The Maricopa County Republican Committee censured several Republican “traitors” who earlier expressed support for Vice President Kamala Harris and Gallego. The committee passed a resolution Wednesday censuring Republicans who participated in recent “Republicans for Harris” or “Republicans and Independents for Ruben” event, including Mesa Mayor John Giles, HighGround CEO Chuck Coughlin, former Arizona Cardinals QB and Tempe City Council candidate John Skelton, and several former state lawmakers. The censure states the Republicans violate the official Republican party platform, which states goals to restore Trump administration border policies. “For some, it’s just too hard to be a real Republican,” the committee wrote in a post on X sharing the censure. Gallego announced endorsements from 40 Republicans and Independents at a press conference Wednesday morning in which directors for the late John McCain’s campaign Paul Hickman and Bettina Nava also spoke. “Canceled by woke Republicans, deeply honored,” Coughlin wrote in a text to our reporter about the censure. Following the censure, HighGround published a poll indicating Harris and Gallego have taken an early lead following the primary election. The group’s survey, conducted from July 30 through Aug. 5, shows 44% of respondents support Harris, while 41% of respondents support Donald Trump. Among independents or unaffiliated voters, 43% supported Harris and 36% supported Trump. Gallego’s lead over Kari Lake is even larger in HighGround’s poll. Gallego got support from nearly 50% of respondents, while just under 39% supported Lake. “It appears that Gallego has continued the Democratic trend that we have seen in the past few cycles of engaging independent and unaffiliated voters early. He has built a significant lead that will be difficult to overcome without a significant course correction by Lake,” said Paul Bentz, HighGround Senior Vice President of Research and Strategy. “However, that’s not her only problem. She is earning less than 80% of her base vote, a critical segment she cannot afford to lose. The playbook she used in 2022 is not working in 2024.” Among women polled, 51% supported Harris and 55% supported Gallego, while Trump and Lake got 36% and 34% respectively.

While many in Arizona’s political community were surprised by Richer’s loss to Heap in the Republican primary for Maricopa County Recorder, the lone Democrat in the race – Tim Stringham – says he wasn’t surprised in the least. “It’s really hard not to say ‘I told you so,’ but we told you so,” Stringham told our reporter. He said he only entered the race because Democrats were convinced Richer would survive the primary challenge despite what Stringham saw as a credible threat to the position. Stringham said he was recruited to run by Maricopa County Democratic Party Executive Director Jon Ryder after telling friends that the Democrats weren’t running enough candidates in this election cycle. “[I thought] ‘the Republican incumbent probably isn’t going to win his bid in the Republican primary. So why is it they can’t find anybody? Why would you find me off the street? Why isn’t there some aspiring politician?’ The answer that we kept getting from people over and over was that Stephen Richer was raising so much money he wasn’t beatable,” Stringham said. Despite his belief that Richer would lose the primary, Stringham said he knew his candidacy would be doomed if the incumbent had won. Now though, he says the race is winnable and is hoping Republicans cross the aisle to prove that. Stringham said he was in contact with Richer before starting his campaign, but has not yet had a chance to speak with him since the primary as the county wraps up the election and deals with a recount in the CD 3 race. “He’s not made a decision on whether he’s going to endorse one way or another,” Stringham said. Richer did not immediately respond to questions from our reporter about an endorsement. “We’ll talk to him when he gets a chance in his schedule, because I know for him, that job really does come first,” Stringham said.

A Superior Court judge rejected a request from  We the People Arizona Alliance to secure records identifying lower level Maricopa County elections employees who worked with ballots and cited threats, harassment and difficulties in hiring and retaining staff as reason enough to create a cutout under the state’s public records law. We the People Arizona Alliance, an election-fraud focused PAC, sought the identity of every permanent and temporary employee who came in contact with any ballot or ballot envelope, including those who verified signatures, from January 2020 to 2022. Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer did not dispute the request qualified under Arizona public records law. He agreed to release the identity of employees at the managerial level or higher but rejected the request for lower employee identities given an alleged chilling effect in hiring and retaining employees as well as the likelihood those employees would face threats or harassment. He asked the court for an exception from public records law under the best interest of the state exemption . Judge Scott Blaney, a Ducey appointee, said testimony from Richer, former assistant director Kristi Passarelli and Scott Jarrett on threats to themselves and their employees was “reliable and compelling” and noted actions taken by the Recorder’s office in response to threats. Those actions included installing a new fence, using drones, the “addition of snipers on the roof of the facility,” further security guards, bullet-proof glass, active shooter training and active monitoring of social media for threats. Blaney found the concerns posed by threats and harassment, as well as the potential impact on hiring and retention, “outweigh the public’s right to know the identities of these lower level, non-managerial employees.” He wrote, “Defendants do not seek to shield their employees from ridicule or hypothetical threats. Defendants’ line employees have been the target of actual, credible threats, and the causal connection between the employees’ duties and the threats is far from tenuous. The protection that Defendants seek is not for employees simply because they are employees, it is for employees who but for their duties associated with elections would not be the target of threats and harassment.”

The AG’s office rebutted claims from indicted Arizona Republican electors and national conspirators that their prosecution is rooted in deterring the practice of constitutional rights to free speech and petition, in violation of the state’s anti-SLAPP law. The statute requires the dismissal of criminal and civil suits “substantially motivated by a desire to deter, retaliate against or prevent the lawful exercise of a constitutional right” and explicitly cites “the right of petition, the right of speech … the right to freely associate or the right to peaceably assemble.” In motions to dismiss and joinders, counsel for the defendants claimed the indictment was politically motivated and sought to undermine protected rights to free speech and petition the government for redress, necessitating its dismissal. In response, Assistant Attorney General Nicholas Klingerman argued “the First Amendment has never granted individuals license to use political speech as a vehicle for validly punishable criminal conduct.” He further noted the document signed by the slate of electors would not necessarily fall under the right to petition, drawing out the “profound difference between the legitimate airing of grievances, and a fraudulent effort to change lawful election results.” In turing to alleged political retaliation, which defendants evidenced with comments from Mayes during her campaign and after taking office about her goal to prosecute those involved in the scheme, Klingerman contended the AG can “campaign on prosecuting crime, including election crimes; she can prosecute members of a different political party; and she can make political statements all without any ‘desire to deter, retaliate against or prevent the lawful exercise’ of the Defendants’, or anyone’s, constitutional rights.” Finally, Klingerman adds it was the state grand jury, not Mayes, who ultimately made the decision to prosecute. “Here, the State Grand Jury, an independent body, heard 18 days of testimony. The Attorney General’s Office repeatedly told the Grand Jury that the Grand Jury controlled the investigation and the prosecutors would follow its direction,” Klingerman wrote. “At every turn, the State deferred to the Grand Jury’s independence.” Parties are due before the court on August 26 for argument on the motions to dismiss.

Longtime Capitol lobbyist Barry Aarons said the prospect of an evenly split senate chamber in 2025 would be unlike the dynamics of the 2001 to 2002 sessions, which were the first and only times a chamber in Arizona wasn’t ruled by a majority party. “You can’t use that year as a measuring stick on what it would look like in 2025,” Aarons said, noting the different political makeup of the general election candidates. He said there was a lack of “controversial” bills that passed due to a missing majority in the Senate, but described the dynamic as “just different.” “Because it wasn’t even split, there wasn’t a majority that could push legislation through that was important to the majority,” Aarons said. “Controversial” bills would pass out of the House and then fall flat in the Senate, he said. Republicans lost control of their majority during the 2000 general election. At the time, Democrat lawmakers negotiated with former Senator Randall Gnant, a Republican, and got him to be the president of the chamber on the condition that committees be split. Former state Senator Pete Rios, a Democrat, said in a 2019 interview with the Arizona Capitol Times that Gnant was their first choice because he seemed “moderate enough for Democrats to work with.” GOP consultant Chuck Coughlin and pollster Mike Noble both said the LD2 race, where Bolick is being challenged by Schwiebert, could ultimately determine whether or not the Senate is tied 15-15.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a significant win for election integrity and free speech, an Arizona court struck down a major portion of the Arizona Election Procedures Manual (EPM). America First Policy Institute (AFPI) challenged the EPM’s Speech Provision as a blatant violation of the Arizona Constitution. The problematic Speech Provision makes it a crime to engage in expression near a polling place that is protected free speech by the First Amendment of the Constitution, such as simply wearing a red hat or carrying a handbag that states, “It should be easy to vote but hard to cheat.” AFPI’s lawsuit on behalf of the Arizona Free Enterprise Coalition alleges that no government official has the authority to overrule the U.S. Constitution and that the Speech Provision is unlawful.  The court agreed, stating: “Many of the prohibitions listed in the EPM are free speech and protected by both the Arizona Constitution and the U.S. Constitution.”  “This is a great win for our clients and the citizens of Arizona. But the battle for election integrity is far from over,” said Pam Bondi, former Florida Attorney General and AFPI Chair of the Center for Litigation. “The America First Policy Institute will continue to ensure that it is easy to vote but hard to cheat in Arizona and across the Nation.” Read a copy of the court’s order here .

• What: AI Core + Design Lab Summer Internship Showcase
• When: Friday, Aug. 9, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
• Where: Health Sciences Innovation Building, Room 605

TUCSON, Ariz. — Sixty University of Arizona students tapped the latest in artificial intelligence over the summer to solve real-world problems for real clients – creating specialized chatbots, virtual reality experiences and new potential for transforming the shopping experience, tourism, language learning, health care and more.  The students will demonstrate the results of their work on Aug. 9 during the AI Core + Design Lab Summer Internship Showcase , which will take place from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. in Room 605 of the Health Sciences Innovation Building. A schedule and list of project descriptions is available online.  The students are members of the inaugural cohort of the AI Core + Design Lab Summer Internship. Partnering with local employers, the program employs and mentors students in a fast-paced, startup environment, teaching them to use AI tools that are reshaping how we work, and to recognize new opportunities and applications for the rapidly evolving technology.  “The internship is an intense but super-fun experiential learning program that rapidly introduces University of Arizona students to AI technologies. We’re building solutions for our researchers and commercial partners using technology that is evolving right before our eyes,” said Ash Black , director of the university’s AI Core , a program that gives students opportunities to explore AI applications in the workplace. “It’s all learning by doing in a fast-paced, startup environment. It’s pretty hard work, but the maturation comes fast, and the students are more than capable of getting the job done.” The AI Core + Design Lab internship is a collaboration between the university’s Institute for Computation and Data-Enabled Insight and Student Engagement and Career Development , with support from the University Center for Assessment, Teaching and Technology and the College of Health Sciences .  The interns – a mix of undergraduates and graduates from 10 different colleges – worked on 12 projects throughout the summer. They developed chatbots that provide company-specific insights and advice. They created a resume AI that can understand job seekers’ profiles and personalities and then pair them up with opportunities. They deployed a chatbot that helps delayed-learning toddlers with language acquisition in a wide variety of languages. The interns also used AI for medical simulations and created lifelike human avatars powered by ChatGPT, among other projects. Clients included, among others, Pima Community College, the city of Tucson, Joyful Jobs recruiting agency, and the university’s Norton School of Human Ecology and Eller College of Management .

Today, our opposition appealed the trial court’s well-reasoned ruling that found that our 200-word summary was thorough and accurate. This appeal shows yet again that they are willing to do and say anything — no matter how desperate or dishonest — to deprive Arizonans of their right to direct democracy. We’re hopeful the Arizona Supreme Court will grant us a fair and unbiased review and allow Arizona voters to have their say at the ballot box.  Arizona for Abortion Access remains committed to giving Arizona voters the chance to restore and protect our right to access abortion free from government overreach, once and for all.

WASHINGTON – Today, the Stand with Crypto Alliance (SWC) announced their first state chapter presidents who will lead grassroots efforts in battleground states. These state chapter presidents will be critical in mobilizing the massive and growing grassroots network in critical battleground states including Arizona, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Wisconsin.  “It’s been incredible to watch this movement take off,” said Logan Dobson, Executive Director of Stand with Crypto. “We know the crypto voter has already made an impact this election cycle, and these state chapter presidents are going to help us cross the finish line. In many of these battleground states, the number of crypto advocates already significantly outnumber 2020 margins. In tight races across the country, the crypto voter will make the difference.”  Chapter presidents include:

• Arizona – Shelton Beascochea, Founder at Devils DAO & EquiFy;
• Georgia – Anthony Mathis, Business Development at Atlanta Blockchain Center;
• Ohio – Maryana Ryumshin, Senior Financial Analyst at Cleveland Clinic;
• Pennsylvania – Max Giuliana, Associate at MKF Advisors and Executive Director at Taking the Hill; and,
• Wisconsin – Ian McCullough, Founder at Awen. 

Already this year there has been major, bipartisan momentum in Congress, driven by SWC member outreach. In May, Congress voted to pass H.R.4763, the Financial Innovation and Technology for the 21st Century Act (FIT21). In support of FIT21 , Stand with Crypto advocates made over 28,000 contacts with Congress via calls and emails. Additionally, founders of over one hundred crypto companies , representing over 1,200 American jobs in the industry, signed a letter of support for the legislation.  SWC has also been highly involved in key political races this year.  In the critical Super Tuesday primaries and closely watched California U.S. Senate primary, SWC directed over 68,000 door-to-door voter contacts to the over 8.2 million California adults who currently own cryptocurrency – a powerful voting bloc in the state known for setting the direction of the nation. The Stand With Crypto PAC has endorsed 21 candidates. To see the number of engaged activists who are communicating about the issue, giving to the cause, and taking part in other activities throughout this cycle, visit https://www.standwithcrypto.org/ . Chapter President Bios: Arizona – Shelton Beascochea , Founder at Devils DAO & EquiFy Shelton stumbled into the world of crypto in 2017 thanks to a computer science teacher who introduced him to the Bitcoin whitepaper. Since then, his fascination with blockchain technology has only grown stronger. From 2020 onwards, Shelton has been actively involved in various crypto projects, driven by a belief in its transformative potential on communities.  Georgia – Anthony Mathis , Business Development at Atlanta Blockchain Center Anthony started to take notice of crypto in 2014, when rapper 50 Cent began accepting Bitcoin as payment for his latest album. Over the next few years Anthony began DYOR and IRL in the Atlanta, GA area which led him to business development and partnerships with Umba Daima (meaning “Create Forever” in the Swahili language), a Web3 Studio based in Atlanta supporting creatives by educating and onboarding them into the Web3 space.  In 2022, Anthony joined Atlanta Blockchain Center and later that year, he was named as Digital Community Manager of an internationally known non-profit where he developed a fundraising platform accepting over 100+ cryptocurrencies, increasing revenue, and funding newly developed programs. At the beginning of this year, Anthony became more involved with Atlanta Blockchain Center’s overall day to day business operations in support of business development, marketing strategies, and venture capital with the goal of having Atlanta recognized as a Top 10 city for blockchain within 5 years.  Ohio – Maryana Ryumshin , Senior Financial Analyst at Cleveland Clinic Maryana initially heard about Bitcoin in 2014, and then took a deeper dive to learn about blockchain technology in 2017 while working at EY. Marayana’s interest prompted her to attend Cleveland blockchain meet-up events, complete e-courses, and eventually create her first Metamask wallet. Maryana’s interest in photography led her to explore the emerging world of digital art and NFTs and eventually into a virtual world, Decentraland, and its DAO. A decade later, Maryana has immersed herself in learning & investing in new projects, reading up on the crypto legislative environment, and ultimately incorporating cryptocurrency into her Finance & Web3 career. Pennsylvania – Max Giuliana , Associate at MKF Advisors and Executive Director at Taking the Hill Max was first exposed to cryptocurrency back in 2017 when he found out a friend’s father accepted cryptocurrency at his local business. After years of fascination and research, he found himself working at the heart of cryptocurrency legislation in his home Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, working with private and public partners to promote legislation that supports the proliferation of cryptocurrency usage and the adoption of blockchain technology while maintaining a safe environment for consumers. In this work, Max has been enthralled with the technology’s ability to revolutionize industries with its democratic foundations.  Wisconsin – Ian McCullough , Founder at Awen Ian got involved in crypto through his career as an open-source musician, releasing an album of open-licensed music every year since 2006. Ian’s passion for preserving the values of collaboration and transparency within open-source societies deeply shaped his belief in the potential of blockchain technology to revolutionize global economic systems – especially in the creator economy and entertainment industries. By combining his technical background as a computer engineer and creative vision as an artist, Ian founded Awen in 2023, an agency dedicated to creating a decentralized protocol where creators can thrive as cultural developers in their local communities.

Today, the Massachusetts-based “One Fair Wage” finally acknowledged its signature petitions are faulty and deficient, as the activist group discontinued efforts to qualify Arizona’s November ballot.   The Arizona Restaurant Association filed a lawsuit last month alleging One Fair Wage committed a host of errors in submitting to the State petitions that were tens of thousands of signatures short of the 255,949 required to qualify for the ballot.   “The One Fair Wage initiative has always been a front for union bosses and out-of-state activists,” said Steve Chucri, President & CEO of the Arizona Restaurant Association. “The radicals who want to force a new pay structure down the throats of Arizona small businesses and tipped workers were never honest about their true motivations, so I’m not surprised they also lied about their number of signature petitions for the ballot.”   With the initiative’s formal withdrawal, the Tipped Workers Protection Act (Prop 138) now will stand alone on the November ballot and be Arizona voters’ only chance to protect tipped workers and small businesses.   “The out-of-state radicals behind One Fair Wage have made it clear they plan to return with future state and local schemes that hike costs for Arizona businesses and families,” said Danny Seiden, President & CEO of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry. “That’s why it is absolutely critical that voters support Proposition 138 this November to protect tipped workers, save jobs and keep costs down for Arizona families.”   Prop 138, the Tipped Workers Protection Act, preserves Arizona’s current tip credit system that polling demonstrates is preferred by the vast majority of tipped workers. In addition to preserving the tips that constitute a large portion of compensation for these workers, Prop 138 also establishes a pay floor to guarantee Arizona tipped workers earn at least $2 above minimum wage – even if they work a shift with little or no tips.   “Without passage of Prop 138, you can bet the imposters behind One Fair Wage will be back with a future attempts to install a California-style pay system in Arizona,” Chucri said. “That means lower tips for workers, lost jobs for employers and higher costs for everyone. Passage of Prop 138 is the first step to prevent that from happening.”