Final campaign spending reports from the 2010 election season revealed desperation by ultimately unsuccessful candidates who loaned their campaigns large amounts of money, as well as aggressive spending by winning candidates who likely didn’t need it.

House Speaker Kirk Adams issued committee assignments Nov. 12, making Rep. Jerry Weiers chair of the powerful House Rules Committee.

Rep. Debbie Lesko was elected House majority whip, beating Rep. David Stevens in the House Republicans' only contested leadership race. House Speaker Kirk Adams was uncontested in his bid for a second term in charge of the House. Rep. Andy Tobin, who served as majority whip last session, was unconsted in the race for majority leader.

A full list of the 50th Legislature membership

Republicans are targeting four Democratic-held seats in the 30-member Senate, a coup that would give them supermajority control for the first time in Arizona’s history.

State lawmakers from both parties are calling for hearings to look into the escape of three violent inmates from a private prison in northwestern Arizona.

Arizona lawmakers are considering another special session now that the state Supreme Court has ruled that a legislative referral must be removed from the ballot because it violates the single-subject rule in the state Constitution.

Adams, Kirk
Party: Republican
Age: 37
Campaign Finance: Private
Full candidate bio...