by Staff Reporter | Nov 5, 2024 | News
By Staff Reporter |
The last polls before Election Day showed Democratic candidate Ruben Gallego with a slim lead over Republican candidate Kari Lake.
Of the multiple polls conducted over this past weekend, only one showed Lake with a slim lead over Gallego.
Patriot Polling asked over 800 likely voters over the weekend who they would support. Over half — 51 percent — backed Gallego, while 48 percent said they were supporting Lake.
Victory Insights asked over 700 likely voters from last Friday through Sunday who they would support. 50 percent said they would support Gallego, and 47 percent said they would support Lake.
InsiderAdvantage asked 800 likely voters last Friday and Saturday who they would support. 49 percent said Gallego and 47 percent said Lake.
The only polling to show Lake ahead came from Atlas Intel. They asked over 900 likely voters, also on Friday and Saturday, who they would support. 49 percent said Lake while 47 percent said Gallego.
Of the 900 likely voters polled by Emerson College from last Wednesday, 50 percent said they would support Gallego and 45 percent said they would support Lake.
The New York Times and Siena College (polling from October 25 through last Saturday, or nine days total) received the same results as Emerson College when they polled just over 1,000 likely voters.
An average of all polling results from Project FiveThirtyEight show Gallego with a lead of over 49 percent to Lake’s 45 percent.
These latest polling results are consistent with past polling, which have reflected Gallego maintaining a slim lead over Lake.
It would appear that the release of Gallego’s divorce records had no impact on the race, though they were anticipated to measure up as an October surprise and described as “damning” by Lake’s senior advisor Caroline Wren. The records in question contained little beyond what had been covered previously by the media and disclosed voluntarily by Gallego himself. Yavapai Superior Court Judge John Napper described the records as “one of the most garden-variety divorce files” he’d ever come across.
Gallego has built up a consistent lead in the polling, despite recently telling The Bulwark that Arizona remains a “center-right state,” more so than a moderate one based on his experiences.
The Democratic candidate told MSNBC over the weekend that Lake would “contest” the election results if she lost.
“What matters though is most Arizonans want to move beyond election denialism,” said Gallego. “What Kari Lake has done is not just funny and weird — it’s actually very corrosive, and it’s dangerous.”
On Monday, in a late bid to convince the remaining voters to vote for her, Lake’s team released a video taken during one of Gallego’s private fundraisers in which the Democratic candidate admitted that he wasn’t “allowed” to post on his own social media.
“I’m not allowed to tweet out anymore,” said Gallego.
In past years, Gallego has posted inflammatory content on controversial issues, such as deriding prayers in response to tragedy.
“F*** your prayers,” said Gallego.
Gallego’s team took a different approach on Monday. They posted videos depicting Gallego as a family man capable of having non-political conversations.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Matthew Holloway | Nov 4, 2024 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Democrat candidate for Maricopa County Sheriff Tyler Kamp has been investigated by various news outlets since July. That’s when reports indicated the former Phoenix Police Department (PPD) Lieutenant was embroiled in a major sexual harassment scandal and faced charges in Payson.
The initial reporting of the harassment scandal by legacy outlets left a wide range of unanswered questions. These questions led to Maricopa County voter Brian Anderson, a researcher and founder of the Saguaro Group, to file a records request with the Phoenix PD seeking answers on Kamp’s past misconduct. However, as previously reported by AZ Free News, the PPD failed to disclose the records even after a demand letter. This prompted a lawsuit which succeeded in forcing the department to respond with records of its Internal Affairs/Equal Opportunity Employment investigation— a full ten months later.
Anderson’s attorney noted in one filing: “Defendant’s failure to disclose Mr. Kemp’s [sic] personnel records before the Primary Election has already resulted in the public not knowing possibly important matters of concern that the public should have knowledge of before voting at the General Election.”
In July, ABC15 reported on the scandal, citing a Phoenix Equal Opportunity Department probe which, at a paltry six pages, was severely lacking in detail and context. The PPD EEO report released under the Anderson lawsuit is a full eleven pages, and the findings are damning.
The victim summarized the harassment allegations, saying (Formatted for Clarity):
“From my time at the Mountain View Precinct of being an officer in training in 2020 under the training of ::REDACTED:: to July 24,2021 of being on 71B I was sexually harassed and affected in and out the work place emotionally and mentally by Lieutenant Tyler Kamp due to many inappropriate sexual comments.
The majority of this took place over text messages and phone calls as well as feeling pressured to meet in person on duty for non-work related topics.
Tyler Kamp was given multiple warnings of the inappropriate behavior over text messages, which did not stop after the first warning. Tyler would:
- Ask me to go out with him to buy me drinks outside of work while being an officer in training and as a probationary officer
- Comment about my body and weight
- Send text messages that would include him stating about how I looked in yoga pants and about me bending over and having flirty eyes
- Tell me to bring an etra(sic) pair of pants for after shift regarding meeting with him on New Years Eve
- Become upset that I “ghosted” him on New Years Eve
- Ask me if the best time to talk to me was after I have had a few drinks
- Ask if I was proud of him for not telling me anything inappropriate when he was drinking
- Make his presence known to me while in common areas
- Tell me he would look at me in his training class and was disappointed that I did not solicit his attention more
- Restrict me from working and taking calls for service on duty to meet him for non work related topics,
- Restrict me from training and career advancements due to jealous behavior over my relationship and disregarding that I was in a relationship, causing me to avoid going into the precinct intentionally to avoid contact with him which resulted in me staying in my patrol vehicle until end of shift.
I purposely avoided contact with Tyler Kamp and he would send text messages regarding me avoiding him. He would:
- Tell me over the phone that other employees such as ::REDACTED:: are jealous of me due to my looks and that I get special treatment that will offend other officers in as well as he had knowledge that I was being treated poorly by my FTO sergeant
- Make me feel I could not defend or speak up for myself due to him being my direct lieutenant
- Constantly track where I was at work, when I would arrive in, what I was driving in addition to making comments of what I was wearing such as yoga pants and thanking me for wearing the yoga pants.
- Track where I was on shift and make contact with me asking why I would not respond to his text messages
- Randomly text me not to marry young and about his his sex life in addition to informing me that he was a virgin when he married
- Send morning and good night messages
- Send me pictures of a female ATF employee that he stated was flirty and one of the pictures included her in a setting where she was unaware of him taking the picture and one of her in uniform while he was in uniform
- Asking me to call him while off duty and to meet him on duty
- Talk about inappropriate stories of him and his coworkers regarding drinking and stripper poles.
This behavior continued for a long period and made me feel I was put in a position of having to stay respectful, kind and allow this to continue for a long period over fear of losing my job. I was extremely uncomfortable with the behavior and this damaged my training and ability to work functionally at work and have to constantly be mentally prepared for the behavior and potentially come in contact with Tyler Kamp. I have struggled over this issue for a long time and continuously tried to cope with how I am seen and viewed at my work place, afraid of trusting any employee at a higher rank and feeling at a loss.”
Here are a few additional excerpts from her more detailed accounts:
- Kamp “texted me in response to my previous message and asked me how a petite woman can hold down whiskey and that ‘I’m sure we will find out soon haha’”
- “Taking notice of what time I got to work and stated ‘Yoga pants??? Shoot I missed it…’”
- Kamp asked, “So was it bad that I admitted they look REALLY good on you??”
- Two days later, Kamp “noted that I had the perfect body for gymnastics” and “added that he was sure I could show him some yoga stuff (big eyes emoji)”
- Kamp then asked for a photograph of the victim’s family and “told me that my younger sister looks like me” even though the sister was younger than 18 years old; “This part upset me due to being aware of his attraction towards me and then commenting about how my minor sister looked like me.”
In November 2022, Kamp was reportedly interviewed and denied the sexual harassment allegations. He claimed the text messages were “friendly banter,” saying, “To me, I mean, it was just like friendly banter back-and-forth, but at the same time it was — it was a friendship. So, I mean, I might have friendly banter with another guy or another girl. It doesn’t mean that I’m necessarily attracted to ‘em or it doesn’t mean that, like, I’m trying to get in their pants or anything like that and vice-versa, like, I just don’t look at it that way. I think it’s more just in good fun. It’s more like in good fun.”
He claimed that if the text allegations were true, “I’m still not following why that would even be sexual harassment, but I don’t know if you can explain that or not.”
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 Daniel Stefanski | Nov 4, 2024 | Education, News
By Daniel Stefanski |
Arizona’s most recent Republican governor is cheering on his state’s latest ranking in a key education report.
This week, Governor Doug Ducey shared a new report from the Reason Foundation on the “K-12 open enrollment laws of all 50 states.” Ducey said, “Another new report shows that Arizona’s education system is one of the best in the nation. Arizona ranks number 3 among all 50 states for our expansive open enrollment policies that ensure every Arizona family has access to a good, high-quality education.”
Jude Schwalbach, a Senior Policy Analyst for Reason, said, “K-12 open enrollment lets students transfer to public schools other than their residentially assigned one so long as space is available. School parents widely support this policy. Public polling from October 2023 by yes. every kid. and YouGov showed that 84% of school parents supported it, while EdChoice’s July 2024 polling showed that 73% of school parents supported open enrollment.”
Schwalbach added, “Students participating in Arizona’s, Colorado’s, and Florida’s open enrollment programs tended to transfer to school districts that were ranked higher by the state, according to Reason Foundation research… On average, 10% of students in Arizona, Florida, and Wisconsin used open enrollment during the 2021-22 school year, totaling more than 450,000 students. Nearly 177,000 of these transferred to schools in other districts. In Wisconsin, open enrollment was the most popular form of school choice and the second most popular in Arizona and Florida during that time, according to data published by Education Next.”
State-specific analysis for Arizona revealed that “the Grand Canyon State also requires districts and schools to update their available capacity every 12 weeks by grade level on their website. The Arizona Department of Education must also provide an annual report to policymakers and the public that shows ‘the open enrollment participation rate by school district, school, and county, including the number of pupils, by student subgroup designation, in each school and school district that are open enrolled as resident pupils, resident transfer pupils, or nonresident pupils for each school district and the school districts and zip codes from which students are rejected.’”
The report gave three suggestions for Arizona to increase its standing with the open enrollment laws. Those ways were as follows:
- “Require the SEA to publish the number of rejected applicants and explain why they were denied in its annual report.
- “Clarify that school districts cannot reject transfer applicants based on their abilities.
- “Require school districts to inform parents of rejected transfer applicants in writing the reasons for rejection.”
In the 2022 report, which was the final one of Ducey’s administration, Reason wrote of the Arizona system and subsequent ranking, “Opponents to open enrollment often object to the policy because it could lower the value of homes inside the district or attendance zones, unfairly penalizing families that ‘bought into the system.’ However, the public school choice options available to families in Arizona should allay those fears. The state’s mandatory cross-district and within-district open enrollment program operates side by side with a robust charter school system. Despite the fact that nearly one in four students enrolled in affluent Scottsdale’s public schools is assigned to different school districts, home values have not decreased. In fact, Scottsdale home prices have steadily increased in recent years. This shows that open enrollment does not damage property values; instead a robust education marketplace can actually be an attractive component to home buyers.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | Nov 4, 2024 | Economy, News
By Daniel Stefanski |
A longtime Arizona state legislator is highlighting the financial distress of many of his constituents.
Last week, State Senator J.D. Mesnard commented on the misery inflicted on Arizonans by inflation over the past four years of the Biden-Harris Administration. In the Senate Republicans’ weekly newsletter, Mesnard said, “I’ve heard from citizens across Arizona just how difficult it’s become to make ends meet over the past four years, and a new report reveals the financial pain families are enduring under the Harris-Biden Administration. According to the Common Sense Institute’s Arizona Inflation Misery Index, the average Arizonan must spend $9,996 more per year, while the average household must spend $24,972 more per year just to maintain the same quality of life enjoyed in 2019.”
Mesnard added, “I, along with my Republican colleagues at the Legislature, fundamentally believe government should not tax our citizens more than necessary to support core services. This notion is even more important during massive inflation, which is why I’m pleased Arizona Republicans banded together to implement the largest tax cut in state history for our citizens. Every income taxpayer is currently benefiting from a 2.5% flat tax, and I’m looking forward to doing more for our taxpayers next session.”
The Republican lawmaker is running for re-election to Arizona Legislative District 13, which covers Chandler, Gilbert, and Sun Lakes in the East Valley of the Phoenix-metro area. Mesnard first entered the state legislature in January 2011 in the Arizona House of Representatives, and he served eight years in that chamber, including two years as the Speaker of the House. In November 2018, after being termed out of the House, Mesnard won his election to the state Senate.
According to the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission, Legislative District 13 is one of the most competitive in the state, with a 1.6% vote spread between Republicans and Democrats in the past nine statewide elections. In those contests, Republicans have won five times, compared to four for Democrats.
Mesnard is facing a tough challenge from Democrat nominee, Sharon Winters, in the upcoming election. On his website, Mesnard asks voters to give him another term in the state senate, writing, “Now we face historic economic challenges that require someone with the right experience and a track record of success to navigate. That’s why I need your vote. Let me continue using my diverse background, which includes husband (to a registered nurse), father, professor and small business owner, with master’s degrees in business and public administration, to keep delivering results for you.”
The winner of the state legislative contest could be vital to determining party control of the chamber in the next session. Arizona Republicans enjoy very narrow margins in both the state House and Senate.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | Nov 4, 2024 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
A southern Arizona Member of Congress responded to an insult from a Democrat surrogate in the closing days of the 2024 General Election.
Last week, U.S. Congressman Juan Ciscomani issued a statement in reaction to comments made by Mark Cuban, who is supporting the Democrat candidate for President of the United States, Kamala Harris. Cuban, who was on The View, ignited national outrage when he said, “Donald Trump, you never see him around strong, intelligent women. Ever.”
Soon after those words from Cuban were uttered, Ciscomani posted a picture of a number of women around him, including his wife and daughter, writing, “Proud to have strong and intelligent women supporting our campaign and defending this seat. I was raised by a strong woman, am married to a strong woman, and honored to have the support of strong women!”
Ciscomani’s wife, Laura, also responded to Cuban, saying, “First woman in my family to obtain higher ed, graduated from Stanford with high honors, and I have master’s degree too. By the way, I can deadlift more than what Mark Cuban weighs.”
The freshman Republican legislator is locked in a heated battle for a reelection bid with Democrat Kirsten Engel – a rematch from the 2022 November General Election. That year, Ciscomani won by fewer than 6,000 votes.
Ciscomani has received a number of endorsements from local and national organizations for his reelection bid, including the Tucson Police Officers Association, National Border Patrol Council, AZCOPS, Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Americans for Prosperity, National Federation of Independent Business, Republican Jewish Coalition, and AIPAC. Individuals supporting Ciscomani include Greenlee County Sheriff PJ Allred, Town of Willcox Mayor Mike Laws, City of Benson Mayor Joe Konrad, and City of Casa Grande Mayor Craig McFarland.
The winner of this contest for Arizona’s Sixth Congressional District will be critical for control of the U.S. House of Representatives in the 119th Congress.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Matthew Holloway | Nov 3, 2024 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
The Arizona Supreme Court handed a sound defeat to Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes and a victory to the America First Legal Foundation and Strong Communities Foundation of Arizona, known as “EZAZ.org.” The court ruled on Thursday that Fontes’ office is ordered to immediately provide a full list of all individuals who registered to vote in the state of Arizona without providing the proof of citizenship required under the law, a total of approximately 218,000 people as previously reported by AZ Free News.
The ruling obliterated Fontes’ response to EZAZ.org’s demand for transparency, which claimed, “We fear, especially based on SCF’s filings, that its true desire here is not to keep watch on government actions — which our public records laws are designed to facilitate — but instead harass and intimidate voters in the midst of an election and whose rights Secretary Fontes has already vindicated before Arizona’s highest court.”
The court found that the testimony of Professor Robert Pape, a Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago who suggested with Fontes that “producing the list of 218,000 voters to EZAZ.org would expose those individuals to the risk of harassment and violence,” was “focused on political violence trends nationally and contained no analysis of such trends in Arizona.” They found further that, “Pape admitted on cross-examination that he conducted no research specific to Arizona. Professor Pape offered little more than speculation that a release of the requested information would lead to violence or harassment and, again, only based this opinion on national statistics.”
Finally, the court laid the claims about potential political violence to rest writing:
“The credibility of Professor Pape’s testimony and report was further diminished by what appeared to be gratuitous political bias in his report and in his testimony. The Professor’s opinions regarding general political violence focused almost entirely on allegations of past and anticipated prospective violence from only one side of the political spectrum, and only related to former president Donald Trump.”
The ruling concludes, “They failed to identify any specific threats of violence or harassment from EZAZ.org, and Ms. Hamilton’s unrebutted testimony established that EZAZ.org does not condone violent or harassing behavior and carefully screens its members and volunteers to ensure that persons who do condone or participate in such behavior do not participate in the organization.”
In a statement, America First Legal described the ruling saying, “The court found that Secretary Fontes ‘provided inconsistent testimony on this point’ and that ‘[h]is testimony suggested that he lacked detailed familiarity with the AZSOS’s efforts with regard to the issue and with regard to the records in the possession of the AZSOS related to the 218,000 individuals.’ The court’s order requires Secretary Fontes to produce the list of 98,000 individuals that he has along with any other personally identifying information that he has about the 218,000 individuals.”
James Rogers, America First Legal Senior Counsel, celebrated the ruling saying, “A majority of Arizonans no longer trust the election system of our state. One of the reasons is the lack of transparency from our state’s elected officials. When Secretary Fontes discovered the glitch that allowed 218,000 individuals to register without providing proof of citizenship, he should have immediately shared the list of affected individuals with Arizona’s county recorders, who are in charge of verifying the citizenship of voters. Instead, he has jealously guarded the list, refusing to share it with anyone. This suit was about restoring transparency and ensuring that county recorders can do their jobs by verifying the citizenship of voters. It is unfortunate that Secretary Fontes so aggressively opposed our common-sense efforts to help restore trust in our state’s election system.”
“This was a case we never should have needed to file,” said Rogers.
EZAZ.org’s Merrissa Hamilton wrote in a post to X, “FONTES = 0; TRANSPARENCY = WINNING! Despite AZ Secretary Adrian Fontes’ best efforts to falsely paint @AZHouseGOP @AZSenateGOP as homicidal maniacs (totally unhinged argument not remotely grounded in reality), while he’s also actively preventing Recorders from having access to do their jobs …
The Honorable Judge Blaney ruled in our favor in requiring Fontes to release to EZAZ.org the 98k voters impacted by the MVD ‘glitch’ causing voters to not have proof of citizenship on record.
Our only intent has always been to ensure the Recorders and Legislative leadership can do their jobs! And legal voters are enfranchised with confidence that their government is following the law in the operation of the elections!
Now that will happen! And the reputation of our happy, hardworking volunteers at EZAZ.org is restored!”
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.
