Political fortunes rose and fell this year, but none more so than that of Treasurer Jeff DeWit, who began 2016 drearily but whose gamble to side with Donald Trump paid off handsomely.

Democratic Sen. Carlyle Begay is now a Republican. The Ganado lawmaker announced Monday morning his switch to the Republican Party, a move he said is an extension of his independent streak at the Arizona Capitol. But Democrats categorized the move as no surprise for a lawmaker who often bucked his party to vote in favor of Republican-led bills.

A trio of big names announced a new lobbying and consulting firm that’s poised to make a big splash at the Capitol and the world of Arizona politics.

Specter of anonymous campaign spending looms over 2014

Next year’s elections are shaping up like 2012 — organizations with generic names, big checkbooks and secret contributors spending millions to influence Arizona’s elections.

Bush v. Gore is the ultimate example of politics and law intersecting and it shows how lawyers can affect an election in a dramatic way. But in Arizona, every election cycle brings its own set of controversies to be settled in the courtroom.

Higher contribution limits don’t translate into avalanche of cash

Legislators who approved a controversial election law this year and are hoping to get a serious bump in their fundraising efforts should not expect to see an avalanche of hefty checks coming their way.

At a recent Phoenix City Council District 8 candidate forum in a central Phoenix church, the pews were nearly filled with roughly 80 political junkies getting their fix.

As an Arizonan, when you hear about trade agreements, you might not automatically think about jobs in the great Copper State. However, as the most populous landlocked state in the U.S., we should. Trade is a huge driver of our economy, not only as a nation, but also of our state economies.

Despite a flood of letters from cities and towns opposing the bill, Gov. Jan Brewer today signed legislation requiring municipalities to consolidate their elections with the state.

Gov. Jan Brewer signed a bill Friday that relaxes Arizona's requirement for health plans to cover contraception, legislation that supporters called a protection for religious freedom and that critics called an attack on women.