Short Attention Span musing

 ...Making official something that was already known, Governor Katie Hobbs, Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, and Attorney General Kris Mayes filed Statements of Interest for the 2026 election, seeking reelection to the current offices.

Each has already formed a committee for reelection.

...In the "Arizona Republicans behaving badly" Department, State Senator Carine Werner used her position as a member of governing board of the Scottsdale Unified School District to insult a District employee.

From KJZZ, written by Bridget Dowd -

Scottsdale Unified board member faces backlash after publicly calling employee 'morbidly obese'

A Scottsdale Unified School District board member is facing backlash for calling a district employee "morbidly obese" during a public meeting.

The district’s director of Nutrition Services, Patti Bilbrey was giving a presentation about a program that distributes meals to kids over the summer.

...Speaking of "Arizona Republicans behaving badly", when good ol' reliable Warren Petersen (the President of the State Senate) isn't going after a Democratic Senator, Analise Ortiz, for telling people where ICE is in AZ, he's going after Arizona PBS for the way they handled a debate in 2022.

From KXNV, written by Ben Brown, dated 8/14/2025 -

Arizona lawmaker wants FCC to revoke state’s PBS broadcast license

Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen is calling on the Federal Communications Commission to revoke Arizona PBS’s broadcast license over what he claims was “viewpoint discrimination” during the 2022 gubernatorial race between Kari Lake and Katie Hobbs.

In a letter to the FCC, Petersen alleges “Arizona PBS violated legal rules, contractual requirements, and long-standing traditions to improperly put its thumb on the scale of the 2022 Arizona governor’s race.”

Legislative schedule - week starting 8/17/2025

Well, unlike the last couple of weeks when there was nothing on the schedule at the legislature, there's a little going on.

But only a little.

And it's on the schedule for Monday.

On Monday, 8/18 

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Senate Health and Human Services meets at 2 p.m.in SHR1.  On the agenda: no bills; presentations from Arizona Department of Health Services (DHS), Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS), Arizona Attorney General's Office (AZ AG), and the Maricopa County Attorney's Office (MCAO).

On Tuesday, 8/19, Wednesday, 8/20, and Thursday, 8/21 - Nada

2028 presidential candidate handicapping

It's early yet, so this is more an exercise in name recognition than anything else.  Many of these folks won't run, either not considering it, or considering a run and ultimately passing on it.

Other names may/will consider running as we get closer to 2028.

Of course, Cheeto may attempt to cancel the 2028 elections, rendering this moot.

These (possible) candidates are rated from 1 - 5 Sinemas.  Or no opinion as yet.

I consider Kyrsten Sinema to be the worst person to hold federal or statewide office in AZ in my lifetime (which is saying something given that group includes the likes of Paul Gosar, Rick Renzi, and Evan Mecham).

Anyone rated at four or five Sinemas is someone I won't vote for in a primary (Democratic).  Three is a maybe.

No Republicans will be rated here, for two reasons: 1) The next time a decent human being makes it through a Republican primary will be the first time in a very long time, and 2) Cheeto will try to anoint/appoint his successor.  It may be DeSantis, Abbott/Paxton, Miller, or even one of his sons (or someone else), but it won't be a woman.  

Cheeto hates women.

I'll start close to home -

Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) - Four Sinemas.  He hasn't gone full Sinema yet, but he's well along that path.

Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) - Two Sinemas.  Like all politicians, like all of us, he has an ego, but he hasn't become utterly self-focused.

Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) - Four Sinemas.  Too self-focused.

Gov. Jared Polis (D-CO) - No opinion as yet.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D-IL) - No opinion as yet.

Former VP Kamala Harris (D-CA) - I don't believe she is interested in running again; as such, I haven't formed a 2028 opinion as yet.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI) - Three Sinemas.

Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA) - No opinion as yet.

Pete Buttigieg - Three Sinemas.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - Two Sinemas.

Gov. Wes Moore (D-MD) - No opinion as yet.

Gov. Phil Murphy (D-NJ) - I won't vote for anyone from NJ (or NY.  The political class there seems to believe it's above society's standards of behavior.)

Gov. Josh Green (D-HI) - No opinion as yet.

Rahm Emanuel (D-IL) - Six Sinemas.  No way in hell would I ever vote for him.

Gov. Andy Beshear (D-KY) - No opinion as yet.  What little I know is positive though.

Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) - As with Harris, I don't believe the 2024 VP candidate is interested in running again; as such, I haven't formed a 2028 opinion as yet.

Arizona politics is like a small town - another Biggs is a candidate for office

Mylie Biggs (R-Chip Off The Old Block) is a candidate for the state senate seat in LD14, currently held by Senate President Warren Petersen, termed out and running for Arizona Attorney General.

She's the daughter of Andy Biggs, a MAGA Congressman and 2026 candidate for AZ Governor.

From the website of the Arizona Secretary of State:

Her Statement of Interest (SOI) -

.Her committee information -

As of this writing, no other R has filed an SOI or formed a committee in order to challenge her in the primary (I expect that to change as the cycle goes on).

Given the overwhelming R registration advantage in the district, the victor in the R primary should win the general election.

However, she's made things interesting.

From KJZZ, written by Camryn Sanchez -

Biggs’ daughter said women shouldn’t hold public office. But she’s running for AZ state Senate

Congressman Andy Biggs’ daughter Mylie said women shouldn’t hold public office. But she’s running for a seat in the Arizona Senate.

Mylie Biggs, 25, is running for the Legislature in Arizona’s 14th legislative district, which encompasses most of Gilbert.

Last August, she appeared on a podcast called The Matt MacCurdy Program and said she thinks women should not hold office in general, but instead should run the home.

Assuming that she goes on to be victorious in the primary, she seems to be ready for membership in the R caucus -

She's already got "open hypocrite" part down pat.

Normally, this sort of hypocrisy would be disqualifying in a Democratic primary.

In an R primary?  This may help her coast to victory.

Legislative schedule - week starting 8/10/2025

As with last week, there's nothing on the schedule at the legislature.

Arizona is well on its way to adding another town - San Tan Valley

Yesterday, San Tan Valley, an unincorporated area in northern Pinal County (but in the Phoenix metro area) voted on incorporation.

The results are still unofficial, but the ballot question appears to have passed resoundingly.

From Pinal County Elections -

There are 18 precincts in San Tan Valley; 16 have reported and two have not (as of this writing), but I'm guessing that there aren't enough voters in those two precincts to overcome the current 2-1 margin in favor.

According to Google, San Tan Valley has approximately 100K people in it -

While incorporation would probably make it the largest "town" in Pinal County but not the largest town in AZ.

Gilbert, with slightly under 300K folks, has that title.  There are political costs and benefits to designations of "town" or "city."

And Gilbert has decided to remain a town.

Getting his bigot on - Warren Petersen: President of the AZ State Senate and candidate for AZ Attorney General

Warren Petersen, currently the Republican president of the Arizona State Senate, is one of three candidates for Arizona Attorney General in the Republican primary in 2026 (for now - we're more than a year out from the election and I'm going by the number of committees formed for the race as of now. Not everyone who has formed a committee may gain ballot status, and other folks may jump into the race.)

The AZAG's office is currently held by Democrat Kris Mayes.

Regardless of how many candidates end up on the ballot, Petersen seems to be trying to lock up the support of the MAGAts who will vote in R primary by calling for a federal investigation of a Latina Democrat.

From AZMirror, written by Gloria Rebecca Gomez -

GOP leader wants the feds to investigate a Democrat’s Instagram posts about ICE activity

The top Republican in the Arizona Senate is calling for a federal investigation into a Democratic senator’s social media posts about U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. 

Sen. Analise Ortiz, D-Phoenix, represents a Latino-majority district, and has been a fierce critic of the Trump administration’s mass deportation efforts. When ICE agents began staking out the Phoenix immigration courthouse earlier this year to detain people showing up for mandatory hearings, Ortiz joined protestors in videotaping the arrests and blasting out social media alerts.

 

If this doesn't put him over the top, maybe he can get his cousin, Paul Petersen, disgraced former Maricopa County Assessor, human trafficker, scammer, and convict, to campaign for him.

MAGA types *like* traffickers.

Paul has been transferred to a federal minimum security prison in AZ, and the feds under Cheeto have a documented history of doing that for well-connected traffickers.

The new soap opera moves to Yavapai County

Last week, I wrote a post about how a personality conflict between the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors and the Maricopa County Recorder had devolved into a popcorn-riffic lawsuit.

It seems like we are about to find out if popcorn travels in the heat.

From AZMirror written by Jerod MacDonald-Evoy -

Arizona lawmaker seeks bar discipline for attorney who published racist cartoons

A Republican state lawmaker has filed a complaint with the Arizona State Bar Association after a disgraced former state lawmaker who has faced child sex charges and espoused racist views posted racist AI-generated cartoons aimed at the lawmaker. 

Stringer, a licensed attorney, owns and publishes Prescott eNews, an online news site that covers Prescott and the surrounding communities. He and the publication have been facing pointed criticism for publishing multiple AI-generated “political cartoons” that depict Prescott Valley Republican lawmaker Quang Nguyen in a racist manner.

 

While the Maricopa County soap opera should probably be aired on a Phoenix TV station, but as this one is only a call for "bar discipline" aired on a relatively small TV station.  Like the one station in Prescott.

While I'm hardly a fan of Rep. Nguyen (he's a Trumpian wingnut), he's nowhere near as bad as David Stringer, who is (allegedly) Trumpian in his own way.

Plus, he's a hardcore bigot.

However, Stringer may have some allies in the state legislature.  Nguyen's LD1 seatmates in the AZ legislature are Rep. Selina Bliss and Sen. Mark Finchem.

The Epstein files are dividing the AZGOP. They shouldn't.

Part of my Sunday routine is to watch Sunday Square Off on Phoenix Channel 12 (KPNX).

Yes, I'm a politics geek.  :)

Today, there was a segment on how the Epstein files (which are expected to name Cheeto as a pedophile) are dividing some of the AZGOP's electeds - some hope that they're never released, some want to see what's in the files, and still others are remaining silent, perhaps hoping that they are forgotten.

Pro tip: they won't be.

Anyway, I'm an unabashed Democrat (surprising, I know :) ) and I want the files to be released.

Regardless of who is named in them.

If a prominent D is named, so be it.

And therein lies one of the differences between Democrats and Republicans.

If we're presented with facts that we don't particularly like, most Democrats will embrace the facts.

Most Republicans will embrace the pedophile.

Legislative schedule - week starting 8/3/2025

There's absolutely nothing on the legislative schedule at this point.

That may change, so keep an eye out, but as it's August, I don't expect that to change.

Time to start a new soap opera: As Maricopa County Turns

I was feeling generous when I named this post - it was almost "Search for Competence."

But I didn't go there. :)

MAGA Republican Justin Heap won the R primary for Maricopa County Recorder in 2024, deposing competent incumbent Stephen Richer.

The MAGA types who make up the majority of the R electorate got what they wished for - a pure ideologue in a job that requires simple competence.

Sometimes he's falsely telling voters that they will be removed from the list of active voters and be unable to vote.

Sometimes he's suing the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors (MCBOS) not delegating control of elections to him.

Before he went the litigation route, Heap tried lying to and about members of the MCBOS.

From Votebeat Arizona, written by Jen Fifield -

Text messages show how Maricopa County recorder pressured supervisors for control of elections

Maricopa County Recorder Justin Heap privately pleaded with two county supervisors to support his bid for more power over the county’s elections, text messages obtained by Votebeat show.

The messages, which county supervisors provided to Votebeat in response to a public-records request, include previously unreported behind-the-scenes conversations and confrontations as Heap negotiated with the supervisors board early this year over how to divide election duties in the closely watched swing county.

“I really thought you guys would come through for me,” Heap wrote to Supervisor Mark Stewart, a fellow Republican, in March after a counterproposal from the supervisors. “This was the last straw for me, Mark.”

[snip]

Texts provided by Stewart and Lesko, both Republicans, show how Heap pressured them to go around Supervisors Chairman Thomas Galvin, the Republican leading the negotiations with Heap, and instead work with the lone Democrat on the board, Steve Gallardo, to approve the elections agreement he wanted.

According to the texts, Heap said he had gained Gallardo’s support for the deal, known as a shared services agreement, or SSA.

[snip]

Gallardo told Votebeat that he never agreed to support Heap’s proposal, and called the claim “total lies.” He said he has met with or spoken with Heap and his staff only once in an introductory meeting after Heap took office, and they did not discuss the shared services agreement.

Gallardo went a step further. 

Also from Votebeat and written by Fifield -

Democratic Maricopa County supervisor calls for corruption investigation into recorder

Maricopa County Supervisor Steve Gallardo is calling for a public-corruption investigation into the Republican county recorder, Justin Heap, citing a claim Heap made about him in text messages while privately lobbying supervisors to give him more control over elections.

In the texts, which the supervisors released to Votebeat after a public-records request, Heap asserted that he had secured Gallardo’s vote on his proposal for a shared services agreement, or SSA, outlining a new division of election duties. Gallardo, the lone Democrat on the supervisors board, says that didn’t happen.

In a statement Wednesday, Gallardo said he wants Attorney General Kris Mayes to “get to the bottom of this outrageously false claim.”

Whoever has the popcorn concession at MCBOS meetings will get rich.

Q2 reports are in! Redux.

Last week, I published a post about the campaign reports for federal candidates.

Today, it's the turn for state-level candidates.

Some caveats:

It's still very early, so this only includes candidates who formed committees with the AZSOS before the Q2 2025 deadline (6/30/2025).  Candidates who haven't yet formed a committee or formed one in Q3 aren't covered here.  This also isn't comprehensive - I included only people who I believed are legitimate candidates.  That may...OK, *will*…change as the cycle goes on.

This isn't meant to predict who will actually be on a ballot.

Nor is it meant to predict who will win any primary.

Some definitions:

COH = Cash on Hand

SOI = Statement of Interest

NA = "No activity" report filed

Some of this is interesting -

In the hotly-contested R primary for governor, Karrin Taylor Robson wildly out raised her main opponent in Q2, Andy Biggs.  Apparently.  However, she loaned her campaign the majority of the funds she raised.  While her overall number is more than $2 million greater than Biggs', her funds raised from non-candidate sources was a little less than $150K more than Biggs.

Another red flag for Robson?  Her loans greatly exceed her cash on hand.  She looks like she is trying to buy the nomination.

In the race for the soon-to-be-vacant Arizona State Treasurer slot (incumbent Kimberly Yee is termed out), R candidate Elijah Norton (formerly the treasurer for the Arizona Republican Party and a 2022 candidate in AZCD1) loaned his campaign his ENTIRE Q2 fundraising take.  

Like Robson, he appears to trying to buy the election.

Legislative schedule - week starting 7/27/2025

There's no legislative activity scheduled to take place at the Capitol, but there is one committee meeting scheduled in Payson.

Can you say "Taxpayer-funded road trip"?!?

On Monday, 7/28 - nada.

On Tuesday, 7/29 

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Fire Preparedness Committee House Ad Hoc meets at 10 a.m. at Gila Community College - 201 N. Mud Springs Rd, Payson, AZ 85541.  On the agenda: presentations from the Department of Forestry and Fire Management and SRP.  

In AZ, old politicians don't go away, the just swap seats

From Arizona Agenda, written by Nicole Ludden and Hank Stephenson

Chandler’s Freaky Friday

As we continue to reel from the 2024 elections, Arizona’s politicians are already eyeing their 2026 prospects.

While most of Arizona’s lawmakers are running for reelection, the three spots opening up in one district have turned into a game of musical chairs.

In fact, by the time 2027 rolls around, none of the state legislators representing the Chandler-based Legislative District 13 will hold their current offices.

Instead, Republican Rep. Jeff Weninger is running to be the next Chandler mayor. Chandler Mayor Kevin Hartke is running for Weninger's seat at the Capitol. And LD13’s other legislators are leaving the office or switching chambers.

As of this writing, neither Hartke (with the AZSOS) nor Weninger (with the City of Chandler) have formed committees for their run, however, Hartke has filed a Statement of Interest with the AZSOS for a run at LD13 State Representative -

Actually, the only person who has formed a committee for LD13 State Rep is Democratic candidate Raquel Armstrong.

It's still very early, though.

LD13 is considered to be "competitive" but leaning R - the district's current legislative delegation is all R.

The concept of swapping seat is not new, but is usually limited to changing chambers at the lege to avoid running afoul of term limits and to extend their time at the Capitol.

For instance, John Kavanagh, a Republican from Fountain Hills and member of the Arizona State Senate, is on his third district at the lege (LDs 8, 23, and 3), even though he hasn't actually moved.  He's been in both the house and the senate representing north Scottsdale, Fountain Hills, and Rio Verde since 2007.

Legislative schedule - week starting 7/20/2025

Now that the legislature has adjourned, there isn't much going on down there, but there a little bit going on this week.

OK, just a little bit. :)

On Monday, 7/21 

-

At 9 a.m. Joint Legislative Audit Committee meets in HHR1.  On the agenda: three presentations, one of which involves ESAs (school voucher scam).  One portion will be given by the state's office of the Auditor General (controlled by the ESA enablers in the legislature) and the other portion will be given by the Arizona Department of Education (headed by ESA apologist Tom Horne).

It doesn't seem to be unreasonable to expect an ESA propaganda session.