The Veridus BLOG

Ralph Heap will get his money. Let’s rewind. One of the more bizarre subplots coming out of Arizona’s Primary Election was that of Arizona Corporation Commission candidate Ralph Heap, who reportedly had hundreds of campaign signs statewide despite reporting to the Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Commission that he’d spent just $644 on the signage. The mystery led to a complaint being filed against the Heap campaign, which claimed a Mesa-area sign company provided him

No one can accuse Governor Katie Hobbs of rushing. It has been three days and multiple news cycles since the New York Times broke the news that the Democrat is expected to tap ex-Republican and former Mesa Mayor John Giles as her running mate.

This week, separate courts tossed from Arizona’s General Election ballot a pair of GOP-backed ballot referendums - dealing conservatives a significant loss before a single ballot is cast.

Not even 24 hours following Tuesday’s Primary Election, Governor Katie Hobbs’ campaign released an attack ad against GOP challenger Andy Biggs. The 30-second spot is in reference to his co-sponsorship of the 2025 FairTax Act, which would institute a 23% federal sales tax in place of federal income, payroll and gift taxes.

Arizona counties made significant progress today as they tabulated ballots remaining from Tuesday’s Primary. The state’s largest county, Maricopa, announced this evening it has fewer than 1% of ballots that await processing.

Today’s Arizona Primary Election was uneventful, with light turnout and no major issues reported. This was the first election in which voters who brought their completed early ballot were given the option to have their identity validated and ballot immediately tabulated. Elections officials hope this will reduce the number of so-called “late earlies,” and the vast majority of ballots are expected to be tabulated within the next couple days.

The Primary Election is Tuesday, and Q2 campaign-finance reports became available this week. The numbers reflect campaign finances through June 30.

Early voting is well underway across Arizona, as political observers and campaigns watch the returns closely for signs of voter sentiment and enthusiasm.

Oh, Scottsdale. City voters are bracing for a contentious municipal election, with a pair of PACs squaring-off against a sitting councilman and two contenders for City Council.

Viewers who tuned-in to this week’s GOP gubernatorial debate expecting a repeat of the 2022 food fight were likely disappointed. This was an orderly affair, with front-runner Andy Biggs and main challenger David Schweikert largely training their attacks on Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs instead of each other.

Dear clients: On Saturday, Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs signed the $18.3 billion FY27 State budget. The new fiscal year begins July 1. As part of her bill-signing statement, Governor Hobbs praised the package for “...stopping the data center tax credit for three years, investing in border security, education and water security, and delivering a $1.4 billion tax cut for middle class Arizonans.” With session adjourned sine die, the Governor now has until June 25 to sign or vet

Today, the Arizona House and Senate approved the FY 2026-27 State budget package with broad, bipartisan votes. The nearly $18.3 billion General Fund spending proposal now moves to the desk of Governor Katie Hobbs for her consideration and anticipated signature.

Following weeks of negotiations, it appears a bipartisan State budget deal has been reached between legislative leaders and Governor Katie Hobbs.

The race for Arizona Governor began in earnest this week as the Hobbs campaign launched a slate of broadcast TV ads it characterized as “the earliest ever for an Arizona gubernatorial race.” The 30-second biographical spots are airing in English and Spanish and highlight Governor Katie Hobbs’ working-class background, as well as her focus on affordability issues.

Governor Katie Hobbs lifted her bill moratorium Thursday, clearing lawmakers to once again begin sending her bills to sign or veto. The announcement ends a legislative blockade that she began a month earlier, and is fueling optimism among Capitol-watchers that a budget deal is moving closer.

Nearly 3 out of 4 Arizona ballots were cast by mail during the 2024 General Election. Now, a local group is mounting an effort to protect mail-in voting by enshrining the practice in the Arizona Constitution.

As expected, Governor Katie Hobbs today vetoed a GOP-led budget package for fiscal 2027. The $17.9 billion spending plan passed the Arizona House and Senate via party-line votes, and Governor Hobbs had already signaled her opposition. With a statement accompanying the veto, she called the legislative proposal “unbalanced and reckless,” and likened it to “Washington-style budgeting.”

Today, the Arizona State Senate approved the Republican majority’s $17.9 billion budget package for fiscal 2027. It will be transmitted to Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs, who has raised objections to the spending plan and is widely expected to veto it. The same proposal passed out of the House last week, clearing both chambers by a GOP-only, party-line vote.

This week, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a six-decade-old section of the Voting Rights Act - effectively outlawing the practice of taking into consideration the racial makeup of voters when drawing legislative and congressional district lines.

Wednesday afternoon, the Arizona House of Representatives via a party-line vote advanced the GOP majority’s spending plan for fiscal year 2027. The proposal was introduced earlier this week.