Conserva Mi Voto, a civic engagement organization for Latinos and Veterans, released a statement this week celebrating the group’s successful efforts in the 2024 election, both in Arizona and across the nation. Citing victories from the election of David Lara to the Yuma County Recorder’s Office to the election of Arizona Rep. Steve Montenegro as Speaker of the Arizona House, Conserva Mi Voto touted “its successful efforts to educate Latino voters, empowering them to make the right choices this election cycle.”
The statement noted that Lara is “a small business owner and staunch advocate for election integrity.” He also serves on Conserva Mi Voto’s board and spoke at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
David Lara is a husband, father, & small business owner in San Luis, Arizona. Small border towns like his bear the brunt of the chaos of the #BidenBordercrisis.@JoeBiden has ignored these communities, @RubenGallego has mocked them, but President Trump & I will help them. pic.twitter.com/6XhabUJGzf
In an impassioned plea Lara, told the RNC that in San Luis, drug cartels were using schoolchildren as drug mules and emergency services were overwhelmed with illegal immigrants. “Small towns like mine bear the brunt of the chaos,” Lara said, according to AZCentral. “San Luis wasn’t always this way. And Joe Biden, Kamala Harris do not care,” Lara said. “In fact, they seem satisfied. They have done nothing to stop it and everything to make it worse.”
“We must reelect Trump to put our citizens first and make America strong again,” he said at the time. He capped off his address by saying, “Latinos estamos con Trump,” (Latinos are with Trump). In the statement, Conserva Mi Voto cited a report from Reuters that stated, “Hispanics have largely favored Democrats for decades, but Trump’s share this year was the highest for a Republican presidential candidate in exit polls going back to the 1970s, and just higher than the 44% share won by Republican George W. Bush in 2004,” as well as an exit poll showing that President-elect Donald Trump earned massive support from American Latinos with 55% of Latino men breaking for Trump and Democrat Vice President Kamala Harris only taking 43%.
Reuters reported that Trump’s support among Latinos increased 14% overall, up 7% among voters aged 18-29.
Conserva Mi Voto board member Roman Campuzano explained, “As more and more Latinos understand the power of their vote and the policies promoted by progressives, they are shaping the political landscape in a way never seen before. They are rejecting the socialist proposals and choosing candidates that reflect their values and policies that allow families to prosper, keep neighborhoods safe, and maintain our national security.”
The group in particular cited its successful education efforts contributing to the defeat of Glendale Proposition 499, a potentially devastating measure aimed at regulating the hospitality industry of the city.
The group’s impact has been of great note in Glendale with the Glendale City Council proclaiming October 22, 2024, as Latino Heritage and Empowerment Day and offering recognition of Conserva Mi Voto for the organization’s “dedicated service to the Latino community and its tireless efforts to promote civic participation, family values, and veteran support.”
Arizona’s leaders on both sides of the political aisle are calling for significant reforms to the state’s elections system.
Earlier this week, Maricopa County Supervisor Thomas Galvin issued a press release to call for “a series of election administration reforms that will expedite the tabulation of ballots with the goal of 95% of results being tabulated by election night.”
Galvin’s concepts for reforms include the following highlights:
“Move up cutoff date for early ballot drop offs
“Use Government buildings to host polling sites
“Eliminate Emergency voting for Saturday & Monday before Election Day and allow everyone to utilize in-person voting.”
In a statement to accompany his announcement, Galvin said, “First and foremost, I am grateful to the election staff and community volunteers who have spent countless hours preparing and administering the 2024 election. These dedicated individuals deserve our thanks for following the laws and regulations determined by state leaders. Unfortunately, they bear the brunt of unfounded criticism. Since election day, I’ve had productive conversations with Republican leaders at the Arizona Legislature who agree sensible and practical changes are needed to speed up processing while also protecting the integrity of the early voting system that most Arizonans utilize.”
Galvin added, “By moving up the cutoff date for early ballot drop offs, using government buildings to host polling sites, and eliminate emergency voting for the Saturday and Monday prior to the election while allowing folks to vote in person, we can significantly speed up the process and have nearly 95% of ballots tabulated by election night. I urge the Arizona Legislature to make my ‘95/1 Plan’ a top priority in 2025 and look forward to working with county and state leaders on these important reforms.”
Pima County Supervisor Rex Scott offered his support for the nature of Galvin’s proposals, writing, “I am grateful to my colleague Thomas Galvin for putting these timely ideas forth. We may be from different parties and represent different counties, but we share the same concerns. When the new Legislature convenes in January, his proposals should be given serious consideration.”
I am grateful to my colleague @ThomasGalvin for putting these timely ideas forth. We may be from different parties and represent different counties, but we share the same concerns. When the new Legislature convenes in January, his proposals should be given serious consideration. https://t.co/GBRfpztZfo
Incoming Maricopa County Supervisor Mark Stewart endorsed Galvin’s efforts in a post on his X account. He wrote, “I stand with my colleague Thomas Galvin in emphasizing the importance of efficient and transparent elections in Maricopa County. This is a standard we must meet, as anything less undermines public trust. I look forward to collaborating with my fellow supervisors Debbie Lesko, Kate Brophy McGee, and Steve Gallardo, as well as our state legislators and governor, to advocate for legislation ensuring election results are finalized promptly after walk-up tallies are complete. Arizona can and should resolve election delays – our voters and the nation deserve a process that reflects both competence and integrity.”
I stand with my colleague @ThomasGalvin in emphasizing the importance of efficient and transparent elections in Maricopa County. This is a standard we must meet, as anything less undermines public trust.
I look forward to collaborating with my fellow supervisors @DebbieLesko,…
— Mark Stewart, Maricopa County Supervisor-Elect (@MarkStewart_AZ) November 19, 2024
Supervisor Galvin’s proposals follow aggressive statements of the like from state legislators in the aftermath of a General Election in Arizona, where several counties counted votes days – and even weeks for some – past the contest. Senate President Warren Petersen led this charge from the Arizona Legislature immediately after Election Day. On November 7, Petersen stated, “I have tried without success to shift us to the Florida model that has a Friday cutoff to drop off early ballots. Current delay is from counting the mail ballots dropped day of, which have to be signature verified. Maybe I can get enough support now to get it to the finish line.”
I have tried without success to shift us to the Florida model that has a Friday cutoff to drop off early ballots. Current delay is from counting the mail ballots dropped day of, which have to be signature verified. Maybe I can get enough support now to get it to the finish line
Two days later, Petersen added, “AZ called last! This can never happen again. My call to move up election results is gaining a lot of support. I have also heard from counties who opposed moving up results in the past now saying they will support.”
AZ called last! This can never happen again. My call to move up election results is gaining a lot of support. I have also heard from counties who opposed moving up results in the past now saying they will support.
The efforts from Arizona government officials to enact major elections reform will likely still face an uphill battle with Democrat Governor Katie Hobbs, who has vetoed several bills from Republican legislators that would have improved the state’s system. Arizona legislators could be forced to send their proposals to voters in the next election if the governor refuses to consider commonsense bills on election reform.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
Republican volunteers at the Whiteriver Polling Center in Navajo County contacted AZ Free News with a startling eyewitness account of multiple violations of Arizona election statutes constituting electioneering at the polling location by Navajo County Democrats. They described the scene as “a veritable circus atmosphere … all orchestrated by Democrats.”
In an interview with AZ Free News, a source within the Navajo County Republican Party, speaking on condition of anonymity, prefaced what they witnessed by stressing that they are no stranger to election work. The source stated that 2024 was their sixth election as a poll worker and their third at the polling place in Whiteriver on the White Mountain Apache Reservation. In addition to the allegations of electioneering, they emphasized that an ongoing issue in Navajo County has been a lack of poll workers and an apparent unwillingness to address the problem from the Board of Supervisors and the County Manager.
The source explained that during the primary, “Our election integrity network here in Navajo County have been addressing the board of supervisors with election challenges. Why is there nobody in the tabulating room from each major party like it says in the statute? You know, it’s required, but yet they don’t have that. They have two Democrats and an Independent, when it’s supposed to clearly, in the statute code and law, it says you have to have one person from each party in the tabulation room when you adjudicate a ballot, but they’re not.”
According to ARS 16-531(A), “There shall be an equal number of inspectors in the various precincts in the county who are members of the two largest political parties. In each precinct where the inspector is a member of one of the two largest political parties, the marshal in that precinct shall be a member of the other of the two largest political parties.”
The source noted that these issues also occurred during the primary, “We have it on tape. We’ve got screenshots of them.” They added, “They don’t seem to correct it, and it happens again in this general election.”
The allegations of electioneering at the polling place included Democrats reportedly handing out palm-sized “golden ticket” voting guides to voters as they approached the polling location, resulting in a Marshall having to escort them beyond the statutory line.
According to the source, it was “a veritable carnival atmosphere out there across the day, including a ‘DJ’s for Democrat’ guy blasting music from a speaker stashed in the trunk of his car, a grill cooking food for anyone interested in partaking, plus T-shirts, baggies full of candy, etc. being handed out with the palm card listing which Democrat candidates to vote for on one side, and how to vote on propositions on the other side (the card told voters that they should vote ‘yes’ on proposition 139, and ‘no’ on all other propositions).”
The inducement of free food and merchandise potentially runs afoul of Arizona election laws at several points including A.R.S. 16-1005(C), which states, “It is unlawful to receive or agree to receive any consideration in exchange for a voted or unvoted ballot. A person who violates this subsection is guilty of a class 5 felony,” and A.R.S. 16-1006(A) which states, “It is unlawful for a person knowingly by force, threats, menaces, bribery or any corrupt means, either directly or indirectly: 1. To attempt to influence an elector in casting his vote or to deter him from casting his vote.” The law makes this type of interference a class five felony as well.
The source’s account also aligns with a previous report from AZ Free News of the “Free Meal, Warm Socks, Voter Info,” event conducted by the Northeast Arizona Native Democrats in Sawmill, AZ.
Another example the source gave centered around campaign merchandise being handed out at the polling place. They told AZ Free News that at one of the Navajo County polling sites for the Nov. 5th General Election “County recorder, Mike Sample, the Democrat candidate…they had pens of his in the polling place. How? If that’s not electioneering, I don’t know what is.”
“That was given to them to use to vote. I mean, talk about blatant and flagrant. They were giving the pens from Mike Sample to the voters to use to fill out their ballot. And he was a candidate for Navajo County Recorder.“
The city of Phoenix will be in court on Wednesday over a lawsuit against its arrangement waiving $8 million in property taxes for a private real estate developer downtown.
The Arizona Court of Appeals will hear the case, Paulin v. City of Phoenix. The Goldwater Institute filed the lawsuit in May 2022.
Goldwater Institute Vice President for Litigation Jon Riches claimed the property tax exemption violated both the Arizona Constitution and court precedent prohibiting the use of taxpayer dollars to benefit private interests.
“Arizona courts have been clear time and again: taxpayer dollars are to be put to public use, not to benefit private, special interests,” said Riches.
Phoenix waived the property taxes on a downtown high-rise development project by assuming the legal title from real estate developer Hubbard Street Group and leasing the property back to them. The city did so in order to capitalize on Arizona’s Government Property Lease Excise Tax (GPLET) abatement provisions. In so doing, the city of Phoenix ensured the Hubbard Street Group protection would be saved from having to pay millions in property taxes for the term of the lease — eight years. After that better part of the decade is up, the city will return the title back to the developer.
The Goldwater Institute maintains that this workaround adopted by the city amounts to, essentially, tax evasion: an abuse of GPLET and a loss of a revenue stream at a burden to other taxpayers.
As reported previously, the city of Phoenix assumed ownership after it declared the developer’s project, “Skye on 6th,” to be part of a slum or blighted area. As part of their arrangement with the city’s assumption of their legal title to the development, Hubbard Street Group agreed to pay over $500,000 in rent to the city, $30,000 to two school districts, and dedicate 10 percent of its residential units to workforce housing.
Skye on 6th is marketed as “the height of luxury.” The most affordable rooms (studios listed at 400 square feet) start at $1,500 a month. The most expensive rooms are on their penthouse floor, where rent starts at $4,500 a month and goes up to over $6,700 a month.
The project cost nearly $88 million to develop.
One of the represented taxpayers in the case, Bramley Paulin, successfully sued the city last year, Paulin v. Gallego, when he challenged the city’s restriction on temporary signage for the Super Bowl LVII. The Maricopa County Superior Court ruled the city’s resolution on signage was an unconstitutional restraint on free speech and delegation of government power.
Paulin and the other taxpayer in the case, Mat Englehorn, reside and own businesses in the Phoenix area.
The oral arguments are scheduled to occur on Wednesday at 9:30 am.
In 2020, the Maricopa County Superior Court ruled against a similar GPLET arrangement between the city of Phoenix and another high-rise developer.
In his ruling, Superior Court Judge Christopher Coury questioned whether GPLET could be relevant any longer given the tendency for abuse.
“This judicial officer questions whether the death knell for the GPLET’s usefulness has rung,” wrote Coury.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
The outgoing Scottsdale City Council has busied itself with passing certain left-leaning priorities.
The election of several new faces to the Scottsdale City Council ensured what effectively amounted to an overhaul of the status quo, which was a council in favor of more progressive policymaking such as sustainability plans aligning with those proposals put forth by the Green New Deal.
The incumbent council members lost their seats, several to more conservative challengers. Mayor Dave Ortega lost to Lisa Borowsky, though he beat her previously in 2020. Adam Kwasman and Maryann McAllen were newly elected, ousting incumbents Tammy Caputi and Tom Durham.
Kwasman said in a post on X that the outgoing “lame duck” council was focusing its last weeks in office on “slamming through” action items on apartments, appointments to citizens’ commissions, and a sustainability plan. Kwasman said the current council has exhibited “extremely regrettable” behavior.
“We will do all we can to reverse the damage done,” said Kwasman.
It is extremely regrettable to see what is likely to come out of the Scottsdale City Council over the next few weeks.
Rather than create a smooth transition with the newly-mandated council majority, the lame duck council is slamming through thousands of apartments, appointing…
Earlier this month, the council worked on the nominations for 14 committee vacancies across the Environmental Advisory Commission, Historic Preservation Commision, Library Board, McDowell Sonoran Preserve Commission, Neighborhood Advisory Commission, Paths and Trails Subcommittee, and Veterans Advisory Commission.
Scottsdale Vice Mayor Barry Graham claimed that the outgoing council majority and city staff were working to limit public opposition to the lineup of more progressive policymaking in the works.
Graham asserted that city staff had “misrepresented” one of Tuesday night’s contested agenda items as a discussion-only item — a rezoning and development agreement to establish headquarters and housing for the Scottsdale-based weapons defense company Axon — but then agendized it as an action item.
“[City staff] are warning that residents may be turned away at the door and sent across the street to an ‘overflow’ waiting area… a strategy that may favor the applicant,” said Graham.
Tonight, Scottsdale City Council Votes on Axon's Apartment Application.
City staff—who misrepresented the item as a "discussion" when it's agendized for "action"—are warning that residents may be turned away at the door and sent across the street to an "overflow" waiting area… pic.twitter.com/Wn1q172KG4
Last week, Graham addressed the outgoing councilmembers’ commitment to assigning their preferred committee members.
“Because commission terms last for years, I requested that my colleagues postpone their lame duck December appointments of commissioners by two weeks as a good-faith gesture toward the newly-elected council,” said Graham. “Even though you chose not to re-elect any of them, the outgoing members insist on pushing through their midnight appointments.”
Later this month, the council plans to review a sustainability plan to implement “extreme heat” strategies.
Although council seats are nonpartisan, most of the incoming council members have Republican backgrounds. McAllen was the only registered Democrat in the group and received backing from Democratic groups.
Kwasman formerly served as a Republican lawmaker in the Arizona House from 2013 to 2015, and ran for Congress in 2014.
Jan Dubauskas, who won through her primary victory in August, has been an active member in local Republican organizations, serving as a precinct committeewoman as well as Palo Verde Republican Women vice chair of community outreach.
Mayor-elect Borowsky has advocated for fiscal conservatism to complement and boost Scottsdale’s economy. Borowsky previously served on the council from 2009 to 2013, and ran for Congress as a Republican in 2012.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
Arizona’s Democrat Governor Katie Hobbs promised a “major announcement,” leading up to a Monday press conference at the Port of Nogales on the state’s southern border with Mexico. And indeed, the border press event did highlight “Task Force SAFE,” a joint military-U.S. Customs and Border Protection operation deploying Arizona National Guardsmen to aid in intercepting drug smuggling. However, Hobbs also told reporters that Phoenix would not tolerate what she called Trump’s “misguided policies,” namely his promise of mass deportations of illegal immigrants.
As reported by 12News, Hobbs told reporters, “I will work with the administration when it benefits Arizonans and if I need to stand up to them because their actions will harm Arizonans, I will do that.”
She continued targeting Trump’s deportation vow, specifically saying, “We don’t know what a mass deportation plan will look like, what resources will be involved. I’m here to protect Arizonans, and I will do that.”
When asked if she would allow state law enforcement to participate in any mass-deportation action, Hobbs told ABC News, “We will not be participating in misguided efforts that harm our communities. And I’ve been incredibly clear about that.”
JUST IN: Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs bumbles through interview, says she will not let the Trump administration deport illegal aliens in Arizona.
Hobbs added, “Those efforts are going to divert needed resources that we need here on these drug interdiction, and smuggling and trafficking efforts to keep harm out of our communities. We need those resources here. And coming here today and seeing this operation firsthand just underscores that. That working in partnership here is how we can best secure the border.”
When asked what worries her about mass deportation, Hobbs told ABC, “I think the diversion of law enforcement from the work that they do everyday to keep our communities safe, people hiding in fear, we saw that under previous state policies here and it harms communities. It tears families apart. And that’s not going to happen on my watch.”
Despite reports that Hobbs is seeking to clothe herself in the garb of a moderate, noting her refusal to join the “Governors Safeguarding Democracy” (GSD) with fellow Democrat governors J.B. Pritzker (Illinois) and Jared Polis (Colorado), Hobbs recently described the legislature she has to work with as “run by literal insurrectionists and indicted fake electors,” who send her “garbage,” prompting a record shattering 216 vetoes.
According to AZCentral, Hobbs replied to calls to join the GSD saying, “I don’t think that’s the most productive way to govern Arizona. As governor, I have and will continue to stand up against actions that hurt our communities. But I will work with anyone who is doing what is right for Arizona.” Some have taken that as an indication of her willingness to work with the incoming Trump administration and the now-overwhelmingly Republican-controlled Congress.
Hobbs’ commentary from Nogales would seem to put Arizona Democrats’ concerns of the governor potentially moderating her stance against the core policies of the GOP to rest. But should 2024 electoral trends carry through to 2026, it could foreclose on the possibility of her re-election.
