by Jonathan Eberle | Oct 26, 2025 | News
By Jonathan Eberle |
Republicans have expanded their voter registration advantage over Democrats in Arizona to 333,255 registered voters, according to the latest October 2025 report released by the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office.
The newest data shows Republicans now total 1,603,141 registered voters (35.63%), compared to 1,269,886 Democrats (28.23%). Another 1,625,968 voters are registered as “Other,” which includes independents and minor parties such as Libertarians (32,026), No Labels (42,277), and Greens (5,212). Arizona’s overall active voter registration stands at 4,498,995.
Since July, Republicans have added 5,436 new voters, while Democrats lost 421, according to changes noted in the official quarterly report. Historical data compiled by the Secretary of State’s office shows this partisan gap widening steadily in recent years. Republicans led by 295,000 voters in 2024, 166,000 in 2022, and 130,000 in 2020. As of October 2025, that lead now surpasses 333,000 — the largest margin in nearly a decade.
County-level data reveals that Maricopa County, Arizona’s largest, remains a focal point of both parties’ registration efforts. The October report lists 940,727 registered Republicans, compared to 744,804 Democrats, giving the GOP a nearly 196,000-voter advantage in the county. In traditionally conservative counties like Yavapai, Mohave, and Pinal, Republicans maintain commanding leads, while Pima County continues to serve as the Democratic stronghold with 247,221 Democrats to 191,977 Republicans.
The data also shows continued growth in unaffiliated voters, reflecting Arizona’s independent streak. The “Other” category now represents more than one-third of all registered voters (34.37%), and its steady rise across counties — particularly in Maricopa, Pima, and Yuma — highlights how nonpartisan voters could decide close statewide races.
The voter registration update comes less than a year before the 2026 gubernatorial election, in which Republicans aim to unseat Governor Katie Hobbs (D). Political analysts note that while registration advantages can shape turnout dynamics, Arizona’s large share of unaffiliated voters keeps the state in competitive territory.
The report also tracks 409,091 inactive voters, those whose registration may need updating due to address or status changes. Among inactive registrations, Republicans slightly outnumber Democrats — 110,196 to 106,623 — though both parties show similar proportional shares. The next update from the Arizona Secretary of State is expected in early 2026. With voter registration surpassing 4.49 million and growing each quarter, Arizona remains one of the most closely watched swing states in the nation heading into the 2026 election season.
Jonathan Eberle is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Matthew Holloway | Oct 26, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Rep. Abe Hamadeh (R-AZ08) condemned top Democrats on Wednesday for casually acknowledging the hardships Americans face during the ongoing government shutdown — one they’ve prolonged while using it for political leverage.
“It’s reprehensible to see top Democrats admit that they’re willing to inflict pain on hardworking Americans to achieve their priorities,” Hamadeh posted on X. “It’s even worse when you consider those priorities are handouts to illegal immigrants & taxpayer-funded fake news.”
Hamadeh’s remarks followed comments from House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-MA), who, in a Fox News interview, described the shutdown as a rare opportunity for her party despite its toll on families.
“Shutdowns are terrible. And of course, there will be families that are going to suffer. We take that responsibility very seriously, but it is one of the few leverage times we have,” Clark said.
The full government shutdown stems from Democrats’ refusal to support a clean continuing resolution to maintain current funding levels through November. Instead, they are demanding $1.5 trillion in new spending, including $500 million for public broadcasters like NPR and PBS, and changes to narrow eligibility restrictions for government health care benefits under the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” according to Speaker Mike Johnson’s office. Those restrictions currently limit benefits like Medicare and premium tax credits to U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, certain Cuban and Haitian immigrants, and Compact of Free Association migrants. Democrats seek to rescind them, potentially extending free health care to millions of Biden-era parolees from countries like Haiti and Venezuela—2.8 million of whom were admitted despite being “otherwise inadmissible,” per congressional testimony.
As of this report, Senate Democrats have now blocked shutdown-ending votes 11 times in the Senate alone, or 12 overall, including House actions, according to House Speaker Mike Johnson.
“This is now the longest full shutdown in American history. And yet again, Senate Democrats voted for the 11th time — 12 times overall, when you count House and Senate Democrats — to prolong the pain and keep the government closed,” Johnson said in a press conference on Tuesday.
President Donald Trump accused Democrats of “holding the entire federal government hostage” and vowed, “We will not be extorted on this crazy plot of theirs.”
The standoff has furloughed over 800,000 federal workers and contractors, delayed veterans’ benefits, and paused services such as FDA inspections, with ripple effects into the holiday season.
In an interview with KFYI host James T. Harris, Hamadeh stated, “There’s no way we’re going to give an inch on this… There’s nothing that we can negotiate,” when asked how long the Democrats might continue to block funding.
Democrat Senators under Minority Leader Chuck Schumer led the rejection of another clean bill Thursday that would have provided funding to pay the Armed Forces, Capitol Police, Border Patrol, Air Traffic Controllers, Congressional staffers, and “various essential federal workers,” according to Hamadeh. He wrote in a post to X, “It turns out that the ONLY people essential to the Democrats are their militant base and illegal immigrants.”
Later in the day, Hamadeh wrote, “The Democrats won’t support a clear CR, something they’ve done forever… why would you still think they’re going to honor the filibuster next time they’re in power? They’ll gut it so quickly and Republicans will look like fools. They’re unreasonable, manic, and controlled by the leftwing base that’s rewarding them with $$$ political donations. They have zero incentive. The uncomfortable truth is that we are no longer operating under the same rules — I wish we were, but it is not reality. It’s time for the Senate to exercise the nuclear option.”
Democrats previously supported 13 clean continuing resolutions during the Biden administration, a point Republicans have highlighted as inconsistent with their recent actions.
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 | Oct 25, 2025 | Education, News
By Staff Reporter |
An unidentified pink-haired student at the University of Arizona (U of A) gave a death threat to Turning Point USA (TPUSA) students.
The student had a male-presenting voice and wore sunglasses, a long pink dress, light pink jacket, black and white sneakers, and a canvas backpack.
The student’s voice and the type of shoes worn in the video that captured his threat — Puma Zip C men’s sneakers — indicated that the student was a male.
Per a video captured by those present, the student threatened those working the TPUSA table with the same fate that befell the late TPUSA founder and CEO, Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated by a gunshot through the neck last month at Utah Valley University.
Kirk was one month shy of 32 years old at the time of his death. The prominent young conservative activist and pundit left behind a wife, Erika Kirk, and two young children. The individual arrested and charged for Kirk’s assassination, Tyler Robinson, held progressive political beliefs and was in a romantic relationship with a male who identified as a transgender woman.
“Hey Nazis, can you set up somewhere I can avoid you easily?” said the student.
“Yeah, have a great day,” responded one of the TPUSA individuals behind the table.
“Ah, f**k you Nazi. Watch your neck,” responded the student.
The individual who captured the threat on video, TPUSA field representative Caden Hart, reported that, aside from the incident, their tabling efforts yielded over 25 new signups for their chapter.
There is a closed hearing scheduled for Friday at the Utah County Courthouse for Kirk’s alleged killer, and a waiver hearing next week. The proceedings will remain “open to the public,” per the judge in the case. Robinson may receive the death penalty if found guilty.
Some point to this recent incident with the TPUSA table as indicative of the political climate at U of A, and associated it with a reported 19 percent drop in first-year students.
The university associated the decline with a dropping number of out-of-state and international students (23 percent less out-of-state students, nine percent less international students); overall student enrollment fell about four percent.
While hundreds in the U of A community mourned Kirk’s assassination, some have been outspoken about their indifference or even support for his death.
Yazmin Castro, a freshman and member of the sorority Kappa Alpha Theta, told AZPM that Kirk bore some responsibility for his own assassination since he was vocal about his conservative beliefs, which included his support for gun ownership.
“I think he was very hateful sometimes with his views,” said Castro. “I hope that the people that believed in those views as well, seeing someone that they looked up to being a victim of gun violence, I hope it opens their eyes to its not worth it,” she said.
A recent U of A graduate and Arizona Department of Environmental Quality employee, Jessika Mesa, posted a celebration of Kirk’s death on her social media page.
Tucson Councilwoman Lane Santa Cruz, an adjunct professor at U of A, responded to Kirk’s death with a story on social media that read “diosito te maldiga,” meaning “God curse (damn) you.”
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Jonathan Eberle | Oct 25, 2025 | News
By Jonathan Eberle |
Arizona Public Service (APS) is seeking to raise electricity rates by 14% starting in 2026 — a move the Arizona Free Enterprise Club (AZFEC) argues would unfairly burden Arizona families while subsidizing costly “green energy” initiatives and the early closure of a key coal plant.
According to filings with the Arizona Corporation Commission, APS attributes the proposed rate increase largely to battery storage projects and the early retirement of the Cholla Power Plant. The Arizona Free Enterprise Club filed an official response criticizing APS for attempting to block the organization’s intervention in the case, while allowing environmental groups such as the Sierra Club to participate. “APS has no issue letting radical groups like the Sierra Club into their hearings, but they’re trying to block the one organization fighting for Arizona families,” said AZFEC President Scot Mussi.
Mussi contends APS’s “carbon free” and “carbon neutral” commitments over the past five years have shaped their energy plans — including their Integrated Resource Plans and large-scale renewable energy projects — resulting in higher costs for consumers. “For years, their voluntary commitments have very likely increased costs for Arizona ratepayers,” the organization said in its filing.
Two days after filing its response, the Arizona Free Enterprise Club announced it had been officially granted intervention in the APS case. This designation allows AZFEC to participate directly in proceedings, making it the only organization representing ratepayers who oppose the rate hike.
In the ruling, the Administrative Law Judge overseeing the case described the Club as “the lone proponent” of an energy approach emphasizing reliability, affordability, and independence — priorities the group says align with President Trump’s “American Energy Dominance” agenda.
“While others are lobbying to shut down Arizona’s coal plants and pour billions into unreliable Green New Scam projects, we’re standing up for the ratepayers who will be left to foot the bill,” Mussi said. “We’re proud to be the only organization in this case fighting to keep Arizona’s energy secure, affordable, and free from political interference.”
The Club’s participation ensures that Arizona ratepayers have a voice during the proceedings, according to Mussi and AZFEC Deputy Policy Director Greg Blackie. “This isn’t about politics — it’s about protecting Arizona families and ensuring that our state doesn’t fall victim to the same radical energy policies destroying affordability across the country,” said Blackie. “We intend to shine a light on the real costs, the real numbers, and the real consequences of this so-called green transition.”
The case before the Arizona Corporation Commission will determine whether APS can move forward with its proposed rate hike. The Arizona Free Enterprise Club says it plans to continue pressing for “transparency, accountability, and energy freedom,” ensuring that “ratepayers are not forced to fund reckless green energy policies.”
Jonathan Eberle is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Matthew Holloway | Oct 25, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
On Tuesday, the Goldwater Institute announced a new initiative to educate lawmakers and students across the country and advocate for the resurrected concept of “federalism.”
Based upon its newly released report, “Federalism and State Constitutions: Model Language for ‘Tenth Amendments’ in State Constitutions,” Goldwater is launching a civics offensive to rekindle federalism in state governments, urging them to etch the spirit of the 10th Amendment directly into their own constitutions.
Dubbed the “Blueprint for Federalism,” the initiative from the group’s Van Sittert Center for Constitutional Advocacy was introduced with a policy report offering lawmakers a ready-made template: model language mirroring the U.S. Constitution’s reservation of powers to the states and the people. It’s a direct shot at the creeping centralization that’s turned America’s “laboratories of democracy” into mere outposts of Washington bureaucracy.
“America’s founders wisely recognized it from the beginning—the best chance for a sprawling young republic to survive would be for important political decisions to remain close to the people,” the Goldwater Institute declared in unveiling the plan.
Describing civic education as “in decline” and leaving generations adrift on the basics of our constitutional republic, the blueprint calls for states to put the measure on ballots starting in 2026, just ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
Matt Beienburg wrote in a post to X, “What if Americans could stop fearing that every 4 years might usher in an over-powered president of the other party who will wreck the country? Whether you’re on the left or right, we already have the blueprint for empowering Americans rather than Washington D.C.”
As federal overreach swelled vastly under the Biden administration, including mandates on everything from education to energy, states like Arizona have already led the charge, making the legislature fertile ground for Goldwater’s initiative. Back in 2014, Arizona voters approved a constitutional tweak affirming the U.S. Constitution’s supremacy and barring state resources from propping up unconstitutional federal acts. It’s one of nearly a dozen states with similar guardrails, from Massachusetts’ 1780 original to Louisiana’s 1998 update.
Co-authors Matt Beienburg, director of education policy at Goldwater, and Sean Beienburg, an associate professor at Arizona State University’s School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership, lay out the playbook in the report. The core text proposed for state constitutions is a near-verbatim nod to the U.S. Constitution’s Tenth Amendment: “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”
In full, the proposed language reads:
“The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the land to which all government, state and federal, is subject.
The government of the United States is a government of enumerated powers, and all powers not delegated to it, nor inhibited to the states, are reserved to the states or to the people thereof.
Among the sovereign powers so reserved to the states is the exclusive regulation of their own internal government; but the people’s retained right of local self-government should be exercised in pursuance of law and consistently with the Constitution of the United States.”
The blueprint goes even further, though, pitching add-ons like explicit vows to uphold federal supremacy and rejecting funding for D.C. edicts that trample state sovereignty. It’s nonpartisan ammo, aimed at red strongholds and blue bastions alike, to spark a public awakening on where power truly belongs.
The Goldwater Institute has notched over 400 wins across all 50 states, including more than 50 policy and litigation triumphs in 2024 alone. This latest salvo fits their 2025 battle plan, as reported by AZ Free News: dismantling DEI indoctrination in universities, slashing government meddling in property, water rights, and healthcare, shielding parental rights in schools, and addressing unconstitutional tax hikes.
In the report, the authors push for a 2026 ballot blitz to “recommit legislative bodies to the principle of federalism” and ignite a nationwide conversation on the republic’s blueprint. The Goldwater Institute has the full model language for state constitutions and a deeper dive available online.
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 | Oct 24, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
President Donald Trump’s glowing endorsement of Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ09) for a safe CD-9 re-election is raising eyebrows in the 2026 Arizona primaries. The president’s move casts a spotlight on the unconfirmed Trump endorsement of AZGOP Chair Gina Swoboda’s jump into the toss-up CD-1 race.
“Dr. Paul Gosar has my Complete and Total Endorsement for Re-Election — HE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!” Trump wrote on Truth Social, hailing the eight-term Congressman as a “fearless Warrior” who’s ridden with him “from the very beginning.”
In full, President Trump wrote:
“Congressman Paul Gosar, D.D.S., is an America First Patriot, who is doing a fantastic job representing Arizona’s 9th Congressional District!
A MAGA Warrior, who has been with us from the very beginning, Paul is working hard to Grow our Economy, Cut Taxes and Regulations, Promote MADE IN THE U.S.A., Advance American Energy DOMINANCE, Keep our now very Secure Border, SECURE, Support our Brave Military/Veterans, and Protect our always under siege Second Amendment.
Dr. Paul Gosar has my Complete and Total Endorsement for Re-Election — HE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!”
The blast on Truth Social, posted on October 21st, lands amid murmurs that Gosar is likely to run unchallenged in his primary, with a recent 2024 margin of 22 points. No real competition has materialized for the incumbent Congressman as of this report. Still, President Trump has rewarded Gosar’s long-term loyalty, creating a solid fundraising basis for him and boosting the congressman’s campaign early on.
Contrast the President’s thunderous endorsement of Dr. Gosar, however, with his apparent radio silence around AZGOP Chair Gina Swoboda, despite her announcement of his backing at the launch of her candidacy.
As AZ Free News reported, the Arizona GOP leader vaulted into the open CD-1 race, controversially opting to chase Rep. David Schweikert’s seat in a district that was narrowly won by 3.8 points last cycle, while stating she is not stepping down as AZGOP chair until January. Swoboda publicly announced an endorsement from President Trump upon launching her campaign. However, it has yet to materialize on any of the President’s social media feeds or official campaign statements.
Swoboda shared a quote from the President stating, “Gina will be a tremendous champion… She will never let you down!” Outlets from AZCentral to The Hill ran with the endorsement as gospel.
In full, the quote attributed to President Trump reads, “Gina Swoboda has my complete and total endorsement for Arizona’s 1st Congressional District! Gina will be a tremendous champion for Arizona in Congress. She will never let you down!”
The last post on President Trump’s Truth Social account about Swoboda dates to January 26, 2024, in which he endorsed her for AZGOP Chair.
With no original post or official statement and no proxy quote from a campaign surrogate, online commenters are casting doubt on the validity of the endorsement.
The situation has not been lost on Arizona’s political movers. Tyler Bowyer, COO of Turning Point Action, posted a suggestion on Wednesday that former NFL player Jay Feely, already a declared candidate for Congressional District 5 since April, would be “great to run in CD-1 in Arizona.” Bowyer added, “He’s a great Christian, well-known name in AZ sports & supported by a ton in the business community. President Trump loves him and I think would really like to have both him AND Sheriff Lamb in Congress!”
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.
