The number of registered Democratic voters in Arizona declined by nearly 11,000 from January to April of this year.
The trend represents a marked decline in Democratic voter registrations since January, after a 70,800 registration uptick between the primary and general election and another 22,600 registration uptick between the general election and January’s voter registration report.
April’s total registered Democrats amounts to about 11,700 more than the party’s total registered voters in the general election.
Comparatively, current Republican registered voters amount to about 40,200 more than the party’s total registered voters in the general election.
The counties with leading losses in Democratic voter registrations in this recent voter registration report were Maricopa County (over 5,000 less registered Democrats) and Pima County (over 2,500 less registered Democrats).
It appears that the decline between January and April’s voter registration totals for Democrats and Republicans occurred due to voters switching registrations to Independent and No Labels. Where Democrats lost around 10,900 voter registrations and Republicans lost around 1,100 voter registrations between January and April of this year, registered Independents increased by 10,300 and registered No Labels increased by 2,000.
This theory is further supported by the voter registration total remaining the exact same between January and the count released this month: 4,462,819 registered voters.
The Arizona Republican Party interpreted this latest voter registration report as positive news for their prospects in future elections. Arizona GOP Chair Gina Swoboda claimed the multiple opposition campaigns and lawsuits against the Trump administration by Governor Katie Hobbs and Attorney General Kris Mayes swayed voters to switch their voter registrations.
“Arizona voters sent a strong message to Democrats in the November 2024 General Election, that they wanted the major political parties to work together to restore security, prosperity, and opportunity to our state and nation,” said Swoboda. “Instead of heeding that message and working with Republicans to better the lives of people in our state, Arizona Democrats have nominated themselves to become President Donald J. Trump’s chief antagonists. We need look no further than Governor Katie Hobbs and Attorney General Kris Mayes for two examples of this blind partisan obstruction to President Trump’s efforts.”
Mayes said in a Monday interview with The Arizona Republic that a majority of Arizonans support her 11 lawsuits against the Trump administration.
“The feedback that I’m getting as attorney general is that people by and large support what we’re doing because they by and large don’t support what Donald Trump is actually doing as president,” said Mayes.
I'm committed to upholding the rule of law and ensuring that the actions of the Trump administration are constitutional. Learn more about what my office is doing to protect Arizonans at https://t.co/1ptNLefNTg. pic.twitter.com/wj0Svvtl8i
— AZ Attorney General Kris Mayes (@AZAGMayes) April 14, 2025
Swoboda also brought attention to the voter registration increases in rural areas, crediting the gains to the party’s prioritization of advocating for more voter roll cleaning. The Trump administration has taken steps to support Republican-led election integrity initiatives by dropping cases against these efforts, requiring the Department of Justice to assist states and counties with citizenship databases, and requiring proof of citizenship going forward in federal election registrations.
“April’s numbers show that Republicans’ rural county registration advantages are growing as we work to clean voter rolls in the counties of Maricopa and Pima,” said Swoboda. “Republicans will continue to earn the trust of Arizona voters in the months ahead as we work alongside President Trump to make Arizona and America Great Again.”
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The Arizona Republican House Whip sided with Democratic lawmakers and Governor Katie Hobbs against the codification of a key emergency funding bill for disability services in the state.
Most House and Senate Republicans support removing over $100 million in emergency funding from the Housing Trust Fund and the Prescription Drug Rebate Fund and giving it to the Division of Developmental Disabilities (DD). Several Republican lawmakers along with their Democratic counterparts and Hobbs reject the legislation (House Bill 2945 and Senate Bill 1734). Democrats want to pull funding from the general fund instead.
Governor Hobbs issued a moratorium on all legislation until Republicans agreed to find another avenue for funding DD. Hobbs expressed gratitude for the existence of “bipartisan opposition” enabling Democrats to retain a negotiations foothold.
Hobbs called Republicans “extreme” and accused them of “political theater.”
It’s shameful that a few, extreme Republican legislators are holding funding for Arizonans with disabilities hostage to their political theater.
Business as usual cannot continue until Arizonans with developmental disabilities and their caregivers have the certainty they need.
Hobbs would be alluding to House Majority Whip Julie Willoughby. Willoughby joined Reps. Justin Olson and Jeff Weninger as the sole “no” votes on House Bill 2945 against majority Republican support within the House Appropriations Committee.
Willoughby introduced an amendment to House Bill 2945 that drew Democratic support. Willoughby said in her presentation of the amendment that she worked with Democrats to craft it.
Willougby’s amendment would have dropped the original bill’s requirement for the Arizona Healthcare Cost Containment System Administration (“Administration”) to obtain legislative approval via statute for any Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) renewal request or termination request for any waiver or waiver amendment. Willoughby said the legislative approval was overly burdensome and would require the legislature to convene for every waiver request, even for simple extensions.
It would have also eliminated the original intent to have the Administration submit a waiver amendment request to CMS to reduce parents as paid caregivers program care services per week per child limit to 20 hours. It would have limited the new federal money reporting requirements to only the Department of Economic Security (DES) and Access rather than all state agencies. Additionally, it would have not pulled $10 million from the Arizona Competes Fund but instead increased by $10 million the funding pulled from the Prescription Drug Rebate Fund.
House Appropriations Chair Steve Livingston said he liked some aspects of Willoughby’s amendment, but suggested it would be better suited for consideration in a Committee of the Whole (COW) amendment.
In Willoughby’s closing explanation of her “no” vote on House Bill 2945, Willoughby said she would continue to fight for the Democrat-supported changes in her amendment and apologized extensively for the bill.
“People have continuously asked me to not move this amendment. What hill do you die on? And I choose you as my hill to die on,” said Willoughby. “I’m sorry this is happening to you. With my whole heart I’m sorry.”
Willoughby said she opposed the bill as against her pro-life beliefs as a Republican.
“I’m pro-life, and I’m pro-life through the entire spectrum of life, from the moment of conception until the last breath you take, and this is my moment to help support you in a way I haven’t had to before,” said Willoughby.
The House Appropriations Committee rejected Willougby’s amendment during its hearing on Tuesday.
Supporters of Willoughby’s olive branch to Democrats sent flowers to the lawmaker.
Thank you to every person who sent flowers, cards, and emails. I'm truly thankful for all the support and love. pic.twitter.com/QAKV4BQu0h
Where Willoughby sought compromise, other Arizona House Republican leaders took Hobbs to task for her administration’s management of DD that ultimately led to its budget shortfall. House Speaker Steve Montenegro said Hobbs’ desired funding pathway would ensure “no oversight, no reforms, and no accountability” for DD administration.
“Governor Hobbs’ decision to hold every bill hostage because she didn’t get her way on a blank check is not leadership—it’s political blackmail,” said Montenegro. “She created this crisis by foolishly expanding the DD program without legislative approval or funding in place, and now she’s throwing a tantrum because the Legislature is doing the responsible thing: funding services while putting guardrails in place to keep the program from collapsing.”
🚨🚨Governor Hobbs Holding Arizona Bills Hostage to Cover Her Own Budget Failures
“Governor Hobbs’ decision to hold every bill hostage because she didn’t get her way on a blank check is not leadership—it’s political blackmail. She created this crisis by foolishly expanding the… pic.twitter.com/4u3WFpEb8U
— Arizona House Republicans (@AZHouseGOP) April 17, 2025
Without approval of emergency funding by the end of this month, DD won’t be able to pay caregivers and services will cease.
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The leader of the Chandler Unified School District (CUSD) governing board declines to participate in the Pledge of Allegiance, worrying some CUSD families over the implications.
A video obtained by board meeting attendees shows CUSD Board President Patti Serrano exercising her First Amendment right by standing with her hand over her heart and refusing to recite the Pledge of Allegiance.
Many of those who protest the patriotic recited verse are usually in protest of the current state of the country or the very existence and idea of America.
The Pledge of Allegiance represents a citizen’s oath of loyalty to the American flag and the republic it symbolizes, defined as an indivisible “one nation under God” that affords liberty and justice for all its citizens.
AZ Free News contacted Serrano about her refusal to participate in the Pledge of Allegiance. We did not receive a response.
Last month, a CUSD community member asked Serrano about her refusal to participate. Serrano said she would not respond publicly about her reason for not reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, since it was not an agenda item for that meeting.
“I won’t participate in any discussion at this time,” said Serrano. “Public comment is not a time for engagement, and I’m more than happy to reach out to you personally.”
Serrano’s refusal to participate in the Pledge of Allegiance aligns with her other progressive values: legalizing abortion, increasing gun control, advancing LGBTQ+ ideologies in minors, and supporting Islamic terrorist groups aligned with Palestine.
When Serrano took her oath of office for the board in 2023, she swore on the book, “Life is a Banquet,” rather than the Bible. The book, written by Arizona State University (ASU) professor and Drag Story Hour Arizona founder David Boyles, describes the sexual experiences and explicit fantasies of a fictional minor male who goes on to reject the values of his conservative, Christian parents and adopt the progressive ideologies of ASU students.
Boyles likened Serrano taking her oath of office on his book to the Biblical account in which God commanded Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac.
Also in 2023, Serrano helped organize the appearance of Democratic Michigan Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib for an ASU protest in the weeks following the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel. Tlaib has advocated for the eradication of Israel from the land. Serrano organized the event as the southwest regional coordinator for the Progressive Democrats of America.
Following Serrano’s role in the Tlaib affair, CUSD families called for Serrano’s resignation. Their call to action was dwarfed by the appearance of around 150 supporters from inside and outside the district at a board meeting, mobilized by former CUSD board member Lindsay Love. Love was also one to inspire controversy during her time on the board for publicizing political views similar to those held by Serrano. Love left the board after one term, citing tensions with the CUSD community as her reason for not seeking reelection.
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All of Arizona’s 15 counties are now undertaking efforts to remove any illegal aliens from their voter rolls following a lawsuit filed by America First Legal (AFL), a right-wing nonprofit.
There is no certainty as to how many — if any — illegal aliens exist on Arizona’s voter rolls. There are nearly 50,000 individuals registered to vote in the state that only vote in federal races because they did not provide proof of citizenship. These voters are known as “federal-only” voters.
AFL filed its lawsuit last year and secured settlements in waves, first from Yavapai and Mohave counties last year and then the remaining counties last week. Per a press release from AFL on Monday, all 15 county recorders are now obtaining assistance from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to verify the citizenship status of all registered voters who have not provided proof of citizenship.
AFL explained it filed the lawsuit because it believed the county recorders were not “utilizing all available resources” for citizenship verification, despite Arizona law requiring monthly voter roll maintenance to purge noncitizen voters; federal law also permits state and local to seek confirmation of citizenship status.
AFL senior counsel James Rogers expressed further confidence in Arizona’s election integrity going forward with these settlements.
“This settlement is a great result for all Arizonans. This will help County Recorders find and remove any aliens on their voter rolls,” said Rogers. “It will also potentially enfranchise federal-only voters whose citizenship is confirmed, which would allow them to vote in State and local elections. AFL congratulates each of Arizona’s 15 County Recorders for taking this bold and important step for election integrity in the State.”
AFL filed the lawsuit on behalf of Strong Communities Foundation of Arizona, also known as “EZAZ,” and registered voter Yvonne Cahill.
As reported by AZ Free News, there were over 11,600 federal-only voters who cast a ballot in the 2020 presidential election.
On the day of his inauguration earlier this year, President Donald Trump issued an executive order requiring the DHS secretary and personnel to equip state and local governments with all necessary resources and tools to secure confirmation of citizenship and immigration status. Trump followed up this directive with another executive order last month directing DHS to share its citizenship and immigration status database with states.
Maricopa County Recorder Justin Heap said he plans on complying with the settlement once he secures an IT team.
“We will have transparency in our elections. We will have integrity. One citizen, one vote. But I am unable to do that when the office of the Recorder is being deliberately gutted by insiders who like the status quo…” said Heap. “I wasn’t elected to beg unelected bureaucrats for the right to carry out the will of the voters and my statutory duties. Maricopa County needs to stop playing games and let me do my job.”
🧵I am eager to send DHS a request allowing us to check Maricopa County’s voter rolls against their database of non-citizens.
But I can’t do that without an IT team.
I am committed to delivering on the promises I made during my campaign… https://t.co/j4ADGyvOfc
— Maricopa County Recorder Justin Heap (@azjustinheap) April 9, 2025
Heap was referring to an ongoing disagreement with the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors over the reduction of his office’s authorities under an agreement executed months before Heap took office.
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Maricopa County leadership is asking U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to drop a lawsuit against Phoenix police and limit consent decrees.
In a letter sent to Bondi on Tuesday, Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Chairman Thomas Galvin made the case to drop the ongoing Department of Justice (DOJ) lawsuit against the Phoenix Police Department and further restrict consent decree usage in order to improve law enforcement capabilities.
“My colleagues and I share a commitment to effective policing,” said Galvin. “Federal oversight is an affront to federalism.”
Chairman Galvin Letter to Attorney General Bondi on Priority of Public Safety in Maricopa County: My colleagues and I share a commitment to effective policing. Federal oversight is an affront to federalism. Please see below for my letter to @AGPamBondihttps://t.co/cJX2EQ6zni
— Thomas Galvin: Chairman, Maricopa County BOS (@ThomasGalvin) April 15, 2025
Galvin said the controls exercised by the judicial branch over policing in recent decades amounted to “an assault on federalism and a quiet tyranny” perpetrated by activists. The chairman reminded Bondi that no instances of racial profiling in traffic stops emerged in Maricopa County following the 2013 ruling in Ortega Melendres, et al. v. Arpaio, et al. In that case, the ACLU, ACLU of Arizona, Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, and law firm Covington & Burling sued on behalf of Latino residents alleging Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office committed racial profiling in traffic stops when inquiring after immigration status.
“Tragically, one of the largest obstacles to protecting our citizens is legal: judicial takeovers of law enforcement through consent decrees, court-appointed monitors, and judgments that mutate over time to prevent local governments from ever satisfying their requirements and regaining local control,” wrote Galvin.
Galvin reported Maricopa County spent over $300 million on the consent decree and independent monitoring to comply with the 2013 federal court ruling. Galvin asked Bondi to restore limitations on consent decrees in order to lift the fiscal and administrative burdens on Maricopa County law enforcement.
Galvin also asked Bondi to drop the lawsuit against the Phoenix Police Department (PPD). Last June, the Biden administration’s DOJ accused PPD and the city of Phoenix of committing civil rights violations: excessive force and unjustified deadly force; unlawful detainment, citations, and arrests of homeless individuals; unlawful disposal of homeless belongings; discrimination against Black, Hispanic, and Native American individuals; free speech punishments; and discrimination against mentally ill individuals.
The DOJ’s accusations were a result of their investigation opened in August 2021. The DOJ sought to enter into a consent decree and independent monitoring, but the city refused.
“It simply sets the stage for a judgment that allows a federal judge to take over law enforcement in America’s fifth-largest city — exactly the nightmare that Maricopa County is living already,” wrote Galvin. “I am certain you will agree that our communities will only be safer and stronger if they were able to commit every resource to fighting the flow of drugs, violence, and human smuggling rather than chasing the whims of a federal judge.”
The county does have some support for an end to the lawsuit at the federal level.
Last month, Congressman Abe Hamadeh submitted a similar request letter to FBI Director Kash Patel requesting a rescission of the DOJ’s “desperate witch hunt” report on PPD.
“It is nothing more than an attempt to undercut valid police work, leaving my constituents — both officers and civilians — at risk,” wrote Hamadeh. “Despite the Biden DOJ’s baseless claims, our officers did everything right, voluntarily cooperating in good faith, opening their records, and participating in lengthy interviews. They were met with stonewalling, mischaracterized testimony, and a final report riddled with glaring inaccuracies.”
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