Latest from Alex Cunningham
Kirsten Engel slams Juan Ciscomani over links to Patriot Academy, a Christian nationalist group, as Arizona congressional race simmers
WASHINGTON – Democratic challenger Kirsten Engel has slammed Rep. Juan Ciscomani for his ties to Patriot Academy. The Tucson Republican, who enjoys a relatively moderate image, won’t discuss the group, which wants to end church-state separation and promotes the idea of Christian government.
Arizona’s Proposition 314, authorizing local enforcement of federal immigration law, would face legal hurdles if approved
WASHINGTON – Arizona’s Proposition 314 is certain to face legal challenges over provisions that would give police the power to arrest migrants and state courts the power to deport them.
Gov. Katie Hobbs, other Arizona Democrats rally behind Kamala Harris for presidential nomination after Joe Biden bows out
WASHINGTON – Arizona Democratic delegates have embraced Vice President Kamala Harris as the party’s new presidential nominee since President Joe Biden’s exit from the race. Gov. Katie Hobbs threw her support to Harris on Monday. Every Arizona Democrat in Congress backs Harris, as do most state party leaders.
Stanton joins House Democrat calls for Biden to drop reelection bid as GOP ties Arizona Dems to president’s sinking ship
WASHINGTON – Rep. Greg Stanton of Phoenix joined a growing list of House Democrats calling for President Joe Biden to drop his reelection bid. Republicans are slamming Arizona Democrats who haven’t issued such calls. Biden has slipped in Arizona polls since a disastrous debate performance, and the GOP is determined to capitalize.
Abortion ballot measure in Arizona could drive turnout as Biden campaigns hard on reproductive rights
WASHINGTON – Polls show Joe Biden currently lagging behind Donald Trump in Arizona, with the president using abortion as the key issue to mobilize voters and attack Republicans on. An abortion ballot measure could prove Biden’s golden ticket to reelection.
Democrats plaster Arizona Republic website with ads calling Trump a threat to democracy, with other blitzes in Georgia, Pennsylvania
WASHINGTON – The Democratic National Committee is filling the Arizona Republic homepage, azcentral.com, with ads attacking former President Donald Trump as an existential threat to democracy. The DNC launched a similar blitz in two other battlegrounds, Georgia and Pennsylvania.
Democrats see abortion rights as a potent issue as they aim to topple seven-term U.S. Rep. David Schweikert
WASHINGTON – A half dozen Democrats are vying for the right to face Rep. David Schweikert, invincible for seven terms in a Phoenix-area congressional district. Redistricting and abortion rights have made his seat far more of a toss-up, and national Democrats are pumping money into the contest.
Democrats spend big hoping to snag two of Arizona’s congressional seats
WASHINGTON – The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee plans to spend $2.8 million on ads targeting two potentially vulnerable members of Congress, Reps. David Schweikert and Juan Ciscomani.
Ousted House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s quest for vengeance faces test in Rep. Eli Crane’s primary
WASHINGTON – Freshman U.S. Rep. Eli Crane accuses his GOP primary challenger of being a pawn in a revenge plot hatched by Kevin McCarthy. The ousted speaker wants payback against Crane, a key player in McCarthy’s own downfall only a year after he’d pumped big money into helping Crane get to Congress.
Senate Republicans block right-to-contraception bill backed by Sens. Mark Kelly and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona
WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark Kelly and Kyrsten Sinema from Arizona supported the Right to Contraception Act that fell short in the Senate on Wednesday. Democrats are using fear of rollbacks to birth control access in the 2024 campaign.
Ruben Gallego faces election year pressures in vote against noncitizen voting in D.C., but it’s not unusual in local elections
WASHINGTON – Rep. Ruben Gallego voted with Republicans to block noncitizen voting in Washington, D.C. The issue is a lightning rod in the 2024 Senate campaign, and isn’t widely used in the United States, but it’s not unprecedented in local elections.
Donald Trump will campaign in Phoenix on Thursday after felony convictions in hush money case
WASHINGTON – Former President Donald Trump, returning to the trail after a lengthy spell in a New York courtroom, is set to appear at a Turning Point Action event at Dream City Church on Thursday afternoon.
