by Matthew Holloway | Jul 29, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
An error in the Pima County Recorder’s Office has reportedly resulted in approximately 1,294 erroneous ballots being mailed to voters for the August 5 city of Tucson primary election. The error was acknowledged in a statement from Democrat Pima County Recorder Gabriella Cázares-Kelly’s office, with the problem isolated to Wards 3, 5, and 6, where voters were sent ballots for the incorrect party’s primary election.
According to the Tucson Sentinel, Lane Mandle, chief of staff to Tucson City Manager Tim Thomure, told reporters Saturday that county election officials are working to determine precisely how many of the incorrect ballots were sent, but the maximum number provided was 1,294. Mandle noted that she was not aware if any of the incorrect ballots had been cast, but insisted that the City Clerk’s Office is working to correct the matter.
“We’re not at the very last minute here,” Mandle told the outlet. “We’re gonna figure out a way. Nobody’s gonna be disenfranchised.”
In a post to X on Sunday, Rep. Alma Hernandez (D-LD20) called out the Democrat Pima County recorder saying, “This is what happens when we elect unqualified people to office. And this is NOT the first time Pima County Recorder has made a significant mistake with ballots and dates.”
In a Monday press release, the County Recorder announced that the error originated from a necessary override required to manage the information for the three overlapping elections.
“The error was a result of a need for Recorder’s Office staff to override a mechanism within the data system that prevents party changes during an active election,” the office said. “The override was necessary because of the overlap of three elections: the Congressional District 7 Special Primary, the City of Tucson Primary, and the City of South Tucson Special Recall.”
The system changes were made on July 17th, following the Congressional District 7 election, according to the county.
“The issue was identified on July 25, after three voters reported receiving the wrong party’s ballot through the mail. The data error has since been corrected, and the City of Tucson is assessing the situation to determine how best to provide a remedy for City Voters,” the Recorder’s Office added.
The County Recorder said that voters who were impacted by the error “are still eligible to get a ballot at any Ballot Replacement Site now through (Aug. 5) Election Day.”
The officials concluded, “The City of Tucson and the Pima County Recorder’s Office are committed to maintaining transparency and trust in the electoral process. We remain committed to ensuring all voters are able to vote in elections for which they are eligible. We are conducting a full audit of our systems and procedures to prevent such incidents in the future. Voters with questions or concerns are encouraged to contact the City of Tucson for assistance (520) 791- 3221.”
For more information on the City of Tucson Primary Election, click here.
Correction: A previous version of this article listed ballot replacement sites for a different election. That information has been removed from this story.
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by Matthew Holloway | Jul 28, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Arizona’s Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs traveled to Washington, D.C., on Wednesday to meet with Trump administration officials, including Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, to coordinate with federal authorities on the Dragon Bravo wildfire, which has claimed over 16,000 acres and is 26% contained as of this report. The move from Hobbs represents a rare departure from the governor’s antagonistic stance with Republicans in general, and the Trump administration in particular.
Along with Congressional leaders from both sides of the aisle, including fellow Democrats, Senators Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego, and Republican Congressmen Paul Gosar and Eli Crane, Hobbs has called for an investigation into the measures used to control the fire and the policies that led to it as well.
In a post to X, Hobbs stood for a photo-op with the former North Dakota Governor-turned-Interior Secretary writing, “I was glad to meet today with @SecretaryBurgum. We both agreed to work together to combat the Dragon Bravo Fire and rebuild from the destruction. The Secretary also committed to an independent review of the decisions made during the Dragon Bravo Fire containment process. This accountability is essential as we work to ensure this never happens again.”
Following a tour of the devastated National Park lands on the north rim of the Grand Canyon, Hobbs said, “This is federal jurisdiction, but fire doesn’t know that boundary, and we all have to work together.”
“Seeing the complexity that goes into managing an incident like this is helpful, and certainly, I feel good about going back to Arizonans and saying, ‘Look, everyone’s concerned about making sure that we’re protecting as much as possible, and that we can rebuild, because the Grand Canyon is so important to our state,’” Hobbs said.
Congressman Gosar said in a statement last week:
“I am concerned that the Dragon Bravo Wildfire is the direct result of recently inherited policies from the Biden Administration.
“We must not waver in our efforts to seek answers for the people of Arizona. Today, I call on Secretary of the Interior, Secretary Burgum, to seek answers for the people of Arizona, who want answers as to the causes of this disaster and what can be done to prevent tragedies like this in the future.
“The people of Arizona will not be calling for answers alone. I will continue to seek answers and solutions, because these wildfires deeply impact Arizonans and our state.”
Speaking with KAFF News Tuesday, Rep. Eli Crane described the fire’s devastation as “heartbreaking” and said, “Generations of Arizonans have made priceless memories at the North Rim, so this is a very tragic loss. I also want to see the North Rim built back bigger and better than ever.”
Answering a caller’s challenge to rebuild the historic Grand Canyon Lodge, lost to the flames, Crane said, “We will continue to do what we can on this issue. I know how important it is to Arizona and our district. Let’s also modernize it so it can be open year-round.”
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by Matthew Holloway | Jul 27, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
In an announcement on Tuesday, Gannett Co., Inc., the parent company of the Arizona Republic, revealed that the newspaper will no longer be printed at the company’s Deer Valley Printing Facility in North Phoenix. The facility will be shut down with its 117 employees laid off.
According to AZCentral, the last copies of the Arizona Republic will roll off the presses at the 300,000-square-foot plant on October 5th, and the newspaper will be printed, packaged, and distributed from the company’s Las Vegas facility.
Lark-Marie Antón, Gannett chief communications and brand officer, explained in a statement, “Where our newspaper is printed does not impact our ability to deliver outstanding journalism. The Arizona Republic will continue to provide readers with quality, local content that matters most to them, and to connect our valued advertising partners with the customers they want to reach.”
Antón did not address the impact on Phoenix except to say that all of the facility’s employees involved in printing and packaging would receive severance packages: “We deeply appreciate the years of service our knowledgeable, skilled staff has dedicated to our Phoenix facility and the local community.”
The outlet reported that the 20-acre property where the plant stands has been acquired by Atlas Capital Partners of Scottsdale and New York-based DRA Advisors, with Atlas CEO Chris Walton saying, “The location, distinctive building characteristics, lower coverage and proximity to TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.) all added to the allure of this acquisition.”
One employee who spoke to Fox 10 said, “After Oct. 1, it’s no longer a local paper. The amount of papers that we were doing, the amount of work we were doing for the 117 people there, it doesn’t make sense why they would cut our positions.”
The anonymous employee with almost 15 years at the facility told the outlet, “I’ve held almost every position they’ve had from an insert machine…to maintenance machinist supervisor,” he added that the announcement was “jarring.”
According to KTAR, the Deer Valley Facility also printed the Arizona Daily Star (Tucson), the Arizona Daily Sun (Flagstaff), as well as out-of-state publications such as The New York Times, USA Today, and other newspapers delivered in Arizona, New Mexico, and California. The move by Gannett will leave the Yuma Sun as the largest daily newspaper by circulation still printed in Arizona.
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by Matthew Holloway | Jul 26, 2025 | Education, News
By Matthew Holloway |
Tolleson Union High School District Superintendent Jeremy Calles found himself the subject of intense grilling at the hands of Joint Legislative Audit Committee (JLAC) Co-Chairmen Matt Gress and Mark Finchem during a three-hour hearing this week. Following the exchange, Gress told reporters that he and Finchem “will be reviewing our options with the Auditor General.”
The fiery hearing came about in response to concerns over a Tolleson Union High School District (TUHSD) leaseback deal with the Isaac Elementary School District that would see TUHSD purchase Isaac Middle School for $25 million with the elementary district then leasing the building at an interest rate of 6%.
Calles revealed in the hearing that he holds two professional roles, one as a consultant and the second as Superintendent, and he confirmed to the committee that initial conversations on the deal began in his role as a consultant.
He told the JLAC, “The first conversation I had came from a text message from, yes, the prior superintendent, Mr. Mario Ventura, who texted me and asked if I could take a look at his finances.”
Calles explained that when his district became involved, his role in the deal changed, although he claimed to have never billed for the conversation and never contracted with Isaac Elementary School District as a consultation client.
“This is not a new concept; the only thing novel on this idea is that both sides of the transaction, you have a school district. Everything else about this transaction, both sides of the transaction are not unseen,” he told lawmakers.
The Superintendent said that the agreement between the districts lacked a prepayment penalty, had no lock-in requirement, and aided the district in a financial crisis. He suggested that the benefit for TUHSD students was in generating up to $7 million in funding for the district. However, committee members balked at this suggestion, noting that although the district holds a “B” letter grade from the Arizona State Board of Education, only 30% of its students are proficient in Mathematics, English, and Language Arts.
Gress challenged him, “Here, you have not been able to demonstrate the $25 million financial transaction benefiting Tolleson Union students directly, given that you have no square footage, you’re not providing any learning services. It’s not even in your district so this is far beyond novel. I think you’ve made a mockery of our state law.”
He added, “I think you should be ashamed of yourself for the way you’ve mistreated taxpayers of Tolleson Union.”
The Superintendent was later asked by Rep. Carbone, “Why doesn’t every school district now just follow your lead and start making money and become a bank?”
In a reponse that appeared to show defiance, he said, “I don’t think every school district has a superintendent willing to stand in front of you like this.”
As reported by State 48 News, Calles confirmed that he utilizes his district office to conduct personal business during working hours. The outlet noted that under questioning it was further revealed that two members of the school district are also employed by the Superintendent through his consultancy.
When pressed to answer questions from Tolleson City Manager Reyes Medrano Jr., along with Police Chief Rudy Mendoza and former Superintendent Kino Flores regarding his conduct, including an alleged request for Tolleson to pay Calles’ real estate broker an $85,000 fee related to the district’s purchase of city land, Medrano suggested this violated state procurement laws.
“The 85 was going to be on top of the purchase price, and then we were supposed to pay the broker with it,” he told the committee. According to Medrano, Calles told him “it would be cleaner” to do so.
Calles lashed out in response, claiming the allegation “borderlines defamation.” He said in full: “I believe that borderlines defamation, the way he made that implication as if something nefarious was happening.”
Speaking with a reporter, Calles rejected the allegations saying that “they’re all lies. Do you see our improvement on the letter grade system? You see that our schools are moving up on their performance?”
The Superintendent told 12News that he expected the committee to request review of his conduct by the Arizona Auditor General and said, “When the Auditor General’s Office finally sends me someone, I’ll give them the full story.”
In a statement following the hearing, Gress said, “The hearing today revealed deeply troubling information that shows a pattern of disregard for public transparency. Combining public service with private consulting work, including using Tolleson District facilities and employees to support superintendent Calles’s consulting company reeks of corruption. Chairman Finchem and I will be reviewing our options with the auditor general.”
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by Matthew Holloway | Jul 26, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Congressman Andy Biggs’ gubernatorial campaign reported significant gains in fundraising during the second quarter of 2025 with a haul of $429,000. It marks the single largest fundraising quarter for Biggs in his career thus far.
The campaign reported that Biggs’ fundraising performance improved by almost $200,000 over the first quarter and noted, “This shows momentum and enthusiasm for his campaign with additional room for growth as his digital fundraising operation begins to build out.”
In a statement to AZ Free News, Biggs’ Campaign Senior Advisor Drew Sexton said, “We’re very pleased with our past quarter as Congressman Biggs more than doubled his cash on hand, received endorsements from President Donald J. Trump and Charlie Kirk, and continues his strong performance in every public poll with the set field of GOP candidates. We look forward to building on this in the coming months as the Congressman shares his vision for Arizona with voters from across the state.”
According to Capitol Media Services, Biggs’ primary opponent, Karrin Taylor Robson, narrowly outperformed Biggs in fundraising with $575,000 in individual donations and $2,500 from PACs in the second quarter. However, Robson also reported loaning her campaign over $2.2 million, which has been all but spent on advertising President Donald Trump’s endorsement of Robson.
The Biggs campaign made note of this in an email to AZ Free News stating, “The Biggs for Arizona campaign has an end of Q2 COH of $437K, more than doubling the campaign’s Q1 COH indicating a sustainable level of spending in comparison to the over $2.7M already spent by his primary opponent.”
According to Axios, the state of play as of this report is that:
- Democrat incumbent Governor Katie Hobbs, running effectively unopposed in her primary, has raised the most funds in the second quarter of 2025, netting approximately $1.3 million and held about $4.7 million cash on hand.
- Robson brought in $2.8 million, but as noted, $2.2 million was her own money. She has less than $900,000 remaining and is spending rapidly.
- Biggs however raised $429,000 and closed the quarter with about $437,000 on hand, showing consistent, steady growth.
As reported by AZ Free News in early June, Biggs’ advertising spend has been supplemented what Turning Point PAC declared “the largest launch event in Arizona gubernatorial primary history,” complete with a media campaign costing over $500,000, with the “Biggs for Governor” Rally hosted by Turning Point Action and Turning Point PAC itself counting for “an additional $780,000 in earned media value (EMV),” according to a press release.
Turning Point PAC said in a statement at the time, “Taken as a whole with Turning Point PAC’s $500,000 media buy announcement, the organization’s independent expenditures and organizing to support Biggs’s primary launch already amounts to over $1,400,000.”
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
