Sign In
Free Newsletter
Kirsten Engel: Freshman lawmaker brings impressive background to Capitol
Democratic Rep. Kirsten Engel of Tucson is a University of Arizona professor and environmental lawyer who has built up an impressive resume in both academia and the legal field.
Paul Bender: A constitutional authority still learns from his students
The media usually seeks out the analysis and opinions of Arizona State University law professor Paul Bender when there’s a news story involving questions of Arizona law or the U.S. Constitution.
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[...]
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.
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.
Robert Graham: Guiding Arizona’s Republican Party through turbulent times
Whether he admits it or not, Arizona Republican Party Chairman Robert Graham is in a tight spot. As head of the party, he quickly affirmed Republicans’ choice of Donald Trump on the night of the Arizona presidential primary March 22, and yet he also has to navigate through myriad complications that will surely arise after his party picked, to put it mildly, such a divisive figure.
Jim Covarrubias: Adorning hallways of the Senate
If you’ve ever wandered beyond the first floor of the Arizona Senate, you’ve likely seen the work of Jim Covarrubias, a Phoenix-based artist whose paintings have adorned the hallways of the second and third floors for more than a year. Covarrubias, whose downtown Phoenix studio is full to the brim of paintings, has a wide variety to choose from, and has curated and adjusted the work on display[...]
Juan Ciscomani: Keeping governor’s focus on southern Arizona, Sonora
Juan Ciscomani’s dual roles as director of Gov. Doug Ducey’s southern Arizona office and the Arizona-Mexico Commission’s Sonora office seem like a natural fit.
