by Matthew Holloway | Aug 2, 2024 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
The 2024 Arizona Primary Election for Southern Arizona’s seats in the U.S. House of Representatives involved races that were mostly uncontested or lightly contested with the notable exception of District 6. That race, between incumbent Republican Congressman Juan Ciscomani and challenger Kathleen Winn, was more energetic, and will now be followed by what could be a staunch challenge from Democrat Kirsten Engel.
While the results are not finalized in many of the races, according to state and county officials, the unofficial results stand thusly as of noon on July 31 according to the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office.
Jeff Zink won the Arizona Congressional Primary for District 3, vacated by Democrat Rep. Ruben Gallego, against Jesus David Mendoza, 65.6%-34.4%, by a margin of 3,720 votes.
Zink is expected to face off against Yassamin Ansari who defeated Raquel Terán to win the Democratic nomination in a close 46.1%-42.7% race by a margin of 1,185.
According to Cook Political, District 3 leans heavily Democrat D+24
Republican Kelly Cooper defeated Dr. Zuhdi Jasser in a six-point race, 32.2%-26.8%, with a margin of 2,692 in Democrat-held District 4.
Cooper will challenge incumbent Congressman Greg Stanton who ran unopposed.
According to Cook Political, District 2 is solidly Democrat but only holds a D+2 rating, indicating a possible vulnerability for House Democrats. Cooper was previously defeated by Stanton in 2022 in a 12-point race by a margin of 32,420 votes, a massive decrease from Stanton’s 2020 23-point, six-figure margin prior to redistricting.
Dr. Jasser posted to X Thursday acknowledging his defeat in the race and issued a full statement. He wrote, “A humble thank you to all our supporters after a hard fought primary election battle for Arizona’s 4th Congressional District. I congratulate @KellyCooperAZ and wish him and his family the best in retiring the empty suited Biden rubber stamper @RepGregStanton from office.”
Cooper replied, “It was honor to run against you, I know we have the same goals, make Arizona better. I look forward to bringing unity to the Republican Party and winning in November!”
Reps. Andy Biggs, a Republican, and Katrina Schaffner, a Democrat, won their respective nominations in unopposed District 5 primaries and will face off in the general election.
According to Cook Political, District 5 is solidly Republican R+11
Incumbent Congressman Juan Ciscomani defeated challenger Kathleen Winn in a 59.4%-40.6% race by a margin of 16,344.
Ciscomani will be challenged by Democrat Kirsten Engel in November who won the Democratic nomination unopposed.
Cook Political, considers District 6 to be a Republican Toss-up R+3
Forecasting from The Hill gives Ciscomani a 71% chance of retaining his seat.
Republican Daniel Butierez, Sr., and incumbent Democrat Congressman Raúl Grijalva, were unopposed in their District 7 primaries and will face each other in the general election.
Cook Political, has District 7 projected as solidly Democratic at D+15
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 Carson Carpenter | Jul 10, 2024 | Opinion
By Carson Carpenter |
As an 18-year-old student graduating from Arizona State University this May, I constantly think about what is next. Many people in Gen-Z are often told, “After school, you need to find a good paying job” or “You should go to graduate school.” But I find it sad that there are so few people telling Gen-Z to “raise a young family and provide for them any way that you can.”
Generation Z has the moniker of being the social media generation. Because of that, many tend to think that the majority of my generation is made up of a bunch of degenerates. But the reality is quite the opposite.
Generation Z has a very high percentage of individuals who want to enhance their lives by placing family at the center. Vice Media Group reported, “73% [of Gen-Z] say that becoming a parent enhances who you already are as a person.” This is significant because it shows that Gen-Z recognizes the inherent value of starting and sustaining a family.
The birth rate in America has been declining for some time now, and births out of wedlock are at an all-time high. Many often wonder what has gone wrong in America for this to happen. The truth is that the deconstruction of the nuclear family unit and a growing lack of faith have played a significant role. But despite all this, there is optimism. Between 2010 and 2020, births out of wedlock did not increase for the first time since the 1930s. Between 2020 and 2030, there are reasonable projections that this number will decrease for the first time. This can be attributed to Generation Z starting families and reverting to traditional values.
This brings me to the 2024 election. There is so much on the line for younger voters this November, and many of them will vote for candidates who will focus on the economy and homeland security. These hot-button issues directly affect the ability and environment to have a family. Many do not buy the claim that “their vote doesn’t count” because they have seen how the ability to start and keep a family has been much more difficult under the Biden administration’s policies.
Another important issue for Gen-Z is the value of faith in family life, and recent research backs this up, showing a resurgence in religious faith among Gen-Z. After the COVID-19 pandemic, mental health issues were at an all-time high, especially within my generation, and the return to normal life after crippling lockdown policies was extremely difficult for many. Due to this, Gen-Z began to wake up to faith and become believers. Of course, this is not a new concept. After the Black Death that crippled Europe, many people thought of religion in new ways, which eventually led to Protestantism and other forms of Christianity. Before COVID-19, faith started to decline in the United States, and many people were leaving it for atheism. But now that the pandemic is over and we move into the mid-2020s, we may be in the early stages of a religious revival that could prove to be similar to medieval Europe.
Generation Z has been shaped by a unique time period. We’ve seen family and religious values fall to dramatically low levels, and we’re starting to see what that can do to a society. When Rome and Greece abandoned these values, their empires fell into ruin. Now, Generation Z has the opportunity to keep us from this same fate by resurrecting this country to focus on family and faith once again.
Carson Carpenter is an Arizona State University student majoring in Political Science. He is the President of The College Republicans at ASU and is the National Committeeman to Arizona for The College Republicans of America. He has also interned for Reps. Gosar and Crane.
by Daniel Stefanski | Apr 3, 2024 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
Many current or aspiring public servants submitted signatures to make the ballot for the upcoming 2024 election in Arizona.
Over the past weeks, men and women running for office across all jurisdictions in Arizona finalized their petition signature gathering and turned in their offerings to meet the deadline.
Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell, a Republican, announced that she had turned in 8,941 signatures. She said, “Your dedication and enthusiasm have truly blown me away, and I’m so grateful for the overwhelming support from our community. It’s because of amazing folks like you that I get to keep fighting the good fight—upholding the rule of law and keeping our communities safe in Maricopa County.”
State Senator Justine Wadsack, a Republican revealed that she had filed 1,381 signatures. She wrote, “I have officially qualified for the 2024 ballot! We collected more than twice the required signatures & maxed out the verified Equal! Thanks to my PC’s hard work, we had another year of organic circulation & not a single paid signature!”
Justin Heap, a Republican running for Maricopa County Recorder, shared that he had acquired over 8,000 signatures in fewer than 30 days since he entered that race. Heap said, “I’m humbled by the overwhelming outpouring of support from voters across the County.”
Kevin Volk, a Democrat attempting to win a seat in the Arizona House of Representatives in Legislative District 17, filed 2,138 signatures in his quest to win an election. He shared that he “was able to meet many of the people who signed at their homes, [and that] the rest signed thanks to an incredible grassroots volunteer effort.”
Senate President Pro Tempore T.J. Shope thanked the 1,000+ people who signed his petition for reelection to the chamber in Legislative District 16. He stated that he “won’t let you down in our fight to keep our Arizona values at the State Senate!”
Ylenia Aguilar, a Democrat challenger for the Arizona Corporation Commission, filed her signatures to qualify for the ballot. She noted the support of individuals around the state who assisted her with this campaign achievement, writing, “This wouldn’t have been possible without the incredible dedication & hard work of our volunteers.”
Two other Democrats running for the Arizona Corporation Commission also turned in their signatures in March – Jonathon Hill and Joshua Polacheck.
Mark Stewart, a Republican running for Maricopa County Board of Supervisors in District One, proudly unveiled his signature totals, which amounted to over 2,300 after a second batch. He thanked his “dedicated volunteers for [their] tireless efforts in gathering thousands of signatures, and [his] family for their unwavering patience and support.”
Shane Krauser, a candidate for the open position for Gilbert Mayor, also announced that he had filed enough signatures to qualify for the ballot.
The Arizona Primary Election will be on Tuesday, July 30, 2024. Winners of their respective party elections will move on to the pivotal General Election in November, which will have huge implications for the state and the nation.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by John R. Ammon | Feb 27, 2024 | Opinion
By John R. Ammon |
The United States and Arizona election systems are broken. The last several election cycles have demonstrated the defects in the electoral system and defined the Democrat project to increase large numbers of favorable and questionable ballots and not actual, legitimate votes by citizens of our state and our nation.
Increasing numbers of illegal aliens vote across the country, especially after the last three years of intentional destruction of our borders by the current Administration. Without restating all the proofs and data indicating what has gone wrong with election integrity across America, what can the Arizona voting citizen do to not lose his or her ballot being honestly counted and expressing each legitimate citizen’s choice of how we are to be governed? Project this critical question to millions of votes cast in primary and general elections and the question of election integrity becomes very clear.
Until the state of Arizona once again becomes red in future election cycles, i.e., governed by those who strive to conserve (as in ‘conservatism’) the Founders’ foundational vision of representative government with honest elections, we must use the existing election system to win elections and thwart the dangerous leftist intention of Obama’s “fundamental transformation of America” with a permanent ruling elite and evolution of a Marxist-like governing class.
How do we do this?
For brevity, the following recommendations hopefully will block or reduce the dangerous election manipulations that have occurred in the past three Arizona (and U.S.) election cycles.
- 80% of Arizona ballots are cast by Mail-In-Voting. In Maricopa County, that figure is 90%. The Democrat focus is on the number of ballots cast and how they are counted rather than legitimate votes cast. They have rallied their voters to cast their votes by mailing in ballots early after receipt. By election day, Democrats can be 700,000 votes ahead in Arizona elections. ‘Proud’ Republicans who insist on voting on ‘Election Day’ in person are far behind already in state and national races. Witnessing the terrible performance of polling stations and incompetent voting mechanics in Maricopa County and elsewhere in Arizona in 2022, confidence for in-person voting on Election Day in Arizona should be zero, nada. Until the traditional voting methods are reestablished someday when political and Legislative power is capable of doing so, you should vote by mail in Arizona. If not already a mail-in voter, see the instructions below to get on the Active Mail-In Voting List (AEVL) and do so ASAP.
- Voting by mail in Arizona means filling our your ballot early within days of receiving it at your address, ascertaining that the envelope is properly signed and then delivering it to your post office. Do not wait – fill it out, sign it and mail it at your post office. Proof of the ballot being received, your signature being verified, and your vote actually counted is your responsibility as a citizen of Arizona and America. Remember – you can be and You Are Your Own Poll Watcher.
- DON’T BE A STUPID VOTER – what does this mean? DO NOT BRING YOUR GREEN MAIL-IN BALLOT ENVELOPE TO A POLLING STATION ON ELECTION DAY TO DROP OFF IN A BOX FOR FUTURE (YES, FUTURE) COUNTING. Hundreds of thousands of Arizona voters do this and it feeds corruption of the ballot counting throughout Arizona, especially in Maricopa County. Since the 2018 Arizona election, we have seen election reversals of Republican winners in the days and weeks after the announced results on the night of the actual election date. If you ‘drop off your mail-in ballot’ on election day at the polling station your vote will not be included in the evening results of the general election on November 5th or on the March 19th primary. THAT IS STUPID. When or if it is honestly counted for the final election results cannot be relied on. Ballot manipulation is the Democrat game. Don’t play it. Even better, don’t vote on election day in Arizona – vote by mail early and follow your ballot until you know that it is received, your signature verified and your vote counted. To follow your mail-in ballot and ascertain that your vote is counted after submitting it, see below.
How to be on the Active Early Voting List (AEVL) in Arizona if you are not on it already:
For a registered voter to move on to the AEVL, use this site to change your registration to the Active Early Voting List online or to obtain the form to submit a written AEVL request. Sign the document that you filled out, then mail, fax, or email a scanned copy or photo of your handwritten request to your County Recorder’s Office.
How to follow your Mail-In Ballot in Arizona to ascertain receipt by your County Recorder election center, your signature verification, and the counting of your vote:
After you have mailed in your Early Ballot (very soon after you receive it), follow your ballot at the following link: https://my.arizona.vote/AbsenteeTracker.aspx. This site gives each Arizona voter throughout the state the ability to follow his or her ballot and to ascertain that the vote you have cast has been legitimately counted. Information about your early mail-in ballot should be available within days of mailing it in.
Voters can also sign up for text messages and email alerts as part of the ballot-by-mail/early ballot tracking service. To sign up, visit trackmyballot.azsos.gov.
The Arizona citizen voter is strongly encouraged to use these two links and the services provided. As a responsible citizen, don’t forget – You Are Your Own Poll Watcher. You want an honest election? IT STARTS WITH YOU using the existing system smartly and consistently until we can reform the system for real confidence in future elections.
A version of this opinion article originally appeared in The Prickly Pear.
John R. Ammon is the Executive Editor of The Prickly Pear.
by Daniel Stefanski | Jan 19, 2024 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
Arizona Republicans are gearing up for the November General Election.
Last week, the Arizona Republican Party announced that it had “set another record-breaking fundraising quarter under the leadership of Chairman DeWit.”
The press release transmitted from the AZGOP highlighted that state Republicans had “raised $670,345.91 from over 7,564 individual donors” in the 2023 fourth quarter.
In a statement accompanying the announcement, AZGOP Chairman Jeff DeWit said, “As the AZGOP’s leadership, we are fully committed to core Republican values. We are tirelessly raising funds and actively recruiting dedicated Republicans to run for office. Our focus includes increasing republican voter registration, fiercely protecting election integrity, opposing bad initiatives like ranked choice voting, and building a massive get-out-the-vote machine. We are thankful to our wonderful donors who recognize the impactful efforts of the AZGOP, and we are working hard to use those dollars as effectively and efficiently as possible.”
The AZGOP noted that the 2023 Q4 fundraising haul was significantly higher than quarters for “similar periods in past election cycles, subtracting Republican National Committee transfers to show actual donation numbers.” Its news release asserted that the party brought in $186,621.59 in the fourth quarter of 2015, and $340,436.39 in the fourth quarter of 2019.
DeWit and his team will need every possible penny from donors in advance of the onslaught of significant campaigns later this year. Arizona is a high stakes swing state in the 2024 Presidential contest, and the eventual Republican nominee will likely require the state’s 11 electoral votes if he (or she) is to capture the White House. The Grand Canyon State will also feature one of the nation’s most competitive U.S. Senate races, and both major political parties will be vying for control of the state legislature, where Republicans hold very narrow majorities in both chambers. In addition, there may very well be multiple ballot measures for voters to consider in November (one of which is an abortion amendment), that could permanently change the state’s DNA.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
