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Arizona lawmakers formally convened the 2026 legislative session this week, returning to the Capitol with nearly 400 bills already introduced and hundreds more expected in the coming weeks. Against that backdrop of early activity and rising partisan tension, Governor Katie Hobbs used her State of the State address to outline an agenda centered on affordability, efficiency in government, and renewed fights over taxes, education policy, and water management. The Governor framed

As the Arizona Legislature prepares to convene for its annual session, a familiar ritual has unfolded around the State Capitol that highlights both the strengths and weaknesses of campaign finance law in the state. Members of the lobbying community and lawmakers themselves have entered what insiders call “Hell Week,” a compressed period when lobbyists race to contribute to campaigns and forge alliances before a statutory prohibition takes effect. During the first week in Janu

The U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes on January 6, 2026 for his refusal to turn over the state’s comprehensive voter registration data , prompting a standoff over federal authority, privacy and election oversight. According to federal court documents, the suit alleges that Arizona’s refusal to provide unredacted voter lists, which include full dates of birth, addresses and identifying numbers, violates multiple federa

Arizona authorities are continuing their investigation into a package containing homemade explosives that was intercepted at the Arizona Supreme Court, an incident that forced the evacuation of multiple government buildings and temporarily shut down a key center of state government. The incident unfolded early Monday morning, January 5, when the Arizona Department of Public Safety was notified shortly after 8 a.m. about a suspicious package delivered to the State Courts Buil

Arizona Democratic Senator Mark Kelly is facing a rare and serious confrontation with the Department of Defense after comments he made in a public video advising service members that they could refuse unlawful orders. The episode has triggered a formal letter of censure from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and a review that could result in a reduction of Kelly’s retired military rank and benefits. The controversy stems from a video appearance last month in which Kelly, alongs

While a number of Arizona Republican officeholders publicly backed away last month from a Christmas-themed political gathering after learning it was hosted by a group with documented ties to white nationalism , one local public official did attend and was photographed alongside a nationally known political operative. Jeremiah Cota, a board member of the Phoenix Union High School District, attended “The Christmas Crusade,” an event organized by Republicans for National Renewa

The divides that surfaced this past weekend weren’t subtle. The conference’s Thursday night lineup, Ben Shapiro, Michael Knowles, Tucker Carlson, was handpicked by Kirk before his death, and it ignited open warfare among the right’s biggest names. Shapiro, visibly disgusted by Carlson’s decision to host white nationalist Nick Fuentes, condemned both Fuentes and those legitimizing him. Carlson retaliated with trademark mockery. Knowles tried to smooth it over from the stage bu

A contractor who participated in the controversial Arizona Senate-led review of the 2020 presidential election is claiming that he continues to possess photos of approximately 2.1 million Maricopa County ballots more than four years after the ballots were originally counted , a practice that appears to run counter to state retention laws and raises serious questions about legal custody and accountability. The contractor, widely identified in reporting as Jovan Pulitzer, has s

Former Arizona Cardinals kicker and Republican political newcomer Jay Feely has dramatically shifted his 2026 congressional campaign, announcing he will now run in Arizona’s First Congressional District, a competitive seat that includes Scottsdale, north Phoenix, and Fountain Hills. The move marks a significant change from his earlier bid for the state’s Fifth Congressional District and reshapes the dynamics of a key Republican primary contest. Feely, best known to Arizona sp

The latest controversy surrounding the Maricopa County Recorder’s Office did not begin with a partisan dispute or a courtroom filing. It began with a mass mailing that never should have gone out, and with a county recorder who was not physically present when the fallout hit. According to reporting by Phoenix New Times , the Recorder’s Office sent erroneous letters to roughly 83,000 voters in late June, incorrectly warning them that their registrations were in jeopardy because

Several prominent Arizona Republicans have pulled back from a scheduled December gathering with Republicans for National Renewal (RNR), following reporting that exposed the group’s ties to white-nationalist networks. The event, called the “Christmas Crusade,” was promoted as a holiday-season get-together arranged by RNR alongside NicoPAC, a political action committee led by local conservative activist Nico Delgado, who works as a special assistant to GOP Congressman Abe Hamad

On December 11 the Chandler City Council will vote whether to green-light a 422,877-square-foot “AI data center” in the city’s South Price Road corridor, a project that has attracted heated controversy and raises serious questions about lobbying, city planning, and corporate influence. The most striking factor in this fight is the heavy-duty involvement of Kyrsten Sinema. The former U.S. senator has inserted herself personally in Chandler’s zoning process, an unusual move for

Health authorities in Arizona recently determined that multiple E. coli cases among children, some ending in hospitalizations, can be linked to the Arizona State Fair. Despite the severity of some of the illnesses, no public warning was issued during the outbreak. According to reporting, even though some children developed dangerous complications, including Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS), officials concluded that the outbreak did not meet criteria for a formal public alert.

A new report by the Department of Defense’s Inspector General has concluded that Pete Hegseth violated Pentagon rules and endangered U.S. personnel when he used the commercial messaging app Signal earlier this year to share sensitive operational details about a strike against Houthi militants in Yemen. According to people familiar with the investigation, the chat included “strike-window” timing, launch times for aircraft and missiles, and even the moment when bombs would hit.

The Paradise Valley Unified School District board voted unanimously on Tuesday to adopt a “statement of charges” against its superintendent, Todd Cummings, setting in motion plans to fire him unless he requests a hearing within ten days. The decision comes after only a few months in the job. Cummings was placed on paid administrative leave on September 30 following a closed-door board meeting that cited unspecified complaints and employment concerns. In the months since, an

Scottsdale is considering new restrictions on public comment at City Council meetings, a move that would shrink both the time allowed for each speaker and the total number of residents permitted to address their local government. The proposal arrives at a moment when communities across Arizona are debating how much space citizens should have in the political process. The fact that this conversation is happening in Scottsdale, a city that has long prided itself on public invol

A lawsuit filed November 14 in Maricopa County Superior Court alleges Jeannette Garcia, a councilmember in Avondale, AZ, propositioned a male coworker for sex and then abducted his 14-year-old daughter after he rejected her advances. According to the complaint, filed by an anonymous father, “John Doe”, and his daughter, “Jane Doe,” the night in question followed a 2024 election celebration at a restaurant in Goodyear attended by employees of Turning Point, a conservative poli

Senator Ruben Gallego is under fire after a newly released cache of private text messages revealed he criticized the appearance and style of members of his own party. According to a report in People magazine, Gallego complained that the Democratic Party no longer “allows women to be hot” and lamented that “Dem women look like Dem men and Dem men look like women.” The texts, obtained by a conservative outlet, contained other dismissive comments. In one exchange Gallego referre

The United States Department of Defense announced Monday that it has opened an investigation into Mark Kelly, Democratic senator from Arizona and retired Navy captain, following his participation in a video urging military personnel to refuse “illegal orders.” In the online video, released Nov. 18, Kelly joined five other lawmakers, each with military or intelligence backgrounds, in a message that stated: “You can refuse illegal orders. No one has to carry out orders that vio