” The liberal group said nothing about the shocking, barbaric violence committed by Hamas in the name of Palestine. University of Arizona President Robert Robbins released a statement opposing the violence but supporting free speech on campus.…

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Arizona GOP Leaders Slam ‘Vague Threats’ from Gov. Katie Hobbs over Empowerment Scholarship Accounts

Tom Pappert

The Republican leaders of the Arizona Legislature joined the State Superintendent of Public Instruction in a joint press release on Wednesday in response to a recent social media post by Governor Katie Hobbs (D). In her post, the governor claimed Arizona’s popular Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program was unsustainable and called for it to be restricted.

Arizona State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne (R), Arizona House Speaker Ben Toma (R-Peoria), and Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen (R-Gilbert) issued a press release defending the state’s education voucher program after Hobbs called it “unaccountable and unsustainable” in a statement posted to X.

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Federal Judge Denies Justice Department’s Latest Attempt to Block Georgia Voting Law

Tom Pappert

A federal judge denied a preliminary injunction request from President Joe Biden’s Department of Justice on Wednesday after the administration sought to stop enforcement of the 2021 Georgia voting law they claim discriminates against black voters.

United States District Judge J.P. Boulee ruled the Department of Justice is unlikely to prove any of its claims at trial, and denied the Biden administration’s request to pause portions of the law.

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Large Numbers of Syrians and Pakistanis Flooding Across the Border into Arizona

Rachel Alexander

Investigative journalist Ben Bergquam of Real America’s Voice and Frontline America has been documenting the chaos on the U.S. border with Mexico, especially along Arizona’s border. On Tuesday, he stopped by the border in Lukeville, where the Border Patrol told him there are large numbers of Syrians and Pakistanis illegally coming over the border. 

“That’s what we’re doing right now,” Bergquam said in a video taken at the border showing migrants in tents. “Again. Day after day after day. You saw the footage I just put out two days ago. This is today. And it’ll be like this tomorrow and the next day and the next day. And this is one point on our border and it’s like this across our entire border.” 

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Arizona Democrat Silent After CAIR Group Photo Resurfaces Following Hamas Attack on Israel

Tom Pappert

Arizona State Senator Juan Mendez (D-Tempe) did not respond to a request by The Arizona Sun Times for comment on a photograph showing the legislator attending a meeting of the Arizona branch of the Council of American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) that featured Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05), or a second photo depicting Mendez wearing a shawl that seems to feature the modern borders of Israel identified as Palestinian territory. The photos resurfaced on social media following the brutal Hamas attack on Israel that began last week.

The photos were shared by Republican Arizona House candidate Ari Daniel Bradshaw to X, formerly Twitter, on Monday. “Arizona can’t tolerate anti-semitic Hamas supporters like [Mendez] any longer,” wrote Bradshaw, who is Jewish. Bradshaw promised to support 2024 Arizona House candidate Caden Darrow, a Republican who unsuccessfully ran against Mendez’s wife, State Representative Athena Salman (D-Tempe), in 2022.

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Kari Lake to Enter Arizona Senate Race with Slight Lead over Gallego, Sinema: Poll

Tom Pappert

Former gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake officially announced her campaign for Arizona Senate on Tuesday, having previously filed paperwork to run in early October. Though she has yet to secure the Republican Party’s nomination, polling released this week suggests she enters the race as the front runner against both Democratic Representative Ruben Gallego (D-AZ-03) and incumbent Senator Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ).

In a three-way race, pollsters at Republican-leaning National Research Inc. reported on Tuesday that 37 percent of Arizonans will back Lake. Gallego polled in second, with 33 percent of support, while Sinema was supported by just 19 percent of respondents. Pollsters say 10 percent remained undecided.

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California Bar Disciplinary Judge Declines to Discipline Attorney Who Tweeted About Shooting Looters, Ruled it Was Free Speech

Rachel Alexander

State bars have become notorious for bringing charges against conservative attorneys like Donald Trump’s former attorney and constitutional legal scholar John Eastman, but last week a California disciplinary court judge dismissed such politically motivated charges. California Bar Disciplinary Court Judge Dennis G. Saab ruled on October 3 that attorney Marla Anne Brown did not engage in professional misconduct by tweeting that looters should be shot, since it was protected free speech in her personal capacity. 

“The highest priority of the State Bar of California is public protection,” said Brown’s attorney Jesse D. Franklin-Murdock. “The State Bar Court lived up to that promise by reaffirming that Ms. Brown has the same First Amendment rights that all lawyers have.” 

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Kari Lake Officially Announces U.S. Senate Race to Packed Crowd of over a Thousand

Rachel Alexander

Kari Lake officially announced her entry into the U.S. Senate race in Arizona Tuesday evening at Jetset Magazine in Scottsdale. Incumbent Kyrsten Sinema, now an independent, is expected to run again, and Representative Ruben Gallego (D-AZ-03) appears to have the Democratic primary locked up. Lake will face Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb in the Republican primary. Over a thousand showed up for the event, completely filling the area outside the business. Donald Trump appeared by video to endorse Lake.

Abe Hamadeh, who is still challenging his 280-vote loss to Democrat Kris Mayes in the attorney general’s race, gave a brief speech first. He slammed the politicians concerned more about their “decadent, self-serving cocktail parties,” and in a reference to his previous military experience, said he was ready to be “down in the trenches” with Lake and the campaign.

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Rep. Eli Crane Leads Three Arizona Republicans in Warning New EPA Rule Will Increase Water Rates

Tom Pappert

Four of Arizona’s congressional Republicans submitted a letter to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Friday, warning that a new rule about so-called “forever chemicals” will result in higher water rates and legal liability for Arizona businesses.

Representative Eli Crane (R-AZ-02) was joined by Representatives Andy Biggs (R-AZ-05), Paul Gosar (R-AZ-04), and Debbie Lesko (R-AZ-08) in a letter requesting the EPA modify its new rule to keep Arizonan citizens and businesses from bearing “the economic burden of any necessary remediation when they have had no association with water pollution.”

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Feds Seize $480,000 Worth of Drugs in Arizona

The Center Square

U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized significant amounts of methamphetamine and fentanyl at the border in Arizona on Thursday.

The law enforcement agency seized 71 pounds of meth and 63.3 pounds of fentanyl. According to a news release, the meth has a $63,796 value and the fentanyl is valued at $416,150. In total, this was nearly $480,000 in terms of “street value” taken into possession by CBP.

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Report: 2023 Super Bowl in Arizona Generated $1.3 Billion in Gross Output

The Center Square

The Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee is touting economic impact numbers after the National Football League championship in Glendale in February.

The committee’s report, which was developed by Arizona State University’s Seidman Research Institute, attributed $1.3 billion in gross output to the game, including tourism and the other events surrounding it.

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Shipping Containers Once Used for Arizona Wall Up for Auction

The Center Square

For those looking for a shipping container for their next project, the state of Arizona is auctioning some off.

The containers will be available for individuals and businesses to purchase beginning Oct. 16 through the Arizona Department of Administration’s online surplus auction platform. The auction will open at 10 a.m. on Oct. 16, but it will close on Oct. 30 at 7 p.m. 

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Abe Hamadeh to Endorse Kari Lake for U.S. Senate Ahead of October 10 Announcement

Tom Pappert

Former Arizona Attorney General candidate Abe Hamadeh endorsed former gubernatorial candidate and news anchor Kari Lake in her upcoming bid for U.S. Senate in Arizona during a podcast appearance on Thursday, declaring her to be “an incredible friend and ally” who will support former President Donald Trump and his agenda in Washington. D.C.

Hamadeh declared he intends to formally endorse Lake during an appearance on The Gateway Pundit’s “TGP Recap” Thursday, telling reporter Jordan Conradson he was excited to see Lake take her “fight to Washington.”

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Abe Hamadeh Files Opening Brief with Arizona Court of Appeals as New Information Comes Out About Voter Registrations Changed to Other Counties

Rachel Alexander

Abe Hamadeh filed his opening brief with the Arizona Court of Appeals last week, after Mohave Superior Court Judge Lee Jantzen refused to grant him a new trial. Hamadeh requested the trial after discovering that then-Secretary of State Katie Hobbs withheld evidence from him before his trial regarding undervotes, votes not counted that resulted in narrowing Democrat Kris Mayes’ lead in the attorney general’s race to only 280 votes.  

Much of Hamadeh’s brief also challenged the refusal of Maricopa County to allow him to examine provisional ballots. Over 9,000 provisional ballots have not been counted in his race. Many of them were cast by voters who found their voter registration mysteriously changed to another county. On Thursday, Hamadeh posted a chart on X showing how Maricopa and Pima Counties had a strikingly large number of provisional ballots.

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‘Almost Half’ of Phoenix TSMC Workers Were Reportedly Sent from Taiwan

Tom Pappert

Nearly half of hired workers for the new Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) plant in Phoenix, Arizona are reportedly Taiwanese nationals assigned to the new facility, and are not American citizens or local to Arizona, according to a new report published by the Financial Times on Wednesday.

The troubled TSMC installation has been touted as a major achievement of President Joe Biden and congressional Democrats, but the Financial Times reveals that “almost half of those hired so far are assignees sent from Taiwan,” quoting two sources familiar with TSMC.

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Kari Lake Files to Run for US Senate in Arizona Ahead of October 10 Announcement

Tom Pappert

Former Arizona news anchor and gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake filed Federal Election Commission (FEC) paperwork to run for U.S. Senate to represent Arizona in 2024 on October 3, with the filing coming only days after she announced a “Kari Lake Announcement Rally” in Phoenix on October 10.

Lake will be the second major Republican to declare their candidacy for the office, and will enter the race as an early favorite, with polling from August suggesting Lake will handily win the primary contest.

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Arizona Republicans Reveal 348 Percent Fundraising Increase, Promise ‘Infrastructure That Will Win Races’

Tom Pappert

The Arizona Republican Party (AZGOP) revealed a 348 percent increase in its quarterly fundraising in a press release on Tuesday. In total, the Arizona Republicans raised more than $300,000 in the third quarter of 2023, which the party added is nearly $100,000 more than it raised under similar conditions in 2019.

AZGOP reported raising $340,597 from more than 2,700 donors, with at least one donor in all 50 states and an average donation of $126.15, according to its preliminary results from last quarter. The fundraising marks a positive turn for the state party, which as of August 31 reported having just over $31,000 cash on hand.

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Arizona Gov. Hobbs Cancels Saudi Land Deal Allowing Outsized Water Use

The Center Square

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs has canceled a deal giving a subsidiary of a Saudi Arabian company free groundwater to grow cattle feed and send it back to the Middle East amid prolonged drought in the Southwest.

The lease in question was a State Land Department deal in La Paz County signed before Hobbs was in office that didn’t reflect unlimited rights to the water under the surface. The company used the state land to grow alfalfa, a water-intensive crop, and ship it back to the Middle East to feed cattle. Saudi Arabia mostly banned the growing of alfalfa in 2018 due to the water necessary to raise the crop.

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Fiscal Conservatives from Arizona and Tennessee Helped Depose Kevin McCarthy as Speaker of the House

M.D. Kittle

U.S. Representative Andy Biggs (R-AZ-05) laid it all on the line Tuesday afternoon in supporting a motion to vacate to remove Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA-23) from the post he has tenuously held for less than a year.

“Speaker McCarthy has failed to demonstrate himself as an effective leader who will change the status quo. He has gone against many of the promises he made in January and can no longer be trusted at the helm,” Biggs said.

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Joe Biden Admits No Labels Will ‘Help the Other Guy,’ Argues Backers Making ‘Mistake’

Tom Pappert

President Joe Biden said Arizona’s newest political party, No Labels, will help his eventual Republican opponent in the 2024 presidential election during a Sunday interview with ProPublica.

Biden said No Labels will harm his electoral prospects during an interview with reporter John Harwood, asserting its organizer Joe Lieberman is making a “mistake” by abandoning the Democratic Party for a third party effort.

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Gov. Hobbs Asked DHS Secretary Mayorkas for More Border Support, Continuing to Bus Migrants North

The Center Square

Gov. Katie Hobbs expressed frustration with the federal government on its handling of the border crisis in a meeting with Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas last week.

On Monday morning, Hobbs went into her conversation with the immigration head, in which she asked for increased federal support. When The Center Square asked about issues at Arizona ports of entry, Hobbs said it was part of the conversation.

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Hobbs Admin Suggests Yee Broke Law at State Board of Investment Meeting

The Center Square

The Hobbs administration suggests that Treasurer Kimberly Yee violated state law by refusing to recognize agency-based board members at a State Board of Investment meeting on Tuesday.

Yee did not acknowledge the employees from two departments in response to Gov. Katie Hobbs’ decision to pull all of her agency director picks from Senate consideration in order to avoid dealing with the Arizona Senate Committee on Director Nominations, which the governor dubbed hyper-partisan in nature, The Center Square reported.

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Audit: Arizona Public Safety Pension System Had Unreported Conflicts of Interest

The Center Square

A report from the Arizona Auditor General is making five recommendations for the Public Safety Personnel Retirement System after finding a business deal between an administrator and former board members could have jeopardized fiduciary obligations.

The report found that the former system administrator and two board members had business-related conflicts of interest that they failed to properly disclose.

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