AZ Polling is in!

OK.  Only for R primary races.  And then only for statewide offices.

From KPNX, written by Brahm Resnik, dated 7/9 -

Andy Biggs dominates, Tom Horne trails in new poll of Arizona GOP primaries

Just 12 days before Arizona’s primary election, a new poll shows the Republican statewide races falling into three categories: one clear winner, three clear front-runners and one competitive race that could end School Superintendent Tom Horne’s political career.

The flash poll, by Arizona-based NextGen Polling, surveyed 1,707 high-frequency Republican primary voters who have cast a ballot in three or four of the last four elections. The poll, done July 8 and 9, has a margin of error of 2.5 percentage points. 

[snip] {Governor}

East Valley Congressman Andy Biggs has built an insurmountable polling lead over fellow Congressman David Schweikert of Fountain Hills. Biggs was supported by 66.1% of respondents vs 10.4% for Schweikert. Schweikert is losing his own 1st Congressional District by 41 points, 56.2% to 14.8%, according to the poll.

[snip] {SOS}

In the primary to serve as Arizona’s chief elections officer,  State Rep. Alexander Kolodin of Scottsdale has a 24-point lead over former Arizona Republican Party Chair Gina Swoboda. Kolodin is up 44% to 20%, with 36% of respondents undecided.

[snip] {AG}

Senate President Warren Petersen of Gilbert leads lawyer Rodney Glassman of Phoenix by 15 points, 43% to 28%, with about 29% of respondents undecided.

[snip] {SPI}

In the most competitive statewide primary, incumbent Tom Horne finds himself trailing State Treasurer Kimberly Yee by 8 points, according to the NextGen poll. Yee leads Horne by 44% to 36%, with 20 percent of respondents undecided. 

[snip] {Treasurer}

Elijah Norton, CEO of a company that sells extended vehicle warranties, leads State Board of Education Chair Katherine Haley 43% to 20%, according to the poll. 

NextGen Polling took a poll in June; ad that one shows that the leaders in the races widening their leads in July over what they had June.  With one exception.

Gov. - Biggs 57%, Schweikert 11%

AG - Petersen 26%, Glassman 11%

SOS - Kolodin 16%,, Swoboda 11%

Treasurer - Norton 15%, Haley 12%

SPI - Horne 33%, Yee 24%

No real surprises here, though  I hoped that they would cover legislative races (including Democratic primaries) and the CorpComm race.

At this point, there's only one primary poll left, and it's the only one that counts.

Three immigrants drown in Rio Grande River; will Greg Abbott celebrate his selection as Cheeto's VP choice by dancing or laughing?

I thought that Nicki Haley had the inside track for that, but (to the best of my knowledge) she hasn't racked up a body count...nor does she not look enough like Vanky to suit Cheeto.

On the other hand, while Greg Abbott doesn't look like Vanky (though it wouldn't be a surprise if he dyed his hair blond and underwent some cosmetic surgery), he HAS racked up a body count.

From Texas Public Radio (emphasis added by me) -

Three migrants drown in Rio Grande after Texas blocks Border Patrol from rescue

A woman and two children drowned in the Rio Grande near Eagle Pass on Friday night as they were attempting to cross the U.S. southern border.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection told TPR that Border Patrol was prevented from deploying lifesaving efforts by agents with Operation Lone Star, the controversial Texas border security initiative.

Under the direction of Gov. Greg Abbott, Operation Lone Star this week seized control of Eagle Pass' Shelby Park, which faces the Rio Grande and has denied access to the Border Patrol.

If the people involved with Operation Lone Star and the drownings ever face charges, they may propose the Nuremberg defense and point fingers at Abbott.

Nikki Haley hedges her bets in the GOP presidential primary

She is trying to appeal to Cheeto's base by telling them that the war they lost was all about "freedom."

Freedom to enslave and kill others for not looking like them, maybe.  However, believing the Civil War was about "freedom" doesn't mean that Cheeto, his supporters, or her, are decent human beings.

From CBS News -

Nikki Haley defends leaving slavery out as cause of Civil War after backlash

Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley on Thursday sought to defend earlier comments that failed to mention slavery as a cause of the Civil War as she received backlash on social media. 

"I mean, of course, the Civil War was about slavery," Haley said on The Pulse of New Hampshire Radio program "Good Morning NH with Jack Heath."

"We know that- that's, that's the easy part of it. What I was saying was, what does it mean to us today? What it means to us today is about freedom. That's what that was all about. It was about individual freedom, it was about economic freedom, it was about individual rights," she said. 

[snip]

"Well, don't come with an easy question," Haley joked. "I think the cause of the Civil War was basically how government was going to run, the freedoms, and what people could and couldn't do. What do you think the cause of the Civil War was?"

[snip]

"I think it always comes down to the role of government, and what the rights of the people are," Haley said. "And I will always stand by the fact that I think government was intended to secure the rights and freedoms of the people. It was never meant to be all things to all people. Government doesn't need to tell you how to live your life."

I believe that there are three possible goals of her behavior:

1.  She's wants to be the nominee.  She's closed the gap with Cheeto, and thinks that appealing to his supporters will put her over the top.

2. She wants to in second so she can be the alternative nominee in the (likely) event that Cheeto wins the nomination but is unable to run in the general due to his myriad issues.

3. She wants to be on the ticket as the VP candidate.

No matter how she's on the GOP ticket, no one in that primary is worthy is worthy of a vote.  Including her.