Rep. Ed Ableser, a Democrat from Tempe, last night pressed Republican Sen. Jerry Lewis, R-Mesa, over his support for a state budget that kept money for schools relatively flat and didn’t restore funding for an insurance program for low-income children.

Attorneys for a business run by Rep. Kate Brophy McGee’s husband persuaded a judge to seal court records in an ongoing lawsuit on the grounds that it could harm her re-election chances.



But they also contend that her political career is being used to blackmail and extort the business of her husband, Bob McGee.

National Democrats are boosting their investment in Arizona’s Senate race to replace retiring Sen. Jon Kyl, another sign that the race between Republican Jeff Flake and Democrat Richard Carmona is competitive.

The Open Government Committee, which is supporting the initiative to create a “top-two” primary system in Arizona, has a strong fundraising lead over the opposition as its campaign heads into the home stretch.

Republican candidates for the Arizona Corporation Commission violated the rules by using hundreds of thousands of dollars that were meant to be spent in the primary to go after their Democratic general election opponents, the agency that runs the state’s public finance system agreed today.

Arizona’s campaign finance commission on Wednesday will consider a proposed settlement agreement to have the three Republican candidates return a total of nearly $29,000 of public financing.

It’s been a week of heavy spending in Arizona’s 9th Congressional District as the campaigns, national party organizations and PACs spent more than $1.5 million on airtime.

Former Senate President Russell Pearce is citing an urban legend that was a punch line in a Jim Carrey comedy to rally support for a ballot measure that bars criminals from suing their victims.

The Arizona Supreme Court today rejected Rep. Russ Jones’ emergency petition to keep state House candidate Darin Mitchell from appearing on the November ballot, meaning his name will remain there even if he is ultimately disqualified for living outside his district.

The campaign to defeat a 1-cent sales tax initiative collected $550,000 from three sources with ties to Republican causes and candidates.