by Daniel Stefanski | Nov 4, 2024 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
A southern Arizona Member of Congress responded to an insult from a Democrat surrogate in the closing days of the 2024 General Election.
Last week, U.S. Congressman Juan Ciscomani issued a statement in reaction to comments made by Mark Cuban, who is supporting the Democrat candidate for President of the United States, Kamala Harris. Cuban, who was on The View, ignited national outrage when he said, “Donald Trump, you never see him around strong, intelligent women. Ever.”
Soon after those words from Cuban were uttered, Ciscomani posted a picture of a number of women around him, including his wife and daughter, writing, “Proud to have strong and intelligent women supporting our campaign and defending this seat. I was raised by a strong woman, am married to a strong woman, and honored to have the support of strong women!”
Ciscomani’s wife, Laura, also responded to Cuban, saying, “First woman in my family to obtain higher ed, graduated from Stanford with high honors, and I have master’s degree too. By the way, I can deadlift more than what Mark Cuban weighs.”
The freshman Republican legislator is locked in a heated battle for a reelection bid with Democrat Kirsten Engel – a rematch from the 2022 November General Election. That year, Ciscomani won by fewer than 6,000 votes.
Ciscomani has received a number of endorsements from local and national organizations for his reelection bid, including the Tucson Police Officers Association, National Border Patrol Council, AZCOPS, Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Americans for Prosperity, National Federation of Independent Business, Republican Jewish Coalition, and AIPAC. Individuals supporting Ciscomani include Greenlee County Sheriff PJ Allred, Town of Willcox Mayor Mike Laws, City of Benson Mayor Joe Konrad, and City of Casa Grande Mayor Craig McFarland.
The winner of this contest for Arizona’s Sixth Congressional District will be critical for control of the U.S. House of Representatives in the 119th Congress.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | Nov 3, 2024 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
Arizona’s Senate President is working to defend state laws and to elect President Donald J. Trump to the White House.
Last week, Senator Warren Petersen, the leader of his chamber, issued a statement after sitting in depositions for legal cases that he is a part of, involving two laws passed by the Arizona Legislature – a citizens-only voting law and the Save Women’s Sports Act.
In his statement, Petersen asserted that he intervened in the defense of both these laws because of the refusal of Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes to do so. He also said, “You might ask why I have to sit through a grueling deposition when I have legislative immunity. The answer is that the liberal 9th Circuit Court does not believe I enjoy that constitutional right. It is hard to believe they could get something so simple wrong but this is a perfect example of why they are the most overturned circuit in the nation.”
Petersen promised to appeal both of the cases to the Supreme Court of the United States, adding, “I am confident we will prevail. The 9th Circuit may not know what a woman is but most of the Supreme Court still does. The 9th Circuit may no longer believe that only citizens should vote but the majority of the Supreme court does. I am also confident the Supreme Court will rule that elected officials are not subject to such depositions.”
He finished by highlighting the necessity of electing former President Donald J. Trump to the White House, writing, “Just another reminder to me of why we need President Trump. He will appoint more judges that believe in the original intent of the Constitution.”
Petersen’s statement was greeted by praise for his efforts from many of his followers. State Senator Sylvia Allen said, “Thanks Senator for standing strong on behalf of the citizens of Arizona.” Another grassroots activist replied, “Warren Petersen for Attorney General 2026!!”
The Senate President’s prolific defense of state and federal laws over the past two years in the Arizona Legislature has launched him into a conversation for state Attorney General as politicos start to look at the fast-approaching 2026 cycle. Petersen has joined several briefs and lawsuits from Republican attorneys general around the country in lieu of Mayes’ involvement, giving him first-hand experience in the world of a state’s top prosecutor for select issues. If he would run for the post, it is unknown who – if anyone – might contend with him for the primary election nomination.
Mayes is expected to run for re-election as Attorney General, yet her public and private disagreements with Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs have led some to wonder if there could be a significant Democrat primary election brewing for the office of the state’s chief executive.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | Nov 2, 2024 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
One news network is shifting the status of the Grand Canyon State as the all-important November General Election inches closer to the nation.
Earlier this week, Fox News’ Power Rankings shifted Arizona from being a “Toss-Up” to a “Lean R” battleground state. If Arizona were to land in the Trump camp, he would capture its eleven electoral votes, which have proven critical to securing a victory for the White House in recent elections.
According to the analysis from Fox News, “Immigration continues to be a highly important issue in Arizona, which shares a border with Mexico. In the latest Wall Street Journal survey, 25% of voters said immigration was the most important issue to their vote, higher than any other battleground. It was a ‘deal-breaker’ issue for 24% of voters. And Arizona voters preferred Trump on the issue by 10 points.”
The analysis added that “statewide polling has been directionally consistent and immigration reigns supreme.”
Both the Trump and Harris campaigns have targeted Arizona repeatedly over the past few months, spending large sums of money on advertising and get-out-the-vote efforts and making several trips to the state to encourage men and women to vote for their candidate in the closing days of the contest. Both Trump and his Vice-Presidential nominee, Senator J.D. Vance, were in Arizona last week, and they are returning this week. Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Governor Tim Walz, have made a handful of stops in communities around the state in recent weeks as well.
A recent poll from Atlas Intel shows that President Trump has opened up an almost four-point lead on Harris in Arizona, when the full field of candidates is included in the survey. Almost fifty-seven percent of respondents disapprove of President Joe Biden’s performance over the past four years, compared to just thirty-nine percent who approve, assisting in Trump’s ascent to the top of the polls in the Grand Canyon State. Almost fifty-four percent of respondents believe that Biden’s performance has been “bad / terrible” compared to twenty-eight percent who selected “excellent / good.”
As of Wednesday, Arizona Republicans continue to outpace their Democrat counterparts in early ballot returns, giving cautious optimism to many in the party around the state that, should the trend continue, Election Night on Tuesday, November 5, could be a very good night for them as they watch the results roll in from around the country.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by John Huppenthal | Oct 30, 2024 | Opinion
By John Huppenthal |
This analysis looks at President Trump’s first three years in office—2017, 2018 and 2019, the pre-COVID era—to get a more unbiased view of the policy impact of his approach.
In Trump’s first three years:
Trump extended economic growth to achieve the longest economic expansion in the history of the U.S.: 10.5 years.
Trump had the largest single year increase in 2019 median household income in history, increasing income by $5,420 to a level, $81,210, that Biden/Harris still haven’t reached.
To do this, Trump created 7.1 million full-time jobs in his first 3 years as president, the jobs that count: full-time jobs, in the pre-COVID era. This is more than an amazing feat because Trump only created 6.7 million total jobs. How did Trump increase full-time jobs by more than his total job increase? By making every job he created a full-time job, and, most importantly, converting 400,000 of Obama’s part-time jobs into full-time.
By comparison, Harris/Biden only created 1.0 million full-time jobs in the last two years, September 2022 to September 2024, the post-COVID era. Most of their job creation has been part-time jobs.
Trump created so many jobs that job openings exceeded the number of unemployed for the first time in history, not only exceeded but went on to double the number of unemployed.
The open job force was so strong under Trump’s first three years that he was stripping 160,000 people per month out of welfare for a total reduction of welfare recipients of 8.5 million, 19% of the total recipients.
The open job force was so strong that, for the first time ever, a million people left Social Security Disability and went from consuming Social Security tax dollars to paying into the system.
Trump pushed the bankruptcy date for the Social Security system back by years through welfare enrollment reduction and increased employment and wages.
Trump’s lowest unemployment rate of 3.5% was the lowest level since Eisenhower, just 0.1%, a tenth of a percent from its lowest level ever.
When Trump’s USMCA treaty was put in place, it created the world’s largest international trade confederation.
Trump set 12 all-time records for Black employment, pushing Black unemployment to its lowest level in recorded history, 5.3%, far below Obama’s lowest rate of 8.0%.
Trump reduced the personal income taxes for all families of four or more making $53,000 or less to zero. In the other 150+ countries of the world, such families are considered rich and pay tens of thousands in taxes. Economists have not begun to understand the full ramifications of this feat. In chess, it’s called checkmate. No other country can get the upper hand.
As a result, the wealth of the bottom 50% of the U.S. increased by $1.4 trillion under Trump. Under Obama’s last four years? 0.8 trillion
In a sane, rational world, Trump would have earned three economics Nobel prizes, setting records for trade, unemployment reduction, economic growth, and achieving economic equality. (That’s equality, not equity).
Trump’s strategy for his second term: the roaring 20s, where growth was 40% as compared to Obama’s 11%. The 1922 Fordney-McCumber tariffs of 40% were combined with a reduction of the personal income tax rate from 76% to 25% under Calvin Coolidge.
I am confident that Trump is eyeing a massive trade deal with China, just like Trump’s USMCA, which has shifted the trade balance of the world.
If Trump is successful at combining a modest and carefully designed broad tariff of 20% or less with equal or greater business tax rate reduction, we are likely to have the roaring 20s all over again. Hard to believe that the U.S. economy of $28 trillion could grow another 40% in the next four years but hold on to your hats.
John Huppenthal was the Arizona Superinterndent of Public Instruction from 2011-2015. Prior to this role, John served as a member of the Arizona State Senate and the Arizona House of Representatives. You can follow him on Twitter here.
by Daniel Stefanski | Oct 30, 2024 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
Arizona’s Republican Party leader got a shoutout from a former – and potentially future – President of the United States.
During former President Donald J. Trump’s recent stop in Tempe, he addressed the work of Gina Swoboda, who took the reins of the Republican Party of Arizona earlier this year. Trump said of Swoboda, “This woman has done a job […] especially early voting, and we are doing record successful numbers, and I think it’s gonna stay that way. Gina Swoboda, great job – thank you!”
When Swoboda threw her services in the ring for the top spot at the AZGOP at the beginning of this year, she quickly earned the endorsement of President Trump, giving her a clear advantage over other candidates in the race. After winning her election for chair, Swoboda posted, “Arizona is the key to the presidency. I was proud to have the support of President Trump in this victory to lead the AZGOP into the most important election of our lifetime. Now it’s time to turn out every last vote for the 47th President, DONALD J TRUMP!”
Since the start of early voting in Arizona, Swoboda has consistently pushed her audiences to return their ballots ahead of the critical date of November 5.
As of Friday, October 25, Arizona Republicans have built a lead over Democrats with early ballot returns. Republicans were almost 72,000 returned ballots ahead of Democrats (7.3%).
In Maricopa County, Republicans have built an-almost 40,000 ballot advantage over Democrats. While these numbers do not take into account the ballots or votes of the Independents that could decide the fate of many races, banked votes in the state’s largest county could prove to be the difference in Republicans maintaining control over the Arizona Legislature and the county positions up for consideration.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
