The Veridus BLOG

This week, former Arizona GOP Chairwoman Gina Swoboda said she’s considering dropping out of the race for CD-1 and running for Secretary of State instead. That would pit her against state Rep. Alexander Kolodin (R-Scottsdale), a Freedom Caucus favorite. The GOP nominee, of course, would face Democratic Secretary of State Adrian Fontes in November.

It took only five weeks, but the newly minted Arizona Independent Party has its first entrant in what’s already a crowded field for Governor this year. Arizona health care executive Hugh Lytle joined the race Tuesday, vowing to “bridge the partisan divide.” He accused the Democratic and Republican parties of being “trapped in a fight that never ends. They argue, they posture, they divide, but they don’t solve big problems.”

The Arizona State Capitol revving to life wasn’t the only political news in recent days. Statewide candidates also filed their Q4 campaign-finance reports, giving us a good idea who’s got cash as the 2026 election year gets underway.