by AZ Free Enterprise Club | Jan 16, 2026 | Opinion
By the Arizona Free Enterprise Club |
Over the past month, Minnesota has been hard at work to set the gold standard for jaw-dropping fraud scandals under the watch of Democrat Governor Tim Walz. The Somali daycare scandal has turned the state into a national punchline—hundreds of millions in taxpayer dollars stolen in plain sight while Kamala Harris’ favorite “masculine” governor looked the other way.
Now, with Walz stepping aside from this reelection bid, a new contender for “most scandal-plagued governor on the 2026 ballot” has emerged: Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs. While Minnesota’s scandals have dominated headlines, Hobbs has been busy compiling a rap sheet that rivals what happened in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. But unlike Walz, Hobbs and her administration are under active criminal investigation.
A Pay-to-Play Scheme Engulfs the Hobbs Administration
The list of Hobbs’ scandals is a mile long and begins at the start of her tenure as governor. At that time, Hobbs set up a shady slush fund to provide donors with a conduit to buy political favor from her administration. While setting up and managing the fund, Hobbs illegally used public resources—like the state’s website—to solicit money for her inauguration. And she also tried to stop the disclosure of the names of those who donated to her inaugural fund.
After immense political pressure, Hobbs finally released the names of the donors. One of the names of the groups on the list was Sunshine Residential Homes Inc., a for-profit company that contracts with the State of Arizona. Sunshine Residential donated $100,000 to the secret fund, which was suspicious enough. But after some additional digging by local reporters, an even deeper level of corruption was revealed—an alleged pay-to-play scheme between Hobbs and the group home.
According to the report, it turns out Sunshine Residential Homes doled out $400,000 to the Arizona Democratic Party, Hobbs’ gubernatorial campaign committee, and her aforementioned inaugural fund. Hobbs and her campaign finance manager even arranged a dinner with the government contractor to meet with the CEO in private.
After making the large donations, Sunshine was granted a 30 percent increase in their rates at a time when the Arizona Department of Child Safety cut loose 16 providers! On top of that, no other standard group home provider received a rate increase. This arrangement ensured that Sunshine Residential would receive millions in additional revenue at the taxpayers’ expense.
Hobbs’ is currently under three separate criminal investigations for this pay-to-play scheme, but it’s not the only financial scandal we’ve seen during her reign as governor…
>>> CONTINUE READING >>>
by Staff Reporter | Jan 10, 2026 | News
By Staff Reporter |
Congressman Andy Biggs is revisiting the promises allegedly broken by Governor Katie Hobbs to kick off the 2026 election fight. Biggs is seeking to unseat Hobbs.
Many of those allegedly broken promises had to do with Hobbs’ claims of bipartisanship. Hobbs promised repeatedly on the campaign trail that she would work with Republicans on certain issues.
One of those promises was that she wouldn’t veto a ban on food taxes.
Hobbs told Arizona PBS that she wouldn’t prioritize partisanship over good policy.
“I’m not going to say no to anything if there’s a way to provide relief for Arizonans,” said Hobbs.
However, within months of taking office Hobbs vetoed a Republican-led bill to ban taxation on food. In her veto letter, Hobbs said the municipalities’ concerns about funding sources without a food tax were reasonable, and that the elimination of the tax wouldn’t take place immediately or eliminate overall costs for residents anyhow.
“From potential cuts to service — including public safety — to increased property taxes, it’s clear that this bill doesn’t actually eliminate costs for our residents. It simply moves those costs around,” wrote Hobbs.
Hobbs also claimed she wouldn’t support a food tax ban because federal welfare recipients, being tax-exempt, wouldn’t feel any of the benefits of a tax elimination.
“[This bill] does nothing for the more than 800,000 Arizonans who use SNAP and WIC benefits for their groceries, as these constituents are already exempt from the tax,” said Hobbs.
Governor Hobbs’ party-line approach to the state’s executive branch as evidenced by the food ban veto has prompted criticisms and friction with the GOP-controlled legislature. The results have devastated many of the priority bills favored by House and Senate Republicans. The governor has repeatedly broken records for the highest number of vetoes in a single legislative session and executive term.
Hobbs vetoed over 180 bills after her first year in office, and again around 180 bills this past year in 2025. Previously, the record high was 181 vetoes — but over the course of six years under former Governor Janet Napolitano, the last Democrat to hold the office before Hobbs.
When Hobbs initiated efforts for her reelection campaign early last year, she again sought to frame herself as a bipartisan agent.
Hobbs launched a border task force that resembled the one launched by her Republican predecessor, Doug Ducey. This move represented a flip from her initial stance scaling back support for federal immigration enforcement, which included the dissolution of Ducey’s border task force.
Hobbs’ team claimed her border team differed from Ducey’s, but the two were virtually the same.
The governor also restored an agency leader picked by Ducey and dumped by her. Hobbs had initially selected the former Arizona Food Bank Network CEO Angie Rodgers for director of the Department of Economic Security. Hobbs changed her mind early last year and reinstalled Ducey’s pick, Michael Wisehart.
Hobbs also selected another Ducey administration veteran, Katie Ptak, for director over the Department of Child Safety.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Ethan Faverino | Jan 9, 2026 | News
By Ethan Faverino |
Maricopa County Elections’ latest newsletter, released January 1, 2026, delivered key updates for upcoming elections, including precinct boundary changes, opportunities to support upcoming elections, and important dates for the 2026 election cycle.
The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors recently approved 235 voting precinct changes, which took effect on January 2, 2026, eliminating precincts with zero voters, aligning boundaries with major freeways, reducing overall precinct sizes for better manageability, and minimizing splits across cities, towns, and school districts.
These adjustments aim to accommodate ongoing population growth across the county and ensure sufficient precinct capacity to support efficient in-person voting operations. Additionally, the Board established a new Justice Court District in the West Valley, named Canyon Trails.
Maricopa County Elections also continues its search for community partners willing to host Vote Centers for the 2026 election season. By providing a suitable space, hosts play a direct role in strengthening election access and supporting participation in the community.
Ideal Vote Center locations must meet the following requirements:
- Minimum room size of 1,600 square feet
- Full ADA accessibility
- Reliable power and air conditioning
- Ample parking to handle high voter traffic
Hosts may commit to one of several durations: 27 days, 12 days, 4 days, 2 days, or 1 day, depending on the election period and location needs.
For the City of Tempe, Maricopa County Elections will conduct an all-mail election on March 10, 2026. Under Arizona law, eligible voters will automatically receive a ballot by mail. The voter registration deadline for this election is February 9, 2026.
Replacement ballots will be available for in-person voting starting March 3, 2026, at the Tempe History Museum.
Maricopa County Elections serves as the filing officer for a range of countywide elected offices, including Justice of the Peace, Constable, Judges seeking retention, Special Taxing Districts, and Precinct Committeemen.
To assist prospective candidates, Maricopa County Elections will host the following virtual training sessions:
- January 13 and February 5, 2026 – General candidate training
- January 15 and February 3, 2026 – Precinct Committeeman training
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Matthew Holloway | Jan 7, 2026 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Two Democratic candidates have withdrawn from the 2026 race for Arizona’s 6th Congressional District, leaving a single Democrat, JoAnna Mendoza, seeking to challenge Republican incumbent U.S. Rep. Juan Ciscomani.
According to Gila Valley Central, Samantha Severson officially withdrew from the race on Dec. 30, reducing the Democratic primary field to one active candidate in the southeastern Arizona district.
Severson’s departure followed the earlier withdrawal of Johnathan Buma, who announced that he was ending his campaign for the Democratic nomination in Arizona’s 6th Congressional District on Dec. 19.
In a statement to Gila Valley Central, Buma said his decision was not made “in retreat,” but after concluding that his efforts would be better directed outside electoral politics. He said he plans to focus on humanitarian and grassroots initiatives through his work with Project Lost & Found – Voices of Gratitude.
Buma, a former FBI agent, was arrested and charged in March 2025, according to federal court records cited by ABC News. Prosecutors allege Buma printed approximately 130 files from the FBI’s internal network, some of which were marked with warnings indicating the information was protected.
According to the Arizona Republic, Buma publicly criticized the FBI for political bias before leaving the agency and subsequently filed paperwork to run for Congress in May 2025.
The withdrawals by Severson and Buma follow several earlier Democratic exits from the race. Gila Valley Central previously reported that Aiden Swallow dropped out of the congressional contest to pursue a run for the Arizona Legislature. The outlet has also reported that Mo Goldman and Chris Donat withdrew earlier in the cycle.
With the departures of Severson and Buma, JoAnna Mendoza, who ran unsuccessfully for the Arizona Senate in 2020, now remains the only Democrat actively seeking the party’s nomination in Arizona’s 6th Congressional District.
Campaign finance filings indicate that Ciscomani has maintained a fundraising advantage as the race has developed. According to reporting by Arizona Public Media (AZPM), Ciscomani reported a larger cash-on-hand balance than Mendoza in recent Federal Election Commission filings, reflecting the advantages of incumbency.
AZPM noted that Mendoza outraised Ciscomani in the third quarter of 2025, with Mendoza’s campaign reporting roughly $669,000 raised from July through September compared with Ciscomani’s reported period haul of about $458,000, citing Federal Election Commission filings. However, Ciscomani maintained a larger overall campaign reserve due to prior fundraising and transfers from allied political committees.
Arizona’s 6th Congressional District includes Cochise, Graham, and Greenlee Counties, along with portions of eastern Pima County, and has drawn national attention due to its narrow margins. The Cook Political Report currently rates the district as a toss-up for the 2026 election.
In the 2024 general election, Ciscomani defeated Democrat Kirsten Engel by approximately 2.5 percentage points, winning by nearly 11,000 votes, roughly doubling his 2022 margin over Engel.
As of publication, no outlets have reported additional Democratic candidates entering the race following the withdrawals of Severson and Buma.
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 | Nov 24, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Congressman Andy Biggs has called out Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs for “blatant hypocrisy” after she publicly pitched the benefits of the federal Working Families Tax Cut, a policy she previously denounced as a “betrayal.”
In a statement released Thursday, Biggs said Hobbs is “shamelessly” attempting to attach herself to a Republican-driven tax package that she vocally opposed earlier this year.
“After calling the Working Families Tax Cut a ‘betrayal,’ Katie Hobbs now shamelessly wants to take credit for the tax cuts passed by President Trump and Congressional Republicans,” Biggs said. The congressman provided links to her July comments to Fox10 in which the Governor stated:
“This bill is a betrayal of working families, children, and seniors in Arizona who will lose their healthcare, their ability to put food on the table, and good-paying jobs, all to give tax cuts to the people who are already billionaires while ballooning our national debt by $3.4 trillion.”
Biggs argued that despite Hobbs’ prior opposition, Republicans “successfully delivered tax relief to working-class Arizonans and seniors who are being hurt by the rising energy costs of Hobbs’ progressive, green energy agenda.”
On X, Biggs highlighted Hobbs’ recent promotion of her own “Middle Class Tax Cuts Package,” which includes bigger deductions, tax relief for seniors, and exemptions on taxes for tips, overtime, and new car loan interest.
Hobbs, who recently launched her 2026 reelection bid, has highlighted the tax cut in campaign messaging and controversially billed her events as “Arizona First” rallies, as noted by Capitol Media. Biggs asserted that the move reflects political weakness within her own party.
“Even her fellow Democrats are calling her ‘weak’ because they know the truth just like Arizonans do: Katie Hobbs has failed our state, and now she’s trying to cover it up by taking credit for Republican victories,” he said citing an op-ed from AZ Mirror.
The Working Families Tax Cut, a component of the “One Big Beautiful Bill” championed by President Donald Trump, Biggs, and other House Republicans, expanded credits for lower- and middle-income households and included relief provisions for seniors. Hobbs criticized the measure during negotiations, calling it fiscally irresponsible and siding with Democrats who argued it favored Republican priorities.
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.
