Both candidates for
#AZgov
have now made pledges about "day 1" actions if elected.
@KariLake
is going to declare an invasion at the border w/ Mexico.
@katiehobbs
will call special session of Legislature to overturn abortion ban.
by
@JRGzzTX
via
@azcentral
Arizona
@GovernorHobbs
hangs four progress pride flags from her 9th floor office suite at the state's executive tower. The flags have pink, white and blue stripes to represent the trans community, in addition to the traditional rainbow flag. June is LGBTQ pride month.
And it's official: Arizona has its 24th governor, the fifth woman to hold the post -- more than any other state.
@katiehobbs
sworn in by her friend and 9th Circuit Court Judge Roopali Desai.
New year, new leadership in Arizona, new stakeouts because reporters aren’t allowed into the 10 a.m. swearing in of incoming Gov.
@katiehobbs
. Here’s
@Adrian_Fontes
arriving for the joint swearing in.
“I blame the campaign for Kari's loss, not fraud," said one former
@KariLake
staffer. "… We never fully welcomed moderate voters, and the anti-McCain and Trump nonsense killed us.”
via
@azcentral
Story coming this morning: Judge sides with
@azforaccess
in dispute over voter pamphlet language explaining ballot measure; orders Legislative Council to adopt an impartial summary that does not include "unborn human being."
Background: via
@azcentral
Chatted with eight voters so far in a North Phoenix precinct that went for Trump in ‘16 and Biden in ‘20.
Of those, one voted
@karilake
for
#Azgov
. Three are past GOP voters who cast ballots for
@katiehobbs
because they are tired of election lies.
#ElectionDay
Rena, an octogenarian, gave fist bumps to the students as they left the football field. "I support what they're doing," she said. She doesn't drive but took an Uber to the school.
#nationalschoolwalkout
Arizona Gov.
@DougDucey
claims he’s cut thousands of regulations. Our review shows two new rules for each one his administration has eliminated.
via
@azcentral
"The ink is fresh as anything,"
@GovernorHobbs
tells me about the VETO stamp she inherited from Arizona’s last Dem governor. The stamp is a relic of the last era of split partisan control — and Hobbs is ready to use it. via
@azcentral
Today
@katiehobbs
was supposed to RSVP for the
@AZCCEC
&
@arizonapbs
gubernatorial debate. At 5:24 p.m., her campaign manager sent an email to AZCCEC asking for a meeting to discuss changes to the format.
@karilake
has already committed to participate.
☀️Adventure time!☀️
I’m excited to share that I’m starting a new job covering state politics and
@DougDucey
’s office for
@azcentral
in Phoenix. Tell me what I should write about and where I should hike: 480-416-5669.
I asked Republican candidate for AZ governor
@KariLake
's team questions about this tweet but they didn't get back to me.
You know which countries penalize journalism they don't like? China, Egypt, Russia and others. via
@pressfreedom
Arizona border sheriff inflated migrant release numbers in TV comments, official data shows. Props to
@ClaraMigoya
for digging into the data to set the record straight. via
@azcentral
In
@KariLake
's campaign for governor, misinformation and deception remain hallmarks while she accuses the media of "putting out what they want people to hear.”
via
@azcentral
Just in: Arizona Supreme Court reverses lower court, says description of
@azforaccess
using "unborn human being" meets legal standard to be included in voter pamphlet.
Background on the language dispute here. via
@azcentral
You might have heard I was uninvited from tonight's
#AZgov
GOP debate, which means I got to cover it instead. Here's a first story on the fireworks, I'm updating it now. via
@azcentral
My question
@karilake
wouldn’t answer tonight: What’s your path to Nov. 8 and plan to draw in independents?
“I’m not going to take your question,” she says at Scottsdale event with VA Gov. Glenn Youngkin.
Update on
@AZAGMayes
' fake electors case: Rudy Giuliani taunts prosecutors because he's not been served, and Boris Epshteyn asks for delay because he's working another case (apparently, Trump's NYC trial). via
@azcentral
From
@AZAGMayes
: "And let me be completely clear, as long as I am Attorney General, no woman or doctor will be prosecuted under this draconian law in this state."
Breaking: Court rules the 1864 abortion law is enforceable. via
@azcentral
From
@robodellaz
: Candidates for Arizona attorney general and governor call for Saudi Arabian water leases to be investigated and canceled (meanwhile Gov. Ducey still silent on “sweetheart” deal that shorts public ed funding)
#azgov
via
@azcentral
“There have been these rumors about me and the Phoenix Suns,”
@BarackObama
says in the first minutes of his speech, teasing rumors he might buy the team.
“The
@Suns
are looking pretty good,” he added.
Been trying to get confirmation of this for weeks, and finally the paperwork gets updated:
@ArizonaCoyotes
apply to buy state land in north Phoenix with eye on new arena. CEO won't say if this is the team's primary location plan. via
@azcentral
Remember when
@dougducey
announced federal $ would go to families who moved their kids from schools with mask mandates, and folks like
@arizona_sos
feared it would be a sneaky way to expand vouchers? Here we are. via
@azcentral
New: The Arizona Senate will vote today whether to censure Sen. Wendy Rogers, who called for public hangings and attacked Ukraine's president. It appears Senate has votes needed to approve censure. With
@maryjpitzl
&
@raystern
via
@azcentral
Democratic candidate for Arizona governor
@aaron4az
announces plan to end teacher shortage by raising the average starting salary from one of the lowest in nation to 25th. That'd be a raise from ~$47k to ~$58k, according to the campaign.
Arizona Senator Wendy Rogers has a history of incendiary public comments that have catapulted her to fame on the far right, and Gov.
@DougDucey
has a history of avoiding direct criticism of her.
via
@azcentral
“I’ve never been in favor of early voting," Finchem said, even though he is recorded as having done so for 16 years and as recently as the 2020 general election that he now questions. Story by
@maryjpitzl
via
@azcentral
Public records released today to
@azcentral
show
@AZAGMayes
alleges "appearance of impropriety" in how predecessor Mark Brnovich awarded $4 million in settlement money last year. She's cancelled the transfers. Story to come.
Welp
#AZgov
race made it to late night.
@JimmyKimmelLive
calls out
@KariLake
saying she's trying to "make a name for herself by out-crazying the field." Plays clip of Lake saying she'd encourage Fauci's arrest. Watch here (it opens the segment):
We sent questions about style and policy to both candidates for
#AZgov
, asking them to speak directly to voters who read The Republic/
@azcentral
.
Here’s what Dem nominee
@katiehobbs
said; GOP nominee
@KariLake
didn’t even reply.
Important update to my last tweet:
"I was fixing to put it in the plastic recycling one day at home, and I thought, shoot, I can put water in that."
Shoutout to
@natalie_allison
of
@tennessean
for this follow up:
New:
@AZAGMayes
sues landlords and software company over "astronomical" apartment rent hikes, alleging illegal price fixing as Phoenix rate increases led the nation via
@azcentral
Judges said, “This work is a display of the true watchdog function that the media is supposed to play. The Arizona Republic was the eyes and ears of the nation, not just Arizonans. This is what democracy looks like.” via
@azcentral
'You have to fire the coach': After losses, Republicans push for ouster of state GOP chair
@KelliWard
, who
@AZGOP
spokeswoman says won't seek another term. Some hope that means a shift in the future, and focus, of the party. via
@azcentral
I’d rather be working Monday and Tuesday.
But it’s been years and we still don’t have a fair contract that preserves
@azcentral
/ The Arizona Republic and local journalism’s vital role. Let’s get a contract and get back to work.
THE ARIZONA REPUBLIC GUILD IS WALKING OFF THE JOB 🧵
It's very simple, what
@Gannett
is offering us would leave some members with LESS money in their paychecks each week, and that is unacceptable. We've started a GoFundMe to help support our journalists
New: The appraisal is in, and the 95 acres of state trust land the
@ArizonaCoyotes
are eying for a new arena in Phoenix could sell for at least $68.5 million.
That’s the likely starting bid at auction. via
@azcentral
Almost missed this, but today is my one year anniversary working at The Arizona Republic and
@azcentral
. Happy to be here, working on one of the best teams in the biz alongside
@maryjpitzl
@raystern
&
@thewyatt
, and looking forward to stories to come.🌵
Breaking:
@KatieHobbs
elected Arizona’s 5th female governor, defeating election denier
@KariLake
. She flips Governor's Office from red to blue for first time in more than a dozen years.
#AZgov
via
@azcentral
Gov
@DougDucey
brags a lot about the financial health of Arizona. Turns out the state is using that reputation to finance tax-free projects in other states while returning puny profits to AZ. Great reporting by
@ruelaswritings
&
@AndrewFordNews
@azcentral
Just in: Federal judge stops part of Arizona's law prohibiting abortions based on genetic abnormalities from going into effect tomorrow, but allows some parts of law to stand (for now at least). More details coming soon.
Huge media crowd for Arizona
@governorhobbs
to sign repeal of pre-statehood abortion ban in just a few minutes.
Background on how we got here: via
@azcentral
From
@JenAFifield
: "Duplicate" envelopes -more than 1 image of same envelope- exist because the county sends envelope back to the voter if it's blank so voter can sign. County doesn't report this because they only count the ballot in the envelope once they get a signature back.
At
@McCainInstitute
forum in Sedona, Arizona
@GovernorHobbs
comments on sanctions issued yesterday against
@KariLake
lawyers should be more.
"I applaud the courts for issuing sanctions, they should be a lot more than $2,000, because I can tell you she's raised a lot more..."
Arizona Gov.
@DougDucey
calls border security a national problem, but it is Arizonans who are paying millions to bus more than 1,000 asylum seekers to Washington, D.C., with much more to come via
@azcentral
Great lines from
@ronaldjhansen
in our story:
There are signs urging voters to vote for “Lake and Blake,” linking them even when they aren’t standing together. If there are “Katie and Kelly” signs, it seems they are printed in invisible ink.
@azcentral
Story coming soon in
@azcentral
: New motion filed by
@AZAGMayes
in case against 2020 Trump electors in Arizona reveals prosecutors suggested grand jury NOT indict Trump and other Arizona Republicans - though the jurors considered it.
Kari Lake goes from “absolutely rooting” for people who transition, to “a child's gender is determined by God at conception” and bashing “woke gender activists.” Via
@CNN
So
@KariLake
was off Twitter for (as best I can tell) a maximum of 6 hours on Wednesday.
@Twitter
spox says it was because she tweeted personal info; turns out it was the phone number of
@Karrin4Arizona
campaign manager
@jeffglassburner
.
New: Since it appears some politicians will continue making claims of fraud, you should know that election-related crimes amount to 0.0001% of ballots cast in Arizona. (🔒) via
@azcentral
From
@AZAGMayes
spokesperson
@richietaylor
: "The investigative report released today by the sham House ad hoc oversight committee isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on. This partisan stunt by far-right members of the Legislature makes a mockery of real legislative oversight."
Given the number of AZ lawmakers out sick with COVID, I asked Gov.
@dougducey
if he’s been tested since State of the State. He has not. “I feel great. I'm working every day. I have no symptoms.”
Turns out today is my 15th anniversary of working in journalism. Instead of crystal, I'll accept the following gifts: Emails/notices about Arizona fundraisers and lobbyist-hosted events that involve notable politicians. Please send to stacey.barchenger
@arizonarepublic
.com.
The news website that documented
@GovernorHobbs
private event with Sunshine Residential Homes CEO took down the story, so we've added screenshots to my story here via
@azcentral
:
Asking for changes, Hobbs' campaign manager Nicole DeMont cited the primary debate among GOP candidates for
#AZgov
she said "turned Arizona into a national laughing stock, and Secretary Hobbs has too much respect for this state and its voters to participate in such an event."
New: For Arizona
@GovernorHobbs
' inauguration events, donors were asked to give $250,000 - an unprecedented amount - to a new group incorporated by Hobbs' campaign manager that doesn't have to disclose donors/amounts/spending. via
@azcentral
Arizona lawmaker
@alex4arizona
's comments in committee and on social media invoke violence; "really unhinged and really inappropriate" one constituent says.
By
@raystern
via
@azcentral
Arizona this week announced it would bus asylum seekers to Washington, D.C. Announcement came 2 days after the first bus left, and details about the cost to taxpayers are still unknown. via
@azcentral
In Mesa, GOP candidate for governor
@karilake
attacks Dem opponent
@katiehobbs
over discrimination verdicts, prompting chants from crowd.
“They’re saying lock her up,” Lake says from the stage. “I think we should just vote her out, how’s that?”
#AZgov
Former Arizona gubernatorial candidate
@karilake
paid another $13,800 for events at Mar-a-lago in early December, weeks after her defeat, according to latest campaign finance reports. Total in the cycle is over $118,000.
#AZgov
Prez Trump now encouraging Arizona voters to cast ballots early, despite his and
@karilake
's insistence that those are not secure and her efforts to limit voting to only in person on Election Day.
#azgov
And just a note, if anyone was at the baby shower or has more to add about this situation, Lake or any other candidate for
#AZgov
, I want to listen. Stacey.Barchenger
@arizonarepublic
.com or message me for cell #
"We would like to find a time to meet to discuss changes to the proposed format that will avoid another circus like the GOP primary debate and will lead to a substantive debate of ideas between the candidates," DeMont wrote.
So the
#AZgov
debate saga continues. Stay tuned.
So just to recap today's news...
@GeneralBrnovich
announces initial steps of an investigation of the 2020 presidential election in Maricopa County; his people declined to answer my question about whether that is criminal or civil.