Congressman Paul Gosar’s campaign announced Monday that the National Rifle Association Political Victory Fund (NRA-PVF) has endorsed his reelection bid and awarded him an “A” rating ahead of the November general election.
Gosar, a Republican representing Arizona’s Ninth Congressional District, faces Democrat Danielle “Dani” Sterbinsky following the state’s July 21 primary election.
The NRA just endorsed my campaign and gave me an A rating.
I have never wavered on the Second Amendment. Our right to keep and bear arms is not negotiable, and I have voted that way every single time.
“I have never wavered on the Second Amendment,” Gosar said. “Our right to keep and bear arms is not negotiable, and I have voted that way every single time. I am grateful to have the NRA standing with me.”
The NRA-PVF evaluates candidates based on their voting records, public statements, and responses to its candidate questionnaire. Its grading system defines an “A” candidate as someone who has supported NRA positions on key votes or demonstrated support for Second Amendment issues.
Gosar’s campaign said he has maintained a career “A” rating from the organization. His congressional office also listed a career “A” rating from the NRA among its career ratings as of Jan. 1, 2024. His campaign platform states his opposition to a national gun registry and other legislation he considers an infringement on gun rights.
Federal Election Commission (FEC) summaries covering campaign activity through July 1 show Gosar held a cash advantage over Sterbinsky. Gosar’s campaign reported $303,213.70 in cash on hand, while Sterbinsky’s campaign reported $25,744.84. The FEC summaries list $580,042.50 in total receipts for Gosar from Jan. 1, 2025, through July 1, 2026, and $354,382.57 for Sterbinsky from July 1, 2025, through July 1, 2026.
The Ninth District includes communities in Mohave, La Paz, Maricopa, and Yuma counties, encompassing portions of western Arizona and the Phoenix metropolitan area’s West Valley.
Gosar was first elected to Congress in 2010 after working as a dentist. His campaign’s stated priorities include federal spending cuts, a balanced budget amendment, border security, domestic energy development, and lower taxes.
Sterbinsky’s campaign website identifies her as a Navy veteran and human resources professional living in Wittmann. Her platform includes housing affordability, reducing health care and prescription drug costs, and expanding rural infrastructure, including broadband access.
Arizona’s general election is scheduled for Nov. 3. The voter registration deadline is Oct. 5.
Two candidates are accusing the Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Commission (CCEC) of issuing threats that forced a stop to their campaigns.
Risa Lombardo, the Green Party nominee for governor, and DuWayne Collier, the Green Party nominee for secretary of state, filed the lawsuit in the Maricopa County Superior Court against CCEC last week. CCEC Executive Director Tom Collins was also named in the lawsuit.
Lombardo and Collier were both qualified by Secretary of State Adrian Fontes as having enough signatures and donations to become Clean Elections candidates, meaning they were eligible to receive public funding for their campaigns.
In order to qualify as a Clean Elections candidate and receive that public funding, candidates must collect a specific number of $5 donations from individual donors and then agree to forgo other funding sources once qualified. Any candidates who receive Clean Elections funding may not withdraw from the organization.
Lombardo and Collier alleged in their lawsuit that Collins threatened them with consequences if they continued spending their Clean Elections funding, four months after they were approved for the funds.
Collins told Lombardo and Collier in separate letters that they would be required to repay the funds — $2.8 million in Lombardo’s case, and $739,000 in Collier’s case — pending the outcome of his investigation.
Collins sent the letters on the same day that the Arizona Mirror published an article outlining similar claims of fraud. The media reporting cited six individuals who were listed as donors but claimed they never donated to Lombardo, Collier, or a third candidate for governor, Scott Neely, and that the three candidates contained a significant share of donors that had no other donor history.
Collins accused Lombardo and Collier of falsifying voter identities to manufacture the $5 contributions they needed. His letters to Lombardo included references to a bank statement reflecting a nominal balance around the time she should have had thousands in qualifying contributions, and that those contributions only appeared later in a lump-sum deposit. The lump-sum deposit accusation was also raised in Collins’ letter to Collier.
Collins also told Lombardo that her secretary of state certification had been in error because of sampling requirements: Lombardo had not submitted more than 4,400 qualifying contributions, which would have been the minimum required to meet the statutory 110% qualifier for certification.
Collins advised that he would ask CCEC to initiate repayment order proceedings at their virtual meeting on August 27.
CCEC didn’t issue a repayment order, but did direct Collins to investigate Lombardo and Collier further. CCEC requested that Collins deliver his findings sometime between September 24 and their next meeting, which is not scheduled to occur until October 29 — five days before the general election.
Lombardo and Collier claim these looming threats from Collins spanning the remainder of the months leading up to the election have left them unable to continue their campaigns and therefore violated their free speech rights.
“Restrictions that burden spending for political speech, whether candidate spending or independent spending, get strict scrutiny and usually fail,” stated their lawsuit. “Defendants are trying to bully and intimidate Plaintiffs into effectively dropping their campaigns, campaigns the Commission disapproves of, by depriving them of Commission funding, or threatening to subject each to hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars in repayment obligations.”
Lombardo and Collier also alleged that Collins and CCEC were acting beyond their statutory authority.
They claimed that the secretary of state, not CCEC, certifies a candidate’s qualification for Clean Elections funding.
“The Commission is without power to subsequently declare, months after the Secretary of State’s certification has been completed, that a candidate should not have qualified for Clean Elections funding in the first instance and must repay their funds back to the Commission,” stated their lawsuit.
Lombardo and Collier are asking the court to enjoin CCEC from decertifying them and undertaking further actions effectively suspending their campaigns.
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Congressmen Andy Biggs (R-AZ-05) and Eli Crane (R-AZ-02) are urging the Trump administration to select Arizona State University (ASU) as the home of a new national advanced manufacturing center aimed at strengthening military readiness and the U.S defense industrial base.
Biggs led a letter this month alongside Crane to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth supporting an ASU Research Enterprise proposal to establish the Applied Research for Manufacturing Operational Readiness Center or ARMOR Center, at ASU’s Polytechnic campus.
The U.S. Army is seeking to establish the center to help move advanced manufacturing technologies from research and development into practical military applications.
Under ASU’s proposal, the ARMOR Center would create a pipeline for developing, testing, qualifying, and scaling new manufacturing technologies before transitioning them into the Army’s Organic Industrial Base, defense contractors, and other manufacturing partners.
The center would focus on areas including additive manufacturing, artificial intelligence-enabled manufacturing, advanced composites and point-of-need production.
“Led by institutions and companies like Arizona State University, our state continues to position itself at the forefront of America’s defense industrial base,” stated Congressman Biggs. “Throughout my time in Congress, I have been pleased to support projects and initiatives that strengthen our national defense and help safeguard our citizens, freedoms, and interests.”
I recently led a letter to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth supporting Arizona State University’s application to establish the Applied Research for Manufacturing Operational Readiness Center at ASU’s Polytechnic campus in #AZ05.
Biggs said ASU is well positioned to lead the effort and expressed hope that the administration will select the university’s proposal.
In their letter to Hegseth, Biggs and Crane argued that Arizona’s existing defense industry, military installations, semiconductor investments, and research capabilities make the state a strong candidate for the center.
Arizona is home to major defense and aerospace companies including Raytheon, Honeywell Aerospace, Northrop Grumman, General Dynamics, and Boeing, along with hundreds of suppliers involved in the production of missiles, aircraft, avionics, and electronics.
Biggs and Crane also pointed to more than $210 billion in semiconductor and microelectronics investments announced in Arizona since 2020, arguing that the expanding industry could provide the Army with an established network for developing and scaling advanced manufacturing technologies.
Arizona’s military presence was also highlighted in the letter.
Fort Huachuca and Yuma Proving Ground support Army missions and testing, while Luke Air Force Base, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, and Marine Corps Air Station Yuma provide additional military infrastructure within the state.
“Few states combine manufacturing, research, testing, and military operations in one place,” wrote Biggs and Crane.
ASU has also invested heavily in manufacturing research at its Polytechnic campus. It’s $200 million interdisciplinary Science and Technology Building 12 contains approximately $6 million in advanced manufacturing equipment, according to the letter.
The university offers bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in manufacturing engineering and graduates more than 1,000 students annually across manufacturing, mechanical, and industrial engineering programs.
ASU has also conducted nearly $300 million in Department of War research during the past three fiscal years and leads one of the nation’s eight Microelectronics Commons hubs.
Beyond establishing the ARMOR Center, ASU’s proposal could position Arizona to host a University Affiliated Research Center (UARC) supporting the Army’s modernization and readiness efforts.
Such a center would provide the Army with a long-term research partner focused on developing and transitioning technologies needed for national defense.
Supporters contend that bringing the ARMOR Center to Arizona could strengthen domestic manufacturing capacity, expand the military’s ability to adopt emerging technologies, and reduce vulnerabilities within defense supply chains.
“A UARC in Arizona would deepen the Army’s partnership with a state that already delivers defense manufacturing, semiconductor production, federally funded research, and a skilled engineering workforce,” Biggs and Crane wrote.
Biggs and Crane asked Hegseth to give ASU’s proposal “full and fair consideration,” arguing that Arizona’s combination of defense manufacturing, military infrastructure, research capabilities and engineering workforce makes the state a natural location for the new national center.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
Arizona lawmakers are continuing efforts to prepare the state for advanced air mobility, hosting Joby Aviation at Phoenix Deer Valley Airport this week for a demonstration of the company’s autonomous flight technology.
Senate Majority Whip Frank Carroll (R-LD28) and Sen. David Farnsworth (R-LD10) attended the event, which featured Joby’s autonomous J208 aircraft and marked the beginning of the company’s nationwide Electric Skies tour.
🚨FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Arizona Senate Republicans Help Prepare State for the Future of Advanced Air Mobility
The J208 is a Cessna 208 Caravan equipped with autonomous aviation technology developed by Xwing, an autonomy division acquired by Joby Aviation in 2024. The aircraft is separate from Joby’s electric vertical takeoff and landing air taxi, which the company is developing for commercial passenger service.
Joby said the J208 departed Concord, California, on September 8 for its 2026 Electric Skies tour, which is intended to demonstrate autonomous aviation technology during a cross-country flight.
Joby reported that the aircraft completed its eastbound cross-country journey under remote supervision, with an onboard safety pilot who made no control inputs.
September is shaping up to be a huge month for our J208 program and the future of autonomous flight.
Former fighter pilot @maxabusa spent his career flying with a stick and a rudder.
The pilot commanding the J208 uses a keyboard, a mouse, and a microphone.
The Phoenix event continued a series of demonstrations and legislative initiatives aimed at expanding Arizona’s advanced air mobility sector.
In March, Farnsworth hosted representatives from Pivotal Aviation at the Arizona Capitol for discussions about potential uses of electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft in communities including Superior and Globe.
Those discussions focused on rural transportation, emergency response, public safety, and connections between communities that have limited access to traditional transportation infrastructure. Pivotal Aviation markets the Helix, a single-seat electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft.
Later that month, legislation sponsored by Farnsworth had advanced through the House Technology and Infrastructure Committee.
One measure, SB 1826, would appropriate $2 million from the Advanced Air Mobility Fund to the Arizona Office of Defense Innovation and require a public-private partnership supporting autonomous systems, advanced aviation, and related defense and aerospace development.
A second measure, SB 1549, would add ultralight vehicles to Arizona’s statutory definition of advanced air mobility.
The legislative work builds upon SB 1307, sponsored by Carroll and signed into law in 2025. The law directs the Arizona Department of Transportation to incorporate advanced air mobility into state aviation planning and consider infrastructure including vertiports, charging facilities, emergency-response applications, and integration with existing transportation systems.
Arizona’s fiscal year 2025-2026 transportation budget also deposited $2 million into the Advanced Air Mobility Fund. State law allows the fund to support planning, infrastructure development, research, workforce development, public education, and local transportation projects connected with advanced air mobility.
Carroll said Arizona has an opportunity to lead the next major development in transportation by creating a regulatory and infrastructure environment that encourages aviation investment.
“We’ve been laying the groundwork at the legislature so companies developing the future of aviation know Arizona is open for innovation and ready for investment,” Carroll said. “Advanced Air Mobility can improve connectivity between our communities, strengthen emergency response and public safety, support our defense industry, connect communities, and create tremendous economic opportunities.”
“Arizona has the opportunity to lead the next revolution in transportation,” he continued.
Farnsworth said technological development in the sector is accelerating and that lawmakers must ensure state policy keeps pace.
“Our responsibility as lawmakers is to remove unnecessary barriers and ensure that the infrastructure and policies are in place to translate innovation into real-world transportation.” He added, “This is about more than new aircraft. It’s about jobs, economic growth, stronger communities, and giving Arizonans entirely new ways to move around our state.”
“The technology is here, the momentum is building, and Arizona has every ingredient necessary to become the national leader in Advanced Air Mobility,” Farnsworth continued.
Joby also demonstrated its autonomous technology during the U.S. military’s 2025 Resolute Force Pacific exercise, testing capabilities for cargo delivery and military logistics. According to Joby’s account, the campaign logged more than 7,000 autonomous miles, including round-trip ferry flights across the Pacific; six exercise sorties accounted for 2,416 miles. Ground stations supervised the flights, with a safety pilot aboard to monitor system performance.
Carroll and Farnsworth said they are continuing to consult aviation companies and other stakeholders as they prepare for the 2027 legislative session. The Senate Republican announcement did not identify specific legislation planned for the session.
Correction:An earlier version incorrectly described the 2025 military demonstration as transporting personnel and attributed its total flight mileage to operations between Hawaiian locations. The article has been corrected to describe the cargo-logistics demonstration, distinguish exercise mileage from ferry flights, and include the presence of an onboard safety pilot.
Several days after the one-year anniversary of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, his memorial was once again vandalized.
Kirk was assassinated Sept. 10, 2025, while speaking at Utah Valley University. He was the founder and CEO of Turning Point USA (TPUSA), a conservative advocacy organization. Kirk was 31 years old at the time of his death. He left behind Erika, his wife of four years, and their two young children.
A bronze statue depicting Kirk’s likeness and a sign featuring a picture of Kirk were vandalized with red paint.
The paint was drawn in the pattern of an “X” over the statue’s face, a frowning face was drawn over the statue’s torso, and paint was spattered over the statue’s neck and hat in a similar representation to the gunshot wound that Kirk sustained in the assassination.
Similarly, the paint was drawn in the pattern of an “X” over the face and neck area in Kirk’s picture on the sign. The quote on the sign — “May Charlie be received into the merciful arms of Jesus, our loving Savior” — had the word “Jesus” covered in red paint.
TPUSA advised in a public post that it had camera footage of the incident and that its personnel were working with law enforcement to identify those responsible for the vandalization.
“[V]andalism like this is not funny, it’s diabolical,” stated TPUSA. “The incident happened in the middle of the night because evil never sleeps. Beyond spray painting on the neck and face, they made the intentional decision to cross out the name of Jesus on a nearby sign.”
We will restore the statue and replace the signs, but we are also reviewing the footage of the incident and are working with law enforcement to identify who did this and hold them accountable.
But vandalism like this is not funny, it’s diabolical. The incident happened in the… pic.twitter.com/LSUJn9vYv4
Erika responded that incidents like this latest vandalism have only strengthened her resolve to continue her husband’s work. Erika now serves as the CEO of TPUSA.
“They thought a bullet would silence my husband’s voice but it only made it louder. They think spray paint can obscure his legacy, but it will only spread it further. Every attempt to tear down what Charlie built makes us root deeper and work even harder,” said Erika. “And if you think crossing out the name of Jesus Christ will silence Christians, history has already proved you wrong. We know what it costs to stand firm for Christ and we will stand anyway. God will not be mocked. We’ll put His name right back where it belongs, clean up the mess, restore Charlie’s statue, and keep building. We will never give up and never surrender.”
Charlie once said we should be building two statues for every statue that they tear down. His instinct was always to build, not to destroy.
They thought a bullet would silence my husband’s voice but it only made it louder. They think spray paint can obscure his legacy, but it… https://t.co/nfMlpsSwKd
Another one of Kirk’s memorials was vandalized last year by Mesa resident Ryder Corral, who was dressed similarly to Tyler James Robinson, Kirk’s accused assassin.
Man vandalizes Charlie Kirk memorial outside Turning Point USA headquarters in Phoenix
Phoenix police identified the vandal as 19-year-old Ryder Corral. In the video, he’s wearing a shirt similar to the one worn by Charlie Kirk’s killer. pic.twitter.com/bF7BJWBRTP
Robinson faces seven criminal charges in connection with Kirk’s assassination; prosecutors announced they are seeking the death penalty in his case.
Robinson’s defense attorneys have cost the state of Utah approximately $1.6 million so far, according to reporting from the Salt Lake Tribune.
A trial date has yet to be set in Robinson’s case. The next court date in his case is scheduled for Oct. 23, 2026, during which discussions of proposed trial dates are anticipated to occur.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
The city of Phoenix has declared Farmworkers Day to replace Cesar Chavez Day.
The replacement holiday will occur on the same day, March 31.
As with many other states and municipalities across the nation, the city of Phoenix ceased honoring once-lauded late civil rights leader Cesar Chavez following recent sexual abuse allegations. The allegations emerged in March of this year in reporting by The New York Times, published nearly 33 years to the day of Chavez’s death in 1993 at 66 years old.
Chavez was born in Yuma and died in San Luis. He served in the U.S. Navy for two years prior to relocating to California where he joined the Community Service Organization and began his career as a labor advocate.
Multiple women alleged to The New York Times that Chavez had sexually abused them when they were children. Other women alleged that Chavez sexually assaulted them, including Dolores Huerta, the woman who co-founded the National Farm Workers Association alongside him.
Huerta alleged that she had been pressured to have sex with Chavez in 1960 and that Chavez raped her in 1966. Huerta later entered a relationship with Chavez’s brother and had four children by him.
Some within the movement that were close to Chavez have denied the allegations against him.
The city of Phoenix will now recognize Farmworkers Day since it occurs in proximity to April 6, the date in 1966 when the National Farm Workers Association reached a historic agreement with Schenley Industries, a major grape grower, to recognize the association as the sole collective bargaining agent for its workers.
In a press release announcing their decision, city of Phoenix leaders directly attributed The New York Times reporting to their decision to swap Cesar Chavez Day for Farmworkers Day.
“While Cesar Chavez was a well-known leader in the fight for labor rights, the movement belonged to so many other individuals who were leaders in their own right,” said Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego. “We will recognize and honor their collective struggles, sacrifices, and successes on Farmworkers Day.”
Councilwoman Laura Pastor offered sentiments similar to the mayor’s, stating that labor union advocacy was greater than Chavez’s legacy.
“The fight for workers’ rights has always been deeply personal to me. The farmworker movement was built by generations of people who stood together for dignity and fair treatment,” said Pastor. “Permanently recognizing Farmworkers Day allows us to honor that legacy and center the workers whose courage and sacrifice made progress possible.”
Councilwoman Betty Guardado agreed.
“This day belongs to the workers. It belongs to their families. It belongs to everyone who has stood together and said that hard work deserves dignity, respect, and a fair shot,” said Guardado.
The city has also initiated other efforts to rename street signs, facilities, and public amenities bearing Chavez’s name.
Earlier this year, Gov. Katie Hobbs repealed the state law recognizing Cesar Chavez Day through a bipartisan emergency measure advanced by the state legislature. State Sen. Sally Ann Gonzales (D-LD20) was the sole dissenting vote against the measure.
Gonzales wrote a letter to Hobbs arguing that a veto was necessary because the measure was unconstitutional. Gonzales urged Hobbs to allow voters to decide on the fate of Cesar Chavez Day via referendum.
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