by Matthew Holloway | Jul 20, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Former Pima County Supervisor and daughter of late Arizona Democratic Congressman Raúl Grijalva, Adelita Grijalva, defeated her fellow Democrats to win the 7th Congressional District nomination. Grijalva was armed with the endorsements of Democrat Socialists of America (DSA) darling Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), self-avowed socialist Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), and a major ad-spend and endorsement from the Working Families Party (WFP). Both Democrat leaders and the WFP also endorsed socialist New York City Mayoral Candidate Zohran Mamdani.
As previously reported by AZ Free News, Grijalva opted to run for her late father’s congressional seat with Tucson Mayor Regina Romero declining to run in order to chair the Grijalva campaign.
“At a time when Trump, Musk, and their billionaire gang are attacking our democracy and ripping off the working class, we need leaders who have the backbone to take them on,” Sanders said in a statement in April. “That’s why I’m proud to endorse Adelita Grijalva for Congress. Adelita understands that real change never comes from the top down, it comes from the bottom up.”
Described as Sanders’ “Progressive Protégé,” by the Maricopa County Republican Committee, Grijalva also proudly boasted of her endorsement by Democratic Socialists of America member Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Grijalva also enjoys the endorsement of the openly socialist WFP with Maurice Mitchell, National Director of the Working Families Party, saying Tuesday, “Adelita’s victory tonight isn’t just a win for families in Southern Arizona. It’s a win for all those who believe in a government that works for everyday people. Voters are tired of politicians who hide in the pockets of their billionaire donors. We know that Adelita is going to be a fearless fighter for working families in her district.”
According to the WFP website, the party spent significantly on ads in the CD7 race, writing “The Party was a significant force in the race, spending $221,000 on several ads for TV, digital, and sending thousands of texts to voters. Along with our union and grassroots partners, we knocked on more than 90,000 doors and sent two direct mail pieces to likely voters in the district.”
The party also credited itself with the victories of Zohran Mamdani as well as Mayoral races in Buffalo, Syracuse, and Albany. WFP has historically supported members of ‘The Squad,’ the most radical leftists in Congress, including Reps. Ayanna Pressley, Rashida Tlaib, and Jamaal Bowman. Grijalva will face Republican candidate Daniel Butierez in a Special Election on September 23rd.
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 | Jul 18, 2025 | News
By Mathew Holloway |
Municipal Affairs Liaison at the Goldwater Institute William Beard sat for an interview with AZ Free News to expand on an op-ed published Saturday, “Regional Transit In Tucson: Bigger Tax Bill, Worse Results?”
Beard warned in his column that as we approach 20 years of the 2006 vintage Regional Transportation Authority (RTA), only 18 of the 35 projects promised to the taxpayers of Pima County have been completed.
He wrote, “The mismanagement is staggering. Tucson’s unfinished Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) projects are estimated to be $400–$600 million short. At the current pace—roughly $50 million in spending per year—completing the work would take at least eight more years. There’s one big problem, however: the sales tax that funds the RTA is set to expire in 2026, and time is running out. Tucson officials have responded by throwing up their hands and admitting defeat, postponing four projects for inclusion in a future ‘RTA Next’ plan.”
Beard directly attributes the RTA’s financial woes and lack of productivity to a series of economic factors, exacerbated by the City of Tucson’s project mismanagement, delays, and unwillingness to shoulder the added cost burden. He explained, “Every infrastructure plan faces risks, and Pima County’s strategy was no exception. The 2008 recession slowed tax collections, and inflation has since driven construction costs well beyond the 10% buffer allowed by law. Tucson, however, made matters worse by repeatedly altering project scopes to appease neighborhood groups, further delaying timelines and driving up costs. Each time, Tucson failed to take responsibility by allocating more supplemental resources. Instead, city leaders appeared to hope the problem would simply go away.”
He added, “Tucson’s leaders clearly misunderstand the purpose of the RTA, viewing it more as a construction manager responsible for overruns than a basic funding mechanism distributing tax dollars. Each city was responsible for designing and building its own projects. Any change in scope—additional lanes, neighborhood preferences, unforeseen costs—was theirs to fund, not the RTA’s.“
Speaking with AZ Free News, Beard elaborated:
“I’m from Tucson. I grew up there, so this is a little personal for me. But there’s a history of kicking the can down the road by the community writ large, leadership, etc. A ‘Why deal with it today when we can postpone to tomorrow’ attitude. And it’s only when things truly reach a critical point that something happens politically.
“The powers that be down there would prefer to kind of maintain the status quo. They don’t want their boat rocked. They don’t want anybody coming in and potentially undermining their political power, so let’s maintain things as they are.
“To the point of the article, the problem fundamentally is two things. One, was it a failure to plan or a plan to fail? And number two, remember when voters vote on these long-term things, you always end up with a situation where the compromises politically that were made in order to get the thing past the voters that were approved in the beginning, political leadership that are elected further on into the cycle, they don’t believe that they are obligated to follow the wishes of whatever compromises were made in the first place.”
As for the political fallout, Beard predicted that an attempt from Tucson Mayor Regina Romero to extricate the city from the RTA, as she threatened in 2022, might not “end well for her politically speaking.”
He noted, “The problem is she is basically telling all of the voters across Pima County, not just the other communities, but the voters throughout Pima County, including her own voters, ‘eff you’. And I don’t think, given what happened with (Proposition) 414 a few months ago in the city of Tucson, I don’t think that will end well for her politically speaking.”
City voters soundly rejected Prop 414 or the “Safe & Vibrant City” proposition, which would have enacted a half-cent sales tax increase for the next 10 years to fund various city projects. City Manager Tim Thomure told AZCentral that the Proposition’s rejections sent city planners “back to the drawing board [to] sharpen our pencils and work it out so that we live within the budget that will be available to us.”
Beard continued saying that Romero, “is, of the opinion, and there are other people, including Supervisor Hines on the Board of Supervisors, of the opinion that the City can basically go its own way and make its own sales tax. They’re forgetting, of course, that if that happens, roughly… a third of the total revenue that would come to the region would disappear because it would revert back to the state legislature to determine whether or not those funds get distributed based on the regional planning that southern Arizona currently enjoys.”
He added that Tucson’s deviation from the RTA planning adopted in 2006 could leave the city open to legal consequences. He observed, “I’m not an attorney, so I don’t give legal advice, but I spent 30 years in the contracting world and I’ve read enough of the documents, the intergovernmental agreements, the procedures, policy procedures of the RTA that was adopted in 2006, all of them keep referring to voter language, you know, the amount of money that was set aside by the voters that could go to these projects.
“Under state law, you can vary that up to 10 % overrun, because it’s the vagaries of construction, that happens. But anything above and beyond that, you’ve got to go back to the voters in order to get their approval to make that kind of scope change. Again, I’m not an attorney, but I can read what’s in the language and it’s pretty clear.”
According to Beard, the RTA board did send its new legal counsel a question with the hope of getting an answer by the end of July at their next formal board meeting, asking: “What is the legal obligation of the RTA board to complete all of the projects if the revenue has not come in to satisfy all of the needs that the voters … determined 20 years ago?”
He concluded: “To be blunt, the city of Tucson’s got nobody to blame but themselves. You can point fingers at the RTA all you want to. You can point fingers to the leadership. The reality is in the numbers; the math is the math. And for all of these projects the City of Tucson kept postponing, it only dramatically increased the amount of money they would have to bring to the table, even assuming the RTA never had a revenue shortfall.
“Because the City of Tucson kept postponing these projects, the costs were going through the roof and there was no way legally for the RTA to step forward and say, oh yeah, we’ll cover those extra costs. That’s not possible.”
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 Daniel Stefanski | Dec 6, 2024 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
One Arizona Democrat appears to be leading the charge against the incoming Republican presidential administration’s plans to secure the nation’s southern border and protect Americans.
Late last month, Tucson Mayor Regina Romero released a statement in opposition to President-elect Donald J. Trump’s border security and enforcement proposals once he takes the oath of office on January 20, 2025. She wrote, “I want to reassure every single resident that I am committed to do all we can to keep our community safe. I am deeply troubled by President-Elect Trump’s plans for mass deportation. I believe they are cruel and immoral. I will work with our police chief to make sure that our focus remains on protecting and serving Tucsonans. Here in Tucson, we know how to stand up and fight against hate and racist laws. Part of our history is coming together with our faith leaders and families from separation. I am unwavering in my commitment to this fight.”
Romero added, “While we do not have specific details about how mass deportations will be carried out by President-Elect Trump’s administration, we do know that it will be painful to children, families and our immigrant community. We do not have the exact details as to when and if Proposition 314 goes into effect, we know that this hate-filled proposition draws from SC 1070 – the show me your papers law. We are a compassionate city that knows we are stronger together and that values our multi-racial heritage. Justice will prevail.”
The Democrat mayor’s fiery comments earned a response from Trump’s incoming Border Czar, Tom Homan. On the Fox News Channel with host Laura Ingraham, Homan said, “We got children dying on the border every day. We got women being sexually assaulted by the cartels every day. Someone is going to die on the border tonight. Women are being raped on the border tonight. So what’s cruel about securing that border and saving lives, first of all? But I’ll give her the same warning I’ve given the rest of the sanctuary city mayors and the governors: you can not help us. That’s fine. You should get the hell out of the way, then, ’cause we’re going to do the job.”
Homan also stated, “And we got one hell of an attorney general coming in, Pam Bondi. I think she’ll read that statute the same way I do it. I’m not a lawyer, but I can read, and we’re going to have consequences of people violating the law and try to prevent us from doing our job.”
Romero appeared to be the loudest Arizona Democrat who stood against the announced policies and plans of the Trump administration, but she wasn’t the only one in opposition. Last month, Governor Katie Hobbs released an ambiguous post on her official X account, indirectly taking aim at the Trump administration’s forthcoming actions. She said, “Securing our border is not a red issue or a blue issue. It’s an Arizona issue and an American issue. I’ll work with anyone to secure our border while standing up to misguided policies that attack Arizonans.”
Thus far in her administration, Hobbs has resisted most attempts by Republicans to maximize Arizona’s resources and laws to better protect communities against the harms from illegal immigration. That resistance led to state legislative Republicans sending a border security ballot measure to voters this past November – Proposition 314, which gave local law enforcement more tools to combat illegal immigration across the state. Arizona Republicans are expected to continue to search for ways to assist the Trump Administration to stop the flow of illegal immigration into and through their state over the next two years.
This week, the Trump Administration may have received a legal boost to its future efforts to remove illegal aliens from the country. On Tuesday, a panel with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed a district court’s judgment for the federal government in USA v. King County, which held that a local jurisdiction’s Executive Order, which prohibited fixed base operators (FBOs) from servicing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) charter flights, violated the law. That decision will likely be key in the new year, if and when local officials, like Romero, may attempt to obstruct the federal government’s actions when it comes to deportations and enforcement of U.S. immigration laws.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Matthew Holloway | Oct 14, 2024 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Regina Romero, the Democrat Mayor of Tucson, released a “Voter Guide” via Facebook on Wednesday, which calls for her supporters to vote “No” on Proposition 140. The proposition would create an open primary system in Arizona along with a system of ranked-choice voting.
As AZ Free News previously reported, a broad, bipartisan coalition has formed to oppose Prop 140 including Democrat groups such as: Coconino County Democrats, Gila County Democrats, North Scottsdale Democrats, LD 5 Democrats, LD 3 Democrats, LD 8 Democrats, LD 13 Democrats, LD 14 Democrats, South Mountain Democrats, and Democrats Abroad. And Republican groups such as: Arizona Free Enterprise Club, Center for Arizona Policy, Heritage Action for America, AMAC Action, Goldwater Institute, EZAZ, Turning Point Action, and the Republican Party of Arizona.
For Romero to find herself on the same side of an issue as some of these groups seems to indicate the profound impact the proposed changes would have on Arizona politics. Even the Libertarian Party of Arizona has lent its voice to oppose Prop 140, writing in a post to X that repeated an alert from the AZGOP, “The AZLP approves this message. Prop 140 could effectively kill third-party and independent candidates. Vote no!”
Legislative District 8 Democrats posted a brief explanation of the proposition on their website with the objection:
“This amendment to the state Constitution would open primaries to all voters, regardless of party. Proponents say this process would moderate the extremism we’ve seen on numerous contentious issues. The Legislature would be required to pass a bill to determine how many candidates would advance from the primary to the general election. This could be the top-two primaries like California, top-five primaries, or any number in between. For two-winner elections for the Arizona House, the number to advance could be from four to seven. If the Legislature fails to pass such a bill by 11/1/2025, the Secretary of State would choose the number of candidates to advance.
The proposition requires a majority of the votes to win the general election. It requires the use of ranked-choice voting in general elections where three or more candidates advance from the primary. This proposition has attractive features, but important decisions left to the Legislature make it harder to support. “
As previously reported by AZ Free News, a press release from the Arizona Free Enterprise Club warned that Prop 140 would do the following if enacted:
- “Allows one politician, the Arizona Secretary of State, to decide how many candidates qualify for the general election ballot for every single contest, including his or her own race
- Would result in some races where candidates from only one political party appear on the general election ballot
- Would force voters to navigate two completely different voting systems on the same ballot, with some races requiring voters to rank candidates and others that do not
- Will increase tabulation errors, create longer lines at the polls, and significantly delay election results.”
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 Corinne Murdock | Feb 25, 2024 | News
By Corinne Murdock |
Tucson Mayor Regina Romero played host to President Joe Biden’s senior advisor last week to discuss public infrastructure.
Tom Perez, senior advisor and assistant to the President and director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, visited the city of Tucson on Tuesday. Perez, the former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, visited as part of the Investing in America tour highlighting initiatives funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
In a press conference, Perez said that the Biden administration prioritizes giving awards to those projects rooted in equity.
“There has never been in our lifetime a more robust investment in building America, building out our infrastructure, making sure in that process that we view everything through that equity lens, understanding that zip code will no longer determine destiny,” said Perez. “We have this opportunity folks, and we are not going to squander this opportunity to build an Arizona, and to build an America where everybody has access to good middle-class jobs, where high speed, affordable internet is a reality so that if you have a behavioral or mental health issue, you can do telemedicine.”
Among the initiatives for which Tucson received millions in federal funding under IRA and BIL was the 22nd Street Bridge revitalization, TARP Facility, Tucson Million Trees (TMT), and relinquishment of their water rights.
The Biden administration gave Tucson $25.9 million to build the 22nd Street Bridge. According to the Department of Transportation (DOT), it was the city’s focus on equity for the project that secured the funds.
Tucson also received a $5 million grant from the USDA last September for TMT. Despite the funding, TMT has fallen far short of its goal to plant one million trees by 2030. Only about 100,000 trees were planted as of last year.
However, Romero claimed in a one-on-one meeting with President Joe Biden earlier this month that TMT was on track.
Tucson also traded its water rights for $44 million in federal infrastructure funds last summer: over 110,000 acre-feet through 2025.
Perez also made a stop with another major Arizona city that has received millions in BIL and IRA funds.
Last Monday, Perez visited with Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego to discuss the availability of funds to both public and private entities for “clean” energy initiatives, such as electric buses for schools or solar panels for churches.
Earlier this month, Perez and National Economic Advisor Lael Brainard met with county elected officials through the National Association of Counties Legislative Conference to discuss Biden’s Investing in America agenda. Santa Cruz County Supervisor Manuel Ruiz was among those elected officials to attend.
Per White House data on federal awards, the Biden administration has issued over 1,800 BIL discretionary and formula grants in Arizona. USDA data reflects that Arizona has requested over $2.1 billion in clean energy funding.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
