by Staff Reporter | Apr 12, 2026 | News
By Staff Reporter |
Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) revoked the gubernatorial endorsement of his longtime friend, Democratic California Rep. Eric Swalwell, over sexual assault claims.
Gallego dropped support for his “best friend” Swalwell following a Friday report in the San Francisco Chronicle detailing sexual assault claims by one of Swalwell’s former female staffers.
That report came out in the days following social media posts by political activists alleging other incidents of sexual misconduct.
Gallego said he regretted defending Swalwell.
“What is described is indefensible. Women who come forward with accounts like this deserve to be heard with respect, not questioned or dismissed,” said Gallego. “I regret having come to his defense on social media prior to knowing all the information. I am equally as shocked and upset about what has transpired.”
In the days leading up to the San Francisco Chronicle report, Gallego was defending Swalwell against the online rumors.
“When you are in first place, is when they will target you,” said Gallego. “Eric is a fighter and he will win the governor’s race.”
According to the report, an anonymous staffer alleged that Swalwell sexually assaulted her twice when she was too intoxicated to consent. Swalwell issued a statement denying the allegations and indicating he would initiate legal action.
The staffer alleged that Swalwell’s unwanted advances began almost immediately after she was hired to work in one of his district offices in 2019; she alleged Swalwell sent and solicited nude pictures from her via Snapchat. At the time, the staffer was 21 years old.
Common among the various rumors and allegations of Swalwell’s misconduct was the use of Snapchat.
She also alleged that Swalwell attempted to kiss her following a donor meeting, and in a separate car ride exposed his genitalia and requested oral sex. In the latter instance, she recounted that she complied.
That same year of her hiring, the staffer alleged that she blacked out while out drinking with Swalwell and later woke up naked in his hotel bed.
In 2024, some time after ceasing employment with Swalwell’s office, the woman alleged that she again blacked out while out drinking with him and was again sexually assaulted.
Ahead of Friday’s report, Swalwell’s attorney submitted a cease-and-desist letter to the former staffer. The letter threatened a lawsuit unless she walked back her allegations.
Following the report, three more women told CNN that Swalwell had committed sexual misconduct against them. Swalwell has denied these allegations as well.
Beyond those claims of wrongdoing, Swalwell denied to the California Post that he ever had any sexual relationships with any staff or interns.
Gallego and Swalwell were close for over a decade leading up to this development. The Arizona senator served as Swalwell’s campaign chair when the latter made a brief run for president in 2019.
The Arizona senator recently invested in Swalwell’s AI startup.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Staff Reporter | Apr 12, 2026 | Education, News
By Staff Reporter |
The Arizona superintendent of schools is urging Gov. Katie Hobbs to lift a financial burden for schools.
Hobbs has yet to decide on a bill, SB 1142, allowing Arizona schools to participate in a new federal school tax credit opportunity. Superintendent Tom Horne says the governor needs to sign the bill, or else Arizona schools will lose out on critical funding.
The pending legislation wouldn’t come at a cost to the state, and it could potentially provide up to $6 billion more to public, charter, and private schools.
“Any school could establish such a scholarship organization to accept contributions and bring more money to the classroom,” said Horne. “It does not cost the state any money and would increase funding for education.”
Horne mentioned that another prominent Democratic governor has backed this federal program.
“This bill benefits students in public district schools, charters, and every other school setting,” said Horne. “[Gov. Hobbs] should join fellow Democrat Governor Jared Polis of Colorado in supporting this program.”
Unlike Hobbs, the Colorado governor has expressed support for school choice. One other Democratic governor, Josh Stein of North Carolina, has opted into the program.
The Democratic governors of Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Wisconsin all vetoed opting into the program.
Gov. Hobbs vetoed similar legislation back in January (SB 1106/HB 2153).
State Sen. Shawnna Bolick (R-LD2) sponsored the bill. It passed both chambers without support from any Democratic lawmakers, and was sent to Gov. Hobbs on Wednesday.
Arizona House Democratic lawmakers said they opposed SB 1142 because it doesn’t establish enough oversight of the distribution of funds. Some characterized it as a wrongful diversion of public funds from public schools, insisting it would ultimately impact the state general fund. However, this program derives its funds from a federal tax credit.
Last year, Congress included the federal school tax credit program within the FY2025 reconciliation act (the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act”). The program launches January 1, 2027.
The federal legislation allows taxpayers to donate up to $1,700 annually to state-recognized Scholarship Granting Organizations (SGOs) that issue grants to cover eligible school expenses for certain students like books, supplies, tutoring, special needs services, computers, internet access, tuition, fees, room and board, uniforms, and transportation.
With that donation potential, Arizona schools could see up to $6 billion in extra funding. (The Arizona Department of Revenue reported over 3.5 million individual income tax returns in 2023).
Only students whose family income falls below 300 percent of their area median income would qualify for SGO grants.
The federal legislation requires SGOs to be 501(c)(3) nonprofits, provide scholarships to 10 or more students who don’t attend the same school, spend at least 90 percent of revenue on qualifying scholarships, and prioritize scholarships first for students who have received scholarships in previous years and then for siblings of such students.
Should Gov. Hobbs approve Arizona’s participation in the program, the Arizona Department of Revenue would administer the federal SGO credit and approve SGOs.
ADOR would submit a list of certified SGOs to the Secretary of the Treasury annually and post the list on the ADOR website.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Ethan Faverino | Apr 12, 2026 | Economy, News
By Ethan Faverino |
New data from the Common Sense Institute’s Arizona Jobs and Labor Force Update shows Arizona added 5,100 non-farm jobs on a seasonally adjusted basis in January, representing a modest 0.16% increase from December. This gain ranked the state 25th highest among all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Nationally, the U.S. economy added 160,000 jobs in January, with 44 states reporting month-over-month job gains.
However, on a year-over-year basis, Arizona’s labor market weakened significantly. The state lost 15,000 jobs compared to January 2025, marking a stark contrast to the national gain of +0.20%. Arizona ranked 43rd in year-over-year job growth, one of 24 states experiencing annual job losses. This marked the 22nd consecutive month of annual job growth below 2% in Arizona.
Revised data now indicate the state has been experiencing year-over-year job losses since August 2025—the first negative annual reading since September 2024 and the largest percentage decline since March 2021.
Arizona’s manufacturing sector provided a bright spot in January, adding approximately 600 jobs. The state was one of only 20 to add manufacturing jobs that month. However, on an annual basis, manufacturing employment continued to contract, down 0.7% from January 2025, with Arizona among 40 states losing manufacturing jobs over the year.
Unemployment in Arizona edged up slightly to 4.5% in January from a revised 4.4% in December, giving the state the 35th highest unemployment rate nationally. The state’s labor force participation rate held steady at 62%. Nationally, the unemployment rate declined modestly to 4.3% in January and has remained at that level through March 2026.
Sector performance in January varied. The “Other Services” sector led growth, adding 1,300 jobs (+1.3%), though it remains one of Arizona’s smaller supersectors with just 105,000 workers. Construction added 800 jobs month-over-month.
On an annual basis, the Mining and Logging sector continued to outperform, expanding 7.2% since January 2025. Meanwhile, the state’s largest supersector—Trade, Transportation, and Utilities—added only 200 jobs in January. The Information sector posted the weakest annual performance, declining 1.83% year-over-year.
While employment growth has slowed, wage growth in Arizona remained robust at the start of 2026. Average hourly wages rose $0.47 in January, ranking the state 9th nationally for monthly wage growth. Over the past year, Arizona’s average hourly wage increased by $1.10, placing it 29th in the U.S. for annual wage growth. Private Sector workers in Arizona now earn an average of $35.32 per hour, up from $34.22 a year ago.
Nationally, average hourly wages rose 0.35% in January and have continued growing, with the U.S. rate reaching 3.5% year-over-year as of March. Real (inflation-adjusted) wages in Arizona were up 1.2% as of January. Roughly in line with national trends, though they remain down 3.4% since April 2020.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Staff Reporter | Apr 11, 2026 | News
By Staff Reporter |
The leader of the Arizona Senate is one of the top contenders to unseat Attorney General Kris Mayes this November, according to a recent poll.
Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen (R-LD14) led among prospective voters polled about the upcoming primary election in the attorney general’s race.
The poll from Gray House surveyed 400 likely Republican voters and 450 likely general election voters across the state.
Petersen leads fellow Republican candidate Rodney Glassman, both before voters were advised of the candidates’ backgrounds and after. (The polling did include a third Republican candidate, Greg Roeberg; however, Roeberg withdrew from the race in February).
A majority of voters — 75 percent — said they were undecided prior to being informed about the candidates’ backgrounds.
After, 42 percent of the 75 percent of undecided voters put their support behind Petersen.
65 percent of likely voters polled said they were more likely to support Petersen after hearing his biography.
Petersen’s platform proposes a more conservative federalist approach to the attorney general’s office: defending the rule of law as opposed to acting on personal political preferences, curbing federal overreach, increasing criminal prosecutions, defending women’s sports, and protecting constitutional rights.
Petersen has served in the Arizona legislature since 2012—first in the state house, then the state senate. He also assumed a leadership role in the house; he served as the majority leader prior to his election to the state senate.
Glassman, by contrast, lost the support of 74 percent of the voters polled after hearing his biography.
Glassman’s platform focused on certain specific areas of interest, a continuance of the major flip he made from his years as a Democrat: prosecuting border crime and election fraud, advocating for law enforcement, defending the Second Amendment, and scrutinizing government expenditures.
Prior to this race, Glassman ran for attorney general in 2022 as a Republican (lost in the primary), Maricopa County assessor in 2020 as a Republican (lost in the primary), Arizona Corporation Commission in 2018 as a Republican (lost in the general election), and U.S. Senate in 2010 as a Democrat (lost in the general election).
Voters expressed indifference to Roeberg after hearing his biography, only inspiring an additional 17 percent more likely voters.
Among prospective general election voters, Petersen trailed behind Attorney General Mayes by two points, around 42 to 44 percent.
Glassman trailed Mayes by 7 points and Roeberg trailed Mayes by 9 points.
As state senate president, Petersen has been uniquely positioned among the candidates to challenge Mayes on her execution of the office directly. A significant portion of Mayes’ focus in office since last January has concerned fighting policies and executive orders put forth by the Trump administration.
Earlier this week Petersen referred Mayes and Secretary of State Adrian Fontes to the Department of Justice for an investigation, alleging the pair were guilty of obstruction of justice and witness tampering for meddling with a federal probe into Arizona election records.
“The threats of the Attorney General and Secretary of State are incompatible with United States Constitution, which enshrines the grand jury in our constitutional order, and only serve to hinder voters’ confidence in our elections,” stated Petersen.
Mayes and Fontes advised the county recorders against complying with the federal subpoena.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Matthew Holloway | Apr 11, 2026 | News
By Staff Reporter |
Arizona House Republicans are raising concerns about Governor Katie Hobbs’ recently released state energy plan, arguing it prioritizes solar development and government programs over housing availability and energy affordability.
In a press release, the Arizona House Republican Caucus said the plan advances policies that emphasize utility-scale solar projects, expanded renewable energy deployment, and the use of state-owned land for energy infrastructure.
The criticism follows the rollout of the governor’s broader energy strategy, which includes 31 recommendations developed by the Arizona Energy Promise Task Force to address rising energy demand, data center growth, and utility costs across the state.
According to House Republicans, the plan promotes solar development on state land, including areas near existing communities, rooftop solar installations on government buildings, and participation in virtual power plant programs.
Republican lawmakers cautioned that these proposals could affect the availability of land for residential development. Citing data from the Common Sense Institute, they noted that the Hobbs administration has “identified land closest to existing residential areas as ‘best’ for solar development,” adding that approximately 276,000 acres of state land within 10 miles of incorporated cities and towns could support up to 200,000 housing units.
House Majority Leader Michael Carbone (R-LD25) said the administration’s plan emphasizes renewable energy projects and related investments while raising concerns about impacts on housing supply and costs to taxpayers.
He explained in a statement, “Hobbs is calling this an all-of-the-above energy plan. It’s not. It’s a solar-heavy political plan that puts green industry insiders ahead of taxpayers, pushes utility-scale solar onto state land that could support badly needed housing, and says nothing about lowering gas prices for Arizona families. When Hobbs says ‘all of the above,’ what she means is more wind and solar.”
The governor’s office has described the energy plan as part of a broader effort to address affordability and reliability while bringing together stakeholders from utilities, industry, and government.
In separate announcements, the Hobbs administration has highlighted programs focused on lowering energy costs, including efficiency upgrades and rebate initiatives designed to reduce utility bills for Arizona households.
Carbone criticized Hobbs’ energy plan, stating, “You cannot claim to have an energy plan for Arizona while ignoring gasoline prices, fuel supply, and the infrastructure needed to keep this state moving. This report does not confront boutique fuel problems, does not address refinery or pipeline capacity, and does not even include the industry that supplies the fuel Arizona families and businesses rely on every day. That is not all of the above. That is selective politics dressed up as policy.”
He added, “Her report is long on politics and short on answers. It does not lower costs. It does not increase housing supply. It does not put taxpayers first. House Republicans are focused on affordability, reliability, and policies that serve Arizona families, not a narrow political agenda.”
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 Staff Reporter | Apr 10, 2026 | News
By Staff Reporter |
The Arizona Senate’s leader referred two state officials to the Department of Justice (DOJ) to be investigated for obstruction.
Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen (R-LD14) announced the referral on Tuesday. Petersen, who is also running for attorney general, accused Attorney General Kris Mayes and Secretary of State Adrian Fontes of obstruction of justice and tampering with a witness concerning the federal probe into Arizona election records.
“The threats of the Attorney General and Secretary of State are incompatible with United States Constitution, which enshrines the grand jury in our constitutional order, and only serve to hinder voters’ confidence in our elections,” stated Petersen in his letter to the DOJ.
The referral emerged in response to Mayes and Fontes requesting information from the state senate concerning its compliance with a recent federal grand jury subpoena of 2020 election records.
In response to Petersen’s referral, Fontes accused the senate president of jeopardizing voters’ safety and security.
“My main concern for ensuring privacy of personal information in voter registration data, as required by law, remains,” said Fontes.
Last month, the two Democratic officials issued a joint letter ordering county recorders not to comply with the federal subpoena. Contrary to what Petersen claimed in Tuesday’s letter, Mayes and Fontes argued compliance with the federal subpoena would violate both federal and state law.
“It is the states’ authority and responsibility to hold elections — not the federal government,” stated the pair’s letter. “Without direct congressional action, the United States Constitution does not authorize or allow the federal government to insert itself into a state’s election procedures, much less authorize the DOJ to unilaterally build a national voter database.”
Mayes called the subpoena “a weaponization of federal law enforcement in service of crackpots and lies,” and Petersen “an unrepentant election denier” spreading conspiracy theories and false stories of election fraud.
Petersen said the pair’s request from the state senate suggested their intention to interfere with the federal investigation.
Petersen based his referral on a legal analysis from the law firm Snell & Wilmer, which he said defended the state senate’s compliance with the federal subpoena and posited that the request by Mayes and Fontes constituted obstruction of justice and witness tampering.
In Petersen’s letter to Arizona District Attorney Timothy Courchaine, the state senate president accused Mayes and Fontes of ulterior motives linked to election meddling.
“Instead of fighting over these issues, we should all be working together to ensure the election integrity necessary to realize our country’s democratic promise,” said Petersen. “The Attorney General and Secretary’s phobia of fair and secure elections is impossible to explain absent nefarious motives.”
Mayes’ reelection campaign manager, Delaney Corcoran, said in a response that Petersen’s referral was a means to “seek retribution against his political enemies.”
Mayes made a similar claim when news of the federal subpoena emerged last month.
“One of the Republicans hoping to challenge me this fall is reigniting his SHAM ‘Cyber Ninja’ 2020 election audit conspiracies to the disservice of Arizonans,” said Mayes. “It’s a disgusting politicization of government and a waste of time and [money].”
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
