The number of independents voting in the partisan primary election on Aug. 26 is expected to surge this year. And with nearly all the primary election action concentrated on the Republican side, independents are overwhelmingly choosing to vote in the GOP primary.

This week's most outstanding quips, gibes and utterances from Arizona's political world.

Moderate GOP precinct committeemen in Legislative District 25 and the Maricopa County Republican Committee settled a lawsuit today that alleged voter fraud in the district’s organizational elections in November.

Former Senate President Russell Pearce said the dispute over organizational elections in Legislative District 25 is over cheating, not a power struggle between political factions as it has been portrayed in a federal lawsuit.

Pearce, a precinct committeeman in the heavily conservative Mesa district, said the lawsuit, filed Dec. 24 in U.S. District Court in Phoenix, is an attempt to cover up cheating and fraud that was committed by a few people.

After hours of heated discussion, the Maricopa County Republican Committee passed a resolution Thursday night opposing the continued leadership of the current Arizona Senate President and House Speaker.