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Marilyn Rodriguez: Giving ASU students an inside look at lobbying
Veridus lobbyist Marilyn Rodriguez spent the past six weeks teaching a first-of-its-kind class at Arizona State University: An inside look at the world of lobbying.
Mike Gardner: Nobody saw the last Senate split coming
The November 8 election carries with it a possibility that the Arizona Senate will end up split 15 to 15 between Republicans and Democrats, which could lead to a rare show of legislative bipartisanship that hasn’t been seen since 2000, when the Senate last was split. Lobbyist Mike Gardner was the Senate chief of staff during the last split, so we sat down with him to learn more about the functio[...]
Will Humble: In the thick of Arizona’s battle over marijuana
Will Humble, the former director of the Arizona Department of Health Services, is perhaps best known as the guy who got Arizona’s medical marijuana program off the ground.
Brian Nissen: You might know him as ‘Dwain,’ a lovable redneck
Brian Nissen is an affable guy with an easy smile. But the moment he puts on a ball cap and sports a mullet-style wig, he transforms into “Dwain,” an affable redneck with an easy smile. Perhaps it’s the way “Dwain” looks into your soul – half squinting, wearing that self-assured grin of a kind-hearted but completely offensive hillbilly – that makes him such a believable prophet of po[...]
Pollster George Khalaf: His heritage drew him to the Republican Party
Growing up in Arizona, George Khalaf often heard stories about a distant land called Lebanon, from which his parents fled following that country’s civil war.
Gibson McKay: Finding out what makes people tick
Gibson McKay does a little bit of everything – polling, lobbying, public relations, campaigns – and he loves it all.
Chuck Essigs: Arizona’s school finance guru
Chuck Essigs came to Arizona in 1972 with plans to stay no more than a year to get an advanced degree. He got hooked on the Valley of the Sun, though, and has been helping to shape the state’s school finance formula ever since.
Constantin Querard: The go-to campaign consultant for Arizona conservatives
It may be reckless to give all the credit for Arizona’s rightward course to one man, but Constantin Querard has done more than most to make Arizona a conservative bastion, and for that, he is one of the most loved and hated men in Arizona politics.
Garrett Archer: ‘Data guru’ crunches numbers, tracks and targets Arizona voters
As the “Arizona elections data guru,” Garrett Archer has compiled millions of records on Arizonans. Those records help him track, target and analyze voters, which in turn helps candidates win elections.
Andrew Chavez: Commanding an army of petition gatherers
If you need signatures collected for a citizen initiative in Arizona, there’s a good chance you’re paying Andrew Chavez to get them.
Jack August: Historian, author is captivated by Arizona lore
Historian Jack August can tell you tons of tales of Arizona’s past, from the story about Fife Symington saving Bill Clinton’s life to August’s own memories of interactions with the state’s heavyweights.
Cara Nicole Trujillo: ‘Arizona Powergirl’ runs for the Legislature
Cara Nicole Trujillo might be a new face on the Arizona political scene, but in the comic book world, she’s a legend. With more than 37,000 fans on Facebook, the “Arizona Powergirl” cosplayer (a contraction of costume player who wears costumes and fashion accessories to represent a specific character) just declared her candidacy to run for Tempe’s Legislative District 26 seat.
