Dolezal attended a signing ceremony for Governor Katie Hobbs' executive order against race-based hair discrimination after being invited by a Tucson museum where she'd been volunteering under a different name axios.com/local/phoenix/…

“You should know this about me. I don’t put up with bullies. And when you kick back, it hurts them more if you’re wearing heels,” Haley said. “I’m Nikki Haley, and I’m running for president.”
apnews.com/article/f28052…

Happy Birthday Arizona and Oregon

At the Kari Lake event in Ankeny. I’ve covered Iowa politics for a long time. She has Donald J. Trump crowd energy. Has all feel of presidential campaign rally. Is she the Republican Beto O'Rourke — loses statewide race, connects with base, runs in Iowa? Think so. She grew up

I think this is our first peek at what Doug Ducey is up to since leaving the governor’s office a month ago

She's running.

Nikki Haley will announce campaign for president on Feb. 15 in Charleston, SC, according to a person familiar with the plans.

Supporters to receive email invite tomorrow.

apnews.com/article/politi…

* “& Senate” *

'Former President Donald Trump is set to kick off his 2024 White House bid on Saturday with visits to a pair of early voting states, his first campaign events since launching his bid more than two months ago.' via Meg Kinnard @Colvinj
apnews.com/article/aborti…

Dem Sen. Mark KELLY deflected on Sinema/Gallego 2024 race says it's 'kind of unusual' how much turnover there is for the Arizona Senate seat, with elections in '16, '18, '20, '22, and now '24. 'People there, they need a little rest from you know, Senate races.' (h/t Lisa Desjardins)

PHOENIX (AP) — Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego to run for independent Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema’s seat, setting up potential 3-way race.

WSJ reporter Dion Rabouin 🏔 👑 🏆 was at a Chase Bank branch to do some man-on-the-street interviews while in town to visit family.

He didn't know the sidewalk in front of the building wasn't public property. The officer refused to let him just leave once he found out.

Wow, the recount of AZ AG's race came down to 280 votes (!). If you think your *measly* one vote can't tip a scale...Story straight from the hearing from my colleague Jacques Billeaud with an assist from Jonathan J. Cooper.
apnews.com/article/2022-m…

Recount confirms that Democrat Kris Mayes wins the race for Arizona attorney general, but her lead shrank from 511 to 280.

Republican Abraham Hamadeh picked up 427 votes and Mayes gained 196. Most of the discrepancy is from Pinal County.

I finally took a moment to compare Maricopa turnout in 2018 to 2022. I had to sift through my archives.

2022
REP: 75%
DEM: 69%
OTH: 50%

2018
REP: 71%
DEM: 66%
OTH: 46%

Share of the electorate is the same for both years.
REP: 41%
DEM: 32%
OTH: 27%

Map incoming. h/t to Sam Almy for doing the interpolation of 2018 precincts to 2022.

Statewide there were 775 Ducey/Lake precincts and 603 Garcia/Hobbs.

Hobbs flipped 311 precincts Ducey won in 2018. Lake flipped 6 in the other direction.

abc15.com/news/political…

Sinema’s move “foreshadowed the even more difficult climate ahead as Democrats defend seats in seven states, including Arizona, that former President Donald Trump carried at least once.” By ⁦Jonathan J. Cooper⁩ apnews.com/article/074c53…

It’s been one month since Election Day.

We still don’t have all answers from Maricopa County on what caused machines to reject thousands of ballots. County officials have said answers will come later.

Voters didn't want to wait until later. Neither did I.

So I didn’t. A 🧵

Very high Republican turnout for a midterm election. Dems still won because independents (and some Republicans) rejected the Trump-backed GOP candidates in Arizona