THE FOLLOWING IS AN ORIGINAL PRODUCTION OF AZPM NEWS.

HELLO AND WELCOME TO AZPM NEWS VOTE 2026.

OUR REVIEW OF THE MIDTERM ELECTION.

I'M TONY PERKINS, JOINED IN THE STUDIO BY LOOKOUT SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER JOHN WASHINGTON AND SAMARA KLAR WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA SCHOOL OF PUBLIC POLICY AND GOVERNMENT.

THANKS FOR BEING WITH US FOR THIS POST-ELECTION EDITION OF VOTE 2026.

AND, JOHN, OF COURSE, WE HEARD A LOT AND HEARD A LOT ABOUT THE BUILDUP TO THE MIDTERMS.

THERE WAS EXCITEMENT LAST NIGHT.

SOME CONTESTS IN ARIZONA HAVE STILL NOT YET BEEN RESOLVED AT THIS HOUR.

WEDNESDAY EVENING.

WE'LL TALK IN A MOMENT ABOUT THAT.

BUT YOU WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF ALL THE EXCITEMENT THAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY, THE BUSIEST PART OF THE DAY YESTERDAY EVENING, CATCHING UP WITH THE CANDIDATES AND THEIR SUPPORTERS.

WHAT WAS ELECTION NIGHT FOR YOU LIKE FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE?

YEAH.

SO I WENT TO TWO WATCH PARTIES.

I STARTED AT A CISCOMANI'S WATCH PARTY NEAR SAINT PHILIPS PLAZA LAST NIGHT, AND THIS WAS BEFORE THE INITIAL RESULTS CAME IN.

CISCOMANI MADE HIS FIRST APPEARANCE.

HE GREETED A PRETTY PACKED ROOM.

THERE WAS LOTS OF YOUTH.

THERE WAS LOTS OF SWAG, SWAG AND THE SPIRITS WERE PRETTY HIGH AT FIRST.

AND YET, AS THE INITIAL RESULTS TRICKLED IN THE FIRST BATCH OF THOSE RESULTS, THE MOOD SOURED PRETTY QUICKLY.

I WAS ABLE TO ASK A COUPLE QUESTIONS ABOUT IF HE HAD ANY REGRETS, OR HOW HE FELT ABOUT THE PAST FOUR YEARS, GIVEN HOW TIGHT THE RACE WAS PROJECTED TO BE.

AND, YOU KNOW, AS A POLITICIAN, WILL HE JUST, YOU KNOW, BOASTED ABOUT HIS HIS LEGACY AND WHAT HE WAS ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH SO FAR.

I LEFT THAT EVENT AND WENT TO GRIJALVA'S EVENT IN SOUTH TUCSON.

AND THERE THE MOOD WAS, I WOULD CALL IT EBULLIENT.

I MEAN, PEOPLE WERE PACKED INTO A VERY LARGE ROOM.

THEY WERE DANCING.

WHEN GRIJALVA TOOK THE STAGE BEFORE HER RACE GOT ANNOUNCED, SHE SAID THAT CNN WAS PROJECTING THAT THE DEMOCRATS WERE GOING TO TAKE THE HOUSE, AND MY EARS WERE HURTING AFTERWARDS.

I MEAN, THE SHRIEKS AND ABSOLUTE GLEE THAT ERUPTED FROM THE CROWD WAS PRETTY REMARKABLE.

SAMARA IS A BIG NIGHT FOR DEMOCRATS WITH A BLUE WAVE THAT STARTED IN SOUTH CAROLINA AND MOVED ACROSS GEORGIA AND ACROSS TEXAS.

BY THE TIME IT GOT TO ARIZONA, DID IT STILL HAVE THE SAME KIND OF IMPACT?

YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.

I MEAN, SOME OF THOSE EARLY RACES WE SAW IN INDIANA AND KENTUCKY, THEY REALLY INDICATED THAT THE DEMOCRATS WERE NOT AT ALL GOING TO UNDERPERFORM THE POLLS.

IN FACT, I THINK THEY MAY HAVE OVERPERFORMED A LITTLE BIT WHAT WE WERE EXPECTING.

USUALLY WHAT WE SEE WITH THOSE PATTERNS IS IF IT HOLDS ON THE EAST COAST, WE'RE GOING TO SEE IT GO ALL THE WAY THROUGH TO THE WEST COAST.

AND THAT'S WHAT WE SAW.

A LOT OF DISTRICTS HERE IN ARIZONA ACTUALLY HAVING MORE SUPPORT FOR DEMOCRATS THAN WE HAD ANTICIPATED.

ALL RIGHT, LET'S GET TO THE LIST OF CONTESTS IN ARIZONA.

AND THE FIRST, THE ARIZONA GOVERNOR'S RACE, INCUMBENT DEMOCRAT KATIE HOBBS DEFEATED REPUBLICAN CHALLENGER ANDY BIGGS.

SAMARA, DEMOCRATS GOT BEHIND HOBBS IN A CONTEST THAT, AS IT TURNED OUT, WASN'T THAT CLOSE.

YEAH, I MEAN, I THINK EVERYONE IS SURPRISED WITH THE LEAD THAT HOBBS HAS.

IT'S THE BIGGEST MARGIN OF VICTORY THAT WE'VE SEEN IN A WHILE IN ARIZONA RACE.

AND SHE'S I MEAN, SHE'S GOT TO BE PRETTY HAPPY.

NOW, SHE MAY HAVE THE STATE HOUSE, THE SENATE AND THE LEGISLATURE IN HER, YOU KNOW, IN HER PARTY.

SO WE'LL HAVE TO SEE WHAT THE NEXT TERM LOOKS LIKE FOR KATIE HOBBS.

YEAH.

I THINK WHAT'S INTERESTING HERE IS AS WELL IS OUR NEIGHBORING STATES.

SO WE SAW XAVIER BECERRA WIN GOVERNORSHIP IN CALIFORNIA, DEB HAALAND TAKE IT IN NEW MEXICO, AND GINA HINOJOSA IN TEXAS.

AND SO WE HAVE A LATINO MAN, A INDIGENOUS WOMAN, ANOTHER LATINO WOMAN, AND KATIE HOBBS.

AND THEY'RE GOVERNING THE FOUR BORDER STATES.

THAT IS GOING TO MAKE A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN HOW BORDER POLICY IS ABLE TO BE IMPLEMENTED OVER THE NEXT AT LEAST TWO YEARS AND THEN BEYOND.

WE DON'T KNOW.

BUT THIS WAS A HUGE WIN, NOT JUST IN ARIZONA, BUT FOR BORDER STATES IN THE SOUTHWEST.

YEAH, THAT'S GOING TO BE INTERESTING.

NOW IN THIS GOVERNOR'S RACE, IT WAS THE FIRST TIME THING FOR ARIZONANS.

THEY WERE ABLE TO PICK A LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR.

BOTH HOBBS AND BIGGS CHOSE A RUNNING MATE FOR THE FIRST TIME ARIZONANS GOT TO CHOOSE FOR SECOND IN CHARGE IN THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE.

SAMARA, DID THESE CHOICES HAVE ANY IMPACT IN A RACE THAT WASN'T REALLY CLOSE?

WELL, IT'S HARD TO KNOW HOW THINGS WOULD HAVE BEEN OTHERWISE, BUT I DON'T THINK KATIE HOBBS IS REGRETTING HER CHOICE.

SHE CHOSE, AS WE'VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT, JOHN GILES, WHO'S A LONG TERM A LONGTIME REPUBLICAN, FORMER MAYOR OF MESA, ONE OF THE MOST CONSERVATIVE VOTING TOWNS IN ARIZONA.

AND SHE REALLY USED THAT TO KIND OF CONVEY THIS INDEPENDENT SORT OF CAMPAIGN MESSAGE OF BEING MODERATE, OF BEING CENTRIST.

A LOT OF THEIR CAMPAIGN SIGNS WOULD SAY HOBBS GILES BE INDEPENDENT.

AND THAT MAY HAVE HELPED HER.

I MEAN, IT LOOKS AS THOUGH INDEPENDENTS IN ARIZONA WHO CONSTITUTE A THIRD OF OUR ELECTORATE REALLY DID COME OUT TO SUPPORT THEM.

YEAH.

YOU KNOW, WHAT HOBBS DID WITH THAT PICK IS SHE TEMPERED HOW BLUE SHE WAS, HOW DEMOCRAT SHE WAS WITH WITH BIGGS' PICK, HE JUST KIND OF LEANED INTO THE CONSERVATIVE SORT OF IN SOME MAY VIEW LIKE EXTREMIST POSITIONS.

HOWEVER, YESTERDAY I VISITED A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT POLLING SITES IN BOTH MARICOPA, PINAL AND AS WELL, PIMA COUNTY.

AND I DIDN'T HEAR LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR'S NAMES COME UP A SINGLE TIME.

I DON'T THINK IT WAS ON PEOPLE'S MINDS.

FASCINATING.

THAT'S REALLY SOMETHING.

NOW LET'S SWITCH OVER TO CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT SIX.

THIS IS THE ONE THAT WE'D ALL BEEN LOOKING AT WATCHING FOR MONTHS HEADING INTO ELECTION DAY YESTERDAY.

THIS IS REPUBLICAN INCUMBENT JUAN CISCOMANI VERSUS DEMOCRATIC CHALLENGER JOANNA MENDOZA.

GOING INTO THE EVENING, THIS WAS EXPECTED TO GRAB EVEN NATIONAL ATTENTION.

NATIONAL HEADLINES.

NOW, IF PROJECTIONS HOLD, MENDOZA WILL BE THE WINNER.

BUT THE EXCITEMENT STARTED TO BUILD AS SOON AS THE FIRST NUMBERS STARTED TO COME IN, AS ANGELA GERVASI SPENT TIME WITH THE MENDOZA TEAM, AND SHE JOINS US LIVE.

ANGELA, WHAT ABOUT THE MOMENTUM WITH MENDOZA?

WAS IT THERE FROM THE START SO YOU COULD REALLY FEEL THE MOMENTUM SORT OF BUILDING AS THE NIGHT WENT ON?

TONY.

THE NIGHT STARTED PRETTY RELAXED.

AND THEN SHORTLY AFTER 8:00, THAT FIRST BALLOT DROP CAME OUT, SHOWING MENDOZA WITH A DOUBLE DIGIT PERCENTAGE LEAD OVER CISCOMANI.

AND THE ROOM JUST SORT OF STARTED TO EXPLODE AND IT GOT REALLY PACKED.

PEOPLE WERE DANCING, THERE WAS A LIVE BAND PLAYING STEVIE WONDER COVERS.

YOU KNOW, IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE RACE HAS NOT BEEN CALLED YET, AND HER LEAD OVER CISCOMANI HAS DWINDLED A BIT.

AS OF 5:45, SHE HAD ABOUT 53% OF THE VOTES, AND CISCO MANI WAS 44.9% OF THE VOTES.

AND THAT'S WITH ABOUT 83% OF THE VOTES COUNTED.

SO, YOU KNOW, IT WAS VERY CELEBRATORY LAST NIGHT, BUT WE'RE STILL NOT TOTALLY CLEAR ON WHAT THE RESULT WOULD BE.

NOW, MENDOZA DID MAKE A VISIT.

SHE STOPPED BY.

WHAT DID SHE HAVE TO SAY TO HER SUPPORTERS LAST NIGHT?

YEAH.

SO SHE SPOKE A LOT ABOUT HER CHILDHOOD.

YOU KNOW, SHE GREW UP IN ELOY AS THE DAUGHTER OF FARM WORKERS, AND HAD TO DEPEND ON A LOT OF GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE TO SORT OF COMBAT FOOD INSECURITY.

AND THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME SHE'S GIVEN US THIS STORY, YOU KNOW, AND SHE TALKS A LOT ABOUT THIS WHEN CRITICIZING CISCOMANI FOR VOTING FOR THE ONE BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL ACT, WHICH LED TO A LOT OF SNAP CUTS FOR FOLKS HERE IN ARIZONA.

AND THAT'S BEEN A PRETTY BIG CORNERSTONE OF HER CAMPAIGN.

AND FOR A LOT OF DEMOCRATS, CAMPAIGNS IS JUST THE COST OF LIVING AND FOCUSING.

SHE SEEMS VERY LASER FOCUSED ON THAT ISSUE.

SO THAT WAS A BIG PART OF HER SPEECH LAST NIGHT.

GREAT.

ANGELA GERVASI, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

REPORTING ON THE CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT SIX CAMPAIGN.

AND JOANNA MENDOZA.

JOHN, WHAT ABOUT MENDOZA'S STRATEGY?

YOU KNOW, IT WAS KEYED ON TYING HER REPUBLICAN OPPONENT TO AN UNPOPULAR PRESIDENT.

NOTHING NEW THERE.

BUT THIS PRESIDENT IS EXTREMELY UNPOPULAR.

YEAH, VERY MUCH SO.

YOU KNOW, THE INCUMBENT IN MIDTERMS IS ALWAYS PLAYING DEFENSE.

AND, YOU KNOW, MENDOZA STRATEGY WAS TO BASICALLY ASSAIL CISCOMANI, ESPECIALLY AROUND AFFORDABILITY.

ANGELA JUST MENTIONED ALSO CUTS TO MEDICAID AND SNAP.

AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT IS AFFECTING A LOT OF ARIZONANS.

YOU KNOW, 400,000 SOME ARIZONANS HAVE LOST THEIR SNAP BENEFITS.

OVER 100,000 OF THOSE ESTIMATED ARE CHILDREN.

I TRIED TO ASK CISCOMANI ABOUT THAT YESTERDAY, BUT HIS HANDLERS SORT OF DEFLECTED HIM, AND THAT'S WHAT HE'S BEEN DOING AROUND THOSE ISSUES.

HE'S BEEN SORT OF DUCKING AND DEFLECTING THOSE, TRYING TO PUT SOME DISTANCE BETWEEN SOME OF THE VOTES HE MADE AND AS WELL, MORE SPECIFICALLY, PUT SOME DISTANCE BETWEEN HIMSELF AND THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION.

HE DIDN'T SUCCESSFULLY DO THAT, AS WE'RE SEEING.

WELL, I DON'T THINK TRUMP HELPED HIM.

I MEAN, A LOT OF PRESIDENTS DURING THE MIDTERM ELECTIONS DO TRY TO GIVE CANDIDATES FROM THEIR OWN PARTY A LITTLE MORE SPACE.

AND, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF TRUMP FELT THAT HIS PRESENCE WOULD BE HELPFUL FLYING OUT HERE, DOING RALLIES, TELLING ARIZONANS VOTE AS THOUGH I'M ON THE BALLOT.

THAT WAS PROBABLY NOT IN LINE WITH WHAT HE WAS LOOKING FOR.

WELL, NOW LET'S TAKE A LOOK BACK AT THE HISTORY OF CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT SIX AND THE REPUBLICANS THAT HAVE THAT HAVE, YOU KNOW, SERVED FROM FROM THERE.

TRUMP HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN THE PAST TEN YEARS OR SO, BUT IT'S ONLY WITH CISCOMANI, WHOSE MARGIN OF VICTORY SORT OF DECREASED BIT BY BIT LEADING UP TO HIS DEFEAT LAST NIGHT.

HOW IS HOW IS THE REPUBLICAN INFLUENCE ON CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT SIX DECREASED OVER TIME UNTIL THE POINT THAT WE GET TO YESTERDAY, WHERE NOW A DEMOCRAT HAS TAKEN OVER?

WELL, YOU'RE RIGHT.

CISCOMANI WON THAT DISTRICT TWICE.

AND THE MARGIN OF VICTORY WERE PRETTY NARROW.

AND NOW HE GOT TROUNCED LAST NIGHT.

OR YOU KNOW, WE'LL SEE AS RESULTS EVENTUALLY GET CERTIFIED.

BUT THAT'S THE TREND.

I THINK A LOT OF IT GOES BACK AGAIN TO AFFORDABILITY.

THIS IS A NOT ONLY A DISTRICT THAT CONTAINS PART OF TUCSON, BUT ALSO A RURAL DISTRICT.

AND PEOPLE HAVE BEEN REALLY HURTING AROUND PRICE OF DIESEL, PRICE OF JUST REGULAR GASOLINE.

AND THEN WHEN THEY GO TO THE GROCERY STORE, HOW HIGH THOSE BILLS ARE.

SO I THINK THAT HE JUST HAD TOO MUCH TO MAKE UP IN THOSE AREAS.

NOW LET'S GIVE A LISTEN TO WHAT THE CANDIDATES THEMSELVES HAD TO SAY AS A RESULTS CAME IN LAST NIGHT.

LET'S FIRST HEAR FROM JUAN CISCOMANI AND THEN JOANNA MENDOZA.

WE NEED TO GIVE PEOPLE RELIEF.

WE NEED TO PUT MONEY IN THEIR POCKETS.

WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE.

AND WE NEED TO PUSH BACK ON THE CORRUPTION.

SO I WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, THOSE THREE THINGS IS IS A GOOD START OUT OF OUR RECORD.

WE RAN ON OUR RECORD OF ACCOMPLISHING WHAT WE SET OUT TO DO, BRINGING RESOURCES BACK TO THE DISTRICT, FIGHTING FOR THE DISTRICT AGAINST ANYONE THAT THE INTEREST DIDN'T LINE UP WITH US.

I'M VERY PROUD OF THAT.

AND WE'RE GOING TO YOU KNOW, WE STUCK WITH THAT.

WE RAN ON THAT.

AND OF COURSE, JOANNA MENDOZA WAS FIRST IN THAT SEQUENCE OF CLIPS.

YOU KNOW, SAMARA, WHEN IT'S ELECTION NIGHT AND THE NUMBERS ARE STILL BEING COUNTED, YOU GOT TO BE CAREFUL AS TO WHAT YOU SAY WHEN YOU GET UP ON STAGE.

CORRECT.

YOU KNOW, BECAUSE YOUR SUPPORTERS, THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE WANTING TO HEAR POSITIVE NEWS, BUT WHAT KIND OF NEWS CAN YOU GIVE THEM?

WELL, I MEAN, SHE WAS GIVING A RUNDOWN OF EXACTLY THE TOP ISSUES THAT BOTH DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS, NOT ONLY IN ARIZONA BUT ACROSS THE COUNTRY, WERE SAYING WERE THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUES.

GAS PRICES, COST OF LIVING AND AFFORDABILITY WERE ABSOLUTELY THE TOP ISSUES FOR EVERY SUBGROUP THAT I WAS POLLING THROUGHOUT THE CAMPAIGN SEASON.

AND SHE'S READING STRAIGHT FROM THE POLLING RESULTS.

I MEAN, THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT PEOPLE WANTED TO BE HEARING ABOUT.

AND I THINK THAT'S WHY THE REPUBLICANS HAD SUCH A TOUGH DAY YESTERDAY.

YEAH.

YOU KNOW, I'D SAY ALSO, I MEAN, PEOPLE VOTE WITH THEIR POCKETBOOKS OR WITH THEIR WALLETS FOR SURE.

BUT TALKING TO VOTERS YESTERDAY AND THROUGHOUT THIS CAMPAIGN, I THINK ANOTHER ISSUE THAT HAS COME UP THAT WASN'T DIRECTLY ON THE BALLOT WAS SORT OF A MORE MORAL ONE, IS HOW THIS ADMINISTRATION HAS ATTACKED IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES AND ALSO LAUNCHING THE IRAN WAR.

THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WERE ON PEOPLE'S MINDS YESTERDAY, EVEN IF THEY WEREN'T PRECISELY VOTING EXACTLY ON THOSE ISSUES ON THE BALLOT.

NOW, LET'S SWITCH OVER TO JUAN CISCOMANI AND HIS CAMPAIGN.

YOU KNOW, FOR MANY MONTHS, ONE OF HIS POINTS OF EMPHASIS WAS THAT HE WAS THE MOST BIPARTISAN MEMBER OF THE CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION FROM ARIZONA.

THOSE WORDS, THAT PHRASE, SORT OF GOT DROWNED OUT A LITTLE BIT AS THE MORE NEGATIVE CAMPAIGNING BEGAN AND CONTINUED.

DID ANYONE PAY THAT MUCH ATTENTION TO THAT PART OF HIS MESSAGE?

I THINK THAT CLAIM JUST FELL FLAT.

I MEAN, MAYBE THERE'S SOME TECHNICAL WAY THAT HE'S ABLE TO DEFEND THAT, BUT IT JUST DOESN'T SEEM LIKE IF YOU LOOK AT HIS VOTING RECORD, IF YOU LOOK AT HIS TALKING POINTS, IF YOU LOOK AT HIM AND THE WAY THAT HE MANEUVERS IN POLITICAL LIFE, HE DOESN'T SEEM BIPARTISAN.

HE SEEMS, YOU KNOW, DYED IN THE WOOL REPUBLICAN.

AND SAMARA, AN INCUMBENT, HAS THE NAME RECOGNITION.

BUT THAT DIDN'T WORK FOR HIM EITHER.

YEAH.

I MEAN, IF YOU LOOK AT SOME OF THESE REPUBLICANS EVEN RUNNING FOR THE STATE HOUSE POSITIONS WHO REALLY SEEM TO BE DRAGGED DOWN BY DONALD TRUMP, WHO REALLY HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH DONALD TRUMP, AT THE END OF THE DAY, THEY'RE NOT IN ANY FEDERAL POSITION.

IT DOES SEEM LIKE EVERY REPUBLICAN WAS JUST SUFFERING.

THERE WAS A TAX ON REPUBLICANS YESTERDAY JUST FOR SHARING THE SAME PARTY AS A REALLY UNPOPULAR PRESIDENT.

ALL RIGHT, AZPM'S L. M. BOYD REPORTED FROM CISCOMANI ELECTION NIGHT HEADQUARTERS LAST NIGHT.

L. M. JOINS US NOW LIVE.

HOW DID THE NIGHT DEVELOP FOR JUAN CISCOMANI?

YEAH, SO I WOULD ECHO WHAT JOHN SAID.

I THE MOOD WAS VERY OPTIMISTIC, ENERGIZED.

AND AS THOSE FIRST RESULTS CAME IN, MAYBE THE MOOD SHIFTED A LITTLE BIT.

I WAS ALSO AT THAT GAGGLE WHERE WE WERE ASKING THE CONGRESSMAN SOME QUESTIONS.

AND I LEARNED JOHN WAS THERE BECAUSE WHEN HE JUMPED IN THE GAGGLE, I COULD HEAR HIS VOICE RIGHT BEHIND ME, AND IT NEARLY CAUGHT ME OFF GUARD.

BUT NO, ALL GOOD.

I, I ASKED HIM HOW HE FELT ABOUT THIS RACE COMPARED TO 22,24, ALL THREE WERE CONSIDERED TOSS UPS, BUT HE SAID THIS YEAR FELT DIFFERENT.

THE ISSUES WERE DIFFERENT, THE POLITICAL CLIMATE WAS DIFFERENT, AND UNLIKE 24, THERE WASN'T A PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION THIS YEAR, SO THE TURNOUT WAS DIFFERENT.

SO I WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HOW THE CONGRESSMAN HAS DISTANCED HIMSELF FROM THE PRESIDENT.

I ASKED HOW MAYBE THAT'S PLAYED A ROLE THIS ELECTION.

HE.

HE SAYS THAT.

GOSH, WHAT DID HE SAY?

HE.

JOHN HELPED ME OUT.

YEAH.

WELL, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I CAN'T REMEMBER IF IT WAS A RESPONSE TO ONE OF YOUR QUESTIONS, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT STRUCK ME IS TALKING ABOUT IMMIGRATION.

HE SAYS, YOU KNOW, BORDER ISSUES.

WE SOLVED THAT.

I THINK I THINK THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE, SPECIFICALLY THE 70-SOME THOUSAND WHO ARE IN IMMIGRATION DETENTION CAMPS RIGHT NOW, OR THE PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT ABLE TO ACCESS ASYLUM, ETC.

AND SEEING THE THE HORROR THAT HAS BEEN, YOU KNOW, APPEARING ON OUR STREETS WITH MASKED ICE AGENTS DO NOT FEEL THAT THE BORDER ISSUE IS SOLVED.

SO HE, YOU KNOW, WAS ABLE TO SORT OF TRY TO CLAIM THAT ISSUE.

BUT I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE FEELING A LITTLE BIT UPSET ABOUT IT, EVEN AGAIN, IF THIS ISN'T PRECISELY ON ON THE BALLOT, IT WASN'T YESTERDAY.

OKAY.

AZPM'S L. M. BOYD SPEAKING TO US LIVE ABOUT THIS ON ELECTION NIGHT ATMOSPHERE.

SAMARA IT WAS A TOUGH CONTEST, BUT IT WAS EXPECTED TO BE VERY, VERY CLOSE.

WHAT IS YOUR SUMMARY OF OF HOW CD6 TURNED OUT?

WELL, LISTEN, WE STILL DON'T OFFICIALLY KNOW THE RESULTS OF CD6, BUT AS SOON AS I SAW THOSE RESULTS COMING IN, ESPECIALLY IN INDIANA AND KENTUCKY AND FLORIDA, WHERE WE'RE SEEING REALLY DEMOCRATS OVERPERFORMING OUR EXPECTATIONS AT THAT MOMENT, I KNEW THAT MENDOZA AND SHAH MUST BE FEELING PRETTY GOOD, BECAUSE THOSE PATTERNS TEND TO BE CORRELATED ACROSS STATES.

IF WE SEE POLLS IN ONE STATE THAT ARE ACCURATE OR, YOU KNOW, OFF IN A PARTICULAR DIRECTION, IT USUALLY REPLICATES IN LATER STATES.

SO MENDOZA AND SHAH PROBABLY WERE FEELING PRETTY GOOD RIGHT FROM THE GET GO.

THEY ARE I IT LOOKS LIKE OUTPERFORMING THE POLLS.

I MEAN, THE POLLS WERE PRETTY MUCH TOSS UPS IN BOTH RACES.

AND IT LOOKS AS THOUGH BOTH CANDIDATES ARE GOING TO HAVE A BIGGER LEAD THAN WHAT ANYBODY EXPECTED.

ALL RIGHT.

A FEW MORE QUESTIONS ABOUT CD6 COMING UP.

ALSO, CISCOMANI TALKED ABOUT HEALTH CARE FOR VETERANS AND OTHER RESIDENTS IN SOUTHERN ARIZONA.

THAT BECAME A MAJOR TOPIC FOR DISCUSSION FROM HIS CAMPAIGN.

L.

.M.

BOYD JOINS US ONCE AGAIN.

WHAT ABOUT THE FUTURE FOR HEALTH CARE?

AS AS IT WAS DISCUSSED IN THIS CAMPAIGN IN CD6?

YEAH, WELL, HEALTH CARE WAS ONE OF THE TOP ISSUES IN THIS RACE, PARTICULARLY WITH THE ONE BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL ACT BEING PASSED LAST YEAR, DOGE CUTS AND WITH VETERANS HEALTH CARE.

MENDOZA IS A MILITARY VETERAN HERSELF.

SHE REALLY LED WITH THAT.

AND SHE CRITICIZED CISCOMANI FOR SUPPORTING THOSE THOSE CUTS AND HOW THEY AFFECTED THE VA AND EVEN HER OWN ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE.

AND LOOKING AHEAD, MENDOZA HAS CALLED TO REVERSE THOSE MEDICAID CUTS.

DEMOCRATS WINNING CONTROL OF CONGRESS COULD CHANGE THE DIRECTION OF FEDERAL HEALTH CARE POLICY.

MAYBE, BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT MEDICAID CUTS WILL AUTOMATICALLY BE REVERSED.

WE'VE HEARD HAKEEM JEFFRIES SAY IT'S A PRIORITY, BUT PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP IS STILL PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP.

SO WE'LL SEE HOW THAT PROGRESSES.

ALL RIGHT.

AZPM'S L. M. BOYD REPORTING FOR US LIVE.

THANKS.

NOW, JOHN WAS DRAGGED DOWN JUST BY ANTI-TRUMP SENTIMENT, OR DID VOTERS HAVE OTHER REASONS TO REJECT HIM?

WELL, THERE IS A PRETTY CONSISTENT COMPLAINT OVER THE PAST FOUR YEARS THAT HE WAS NOT VERY ACCESSIBLE.

AND SO I THINK THAT HE, YOU KNOW, WAS ABLE TO APPEAR IN VIDEOS.

AND HE MADE HIS, YOU KNOW, APPEARANCES IN WASHINGTON AS WELL.

BUT IN THE DISTRICT, PEOPLE STRUGGLE TO BE ABLE TO GET A HOLD OF HIM.

I THINK THAT WAS AN ISSUE THAT CAME UP A LOT.

BUT I WOULD SAY, YES, IT WAS MOSTLY THE TRUMP NAME.

THE ADMINISTRATION SANDBAGGING HIS CAMPAIGN.

A LOT OF MONEY WENT INTO THIS CAMPAIGN.

I BELIEVE WE HAVE THE FIGURES, $10.7 MILLION SPENT BY THE MENDOZA CAMPAIGN GOING INTO OCTOBER, ABOUT 3 MILLION MORE THAN WHAT HIS CAMPAIGN SPENT.

MENDOZA'S MONEY CAME FROM SMALL DONATIONS, SYSCO MONEY, MORE FROM THE POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEES AND AND GROUPS LIKE THAT DID.

MONEY DIDN'T HOLD BACK THE BLUE TSUNAMI IN OTHER CASES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

DID IT MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THIS ONE?

YEAH, IT'S GOING TO BE REALLY HARD TO KNOW.

I MEAN, A TRICK, THE TRICK WITH LOOKING AT AT COMPARING FINANCES IS THE CANDIDATE WHO IS GOING TO WIN OFTEN DOES HAVE MORE MONEY BECAUSE PEOPLE WANT TO SUPPORT A WINNER.

SO IT'S A REALLY DIFFICULT CAUSAL RELATIONSHIP TO SORT OUT.

BUT HERE, I MEAN, IT'S HARD TO KNOW IF ANYTHING MADE A DIFFERENCE IN THIS ELECTION.

I MEAN THE ANTI GOP SENTIMENT WAS SO STRONG AMONG VOTERS IT WOULD BE VERY HARD TO CONSIDER ANY OTHER SCENARIO IN SOME OF THESE DISTRICTS AT THIS POINT.

I MEAN, LOOKING BACK ON WHAT PEOPLE WERE SAYING YESTERDAY AND WATCHING THOSE RESULTS COME IN.

BUT YOU'RE RIGHT, THIS WAS ONE OF THE MOST EXPENSIVE MIDTERM MIDTERM RACES IN HISTORY.

I DON'T KNOW IF THIS TREND IS GOING TO CONTINUE.

2028 IN ARIZONA, I'M SURE IS GOING TO BE ABSOLUTELY OUT OF CONTROL WITH THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT'S COMING INTO THESE DISTRICTS.

I THINK MAYBE THE MOST EXPENSIVE MIDTERM RACE, I BELIEVE 11.5 OR $6 BILLION.

YOU KNOW, WE SAW THESE HUGE MIDTERM FOR A MIDTERM, HUGE INFLUXES FROM BILLIONAIRES, MUSK AND THEN BLOOMBERG ON THE DEMOCRATIC SIDE, JUST POURING MONEY INTO SPECIFIC RACES THAT THEY THOUGHT COULD HELP.

BUT IN THE END, IT DIDN'T REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

AND ONE LAST THING, A LOT OF THAT MONEY WAS SPENT ON ADVERTISING.

CERTAINLY, YOU KNOW, IF YOU WERE IN SOUTHERN ARIZONA, YOU KNEW THE NAMES, YOU KNEW WHO THESE CANDIDATES WERE.

BUT IN THE LAST WEEK OR TWO, IT GOT SORT OF OFF BALANCE WITH CISCOMANI HAVING NEGATIVE CAMPAIGNING REGARDING TRANS RIGHTS AND MENDOZA.

AND OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, MENDOZA COUNTERING WITH HIS CLAIM THAT HE HAD CONFIDENCE IN TRUMP'S POLICIES.

JOHN, WHAT ABOUT THAT?

YEAH.

YOU KNOW, IN THESE CAMPAIGN ADS, IT'S IT'S YOU KNOW, THEY'RE RATHER DEBASED.

I WOULD SAY THERE'S THERE'S NOT MUCH ROOM FOR NUANCE THERE.

THEY GO AFTER PEOPLE, THEIR AD HOMINEM AND, YOU KNOW, JUST BASICALLY ATTACK ADS AND YOU DON'T.

WHAT DO YOU ACTUALLY LEARN ABOUT THE CANDIDATES?

YOU LEARN SOME POTENTIAL ALLEGATION OR ACCUSATION, BUT YOU DON'T REALLY GET INTO THE ACTUAL ISSUES.

I WISH WE HAD ANOTHER AREA OR ARENA IN WHICH WE COULD ACTUALLY GET INTO THE ISSUES.

YOU KNOW, WE HAVE ONE DEBATE THAT'S REALLY LIKE A WHERE WE CAN ACTUALLY HEAR THEM DISCUSS WITH EACH OTHER.

BUT BESIDES THAT, AND IT JUST GOES TO YARD SIGNS AND THESE KIND OF VERY DEBASED ATTACK ADS.

IT'S UNFORTUNATE.

ALL RIGHT.

WE'RE DISCUSSING THE MIDTERM ELECTION RESULTS.

YOU'RE CONNECTED TO AZPM VOTE 2026.

I'M TONY PERKINS, JOINED BY SENIOR REPORTER FOR LOOKOUT, JOHN WASHINGTON, AND SAMARA KLAR, A POLITICAL SCIENTIST AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA.

NOW, ON OUR SCHEDULE, LET'S LOOK AT CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT SEVEN.

NOW, THIS WAS ADELITA GRIJALVA AGAINST DANIEL BUTIEREZ.

GRIJALVA PROJECTED AS THE WINNER HERE, AND THIS WOULD BE HER FIRST FULL TERM IN OFFICE AS A RESULT OF AN GENERAL ELECTION.

JOHN, YOU WERE WITH THE GRIJALVA CAMPAIGN LAST NIGHT AND SPOKE TO THE CANDIDATE.

WHAT HAPPENED WITH WITH HER ELECTION NIGHT?

YEAH.

YOU KNOW, SHE WAS GOING UP AGAINST DANIEL BUTIEREZ FOR THE SECOND TIME, JUST A LITTLE BIT OVER A YEAR AGO IN THE SPECIAL ELECTION SHE FACED FACED HIM OFF, AND SHE WON HANDILY THAT TIME.

AND SHE WON BY EVEN MORE THIS TIME.

I MEAN, THERE WAS NEVER REALLY ANY DOUBT.

SHE MADE REFERENCE A NUMBER OF TIMES TO HER IN HER VICTORY SPEECH TO THE GRIJALVA MACHINE, LA MAQUINA, AS SHE CALLED IT.

SHE SAID THAT PEOPLE ARE SCARED OF US AND THEY SHOULD BE.

AND SHE, I THINK, IS REALLY TRYING TO BUILD SOMETHING LIKE A COALITION.

SHE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW SHE MIGHT WORK WITH MENDOZA WHEN, IF SHE DOES HOLD ON TO HER SEAT AND THERE ARE A LOT OF DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE TWO CANDIDATES, BUT I THINK THAT GRIJALVA IS, IS VERY READY TO, TO, TO HAVE A PARTNER IN SOUTHERN ARIZONA.

AND SHE MADE THE POINT THAT AT THIS RIGHT NOW, AS WE SEE IT, SOUTHERN ARIZONA IS BEING LED CONGRESSIONALLY BY LATINO WOMEN.

AND THAT IS A UNIQUE THING IN ARIZONA HISTORY.

SHE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME OF HER PRIORITIES.

A LOT OF THEM WERE LIKE REALLY BIG PICTURE, YOU KNOW, HEALTH CARE FOR ALL THAT.

IT'S A HUMAN RIGHT.

AS SOMEONE WHO IS LONG BEEN A PART OF FOCUS ON EDUCATION, SHE TALKED ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT ARIZONA SCHOOLS ARE BETTER AND BETTER FUNDED.

AND SHE TALKED A LOT AGAIN, ABOUT BORDER AND IMMIGRATION STUFF.

SHE CAME DOWN HARD.

SHE USED A, YOU KNOW, FOUR LETTER WORD TO TALK ABOUT TRUMP'S BORDER WALL.

AND SHE, YOU KNOW, REALLY SORT OF STUCK TO HER GUNS ON THAT ISSUE, SHOWING NO SIGNS OF, YOU KNOW, VEERING TOWARDS THE CENTER, JUST REALLY TRYING TO COME DOWN HARD ON PEELING BACK OR SCALING BACK WHAT THE TRUMP AGENDA HAS DONE SO FAR IN SOUTHERN ARIZONA.

LET'S HEAR FROM THE CANDIDATE HERSELF.

HERE'S WHAT ADELITA GRIJALVA HAD TO SAY AS HER CAMPAIGN CLOSED IN ON THE WIN.

EXCEPT FOR, YOU KNOW, NEW MEXICO AND ARIZONA, AS FAR AS MY COLLEAGUES WERE THE ONLY ONES REALLY TALKING ABOUT TRIBAL SOVEREIGNTY.

SO I THINK AMPLIFYING THAT IS IMPORTANT, BUT ALSO UNDERSTANDING THAT PEOPLE ARE MAKING MONEY HAND OVER FIST OVER THE SUFFERING OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE LIVED IN OUR COMMUNITIES FOR DECADES.

THAT'S NOT OKAY.

SO IF I'M THE ONLY ONE SCREAMING ABOUT IT, THAT'S ALL RIGHT.

BUT WHAT I HAVE LEARNED IS THAT EVEN MORE MODERATE MEMBERS, ONCE THEY GO AND VISIT A DETENTION FACILITY, THEY'RE LIKE, OH, THAT'S NOT OKAY.

SO IT'S NOT SO PUSHING THIS ADMINISTRATION TO LET CAMERAS COME IN.

I WANT YOU ALL TO SEE WHAT IT IS THAT I HAVE TO SEE.

THAT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE I THINK ONCE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT, THEY WILL BE LESS LIKELY TO JUST SAY, OH, WELL, THEY SHOULD HAVE DONE IT THE LEGAL WAY.

THERE IS NO VALID LEGAL PROCESS THAT IS WORKING FOR PEOPLE RIGHT NOW.

NOW, SAMARA GRIJALVA, AS YOU HEARD, OUTSPOKEN ABOUT DETENTION CENTERS AND OVERREACH BY HOMELAND SECURITY, HOW MUCH MORE ATTENTION ARE WE GOING TO GET NOW TOWARD THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION'S IMMIGRATION POLICY?

WELL, YOU KNOW, I THINK, YOU KNOW, TO YOUR EARLIER POINT, I THINK THERE WAS A MOMENT WHERE REPUBLICANS PROBABLY COULD HAVE RUN ON IMMIGRATION AND HAD IT BE A REALLY SUCCESSFUL POLICY PREFERENCE FOR THEM, BECAUSE IN 2020, FOR BOTH DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS WERE CONCERNED ABOUT BORDER SECURITY, NOT NECESSARILY UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS, BUT DRUGS COMING OVER THE BORDER, WEAPONS COMING OVER THE BORDER.

THERE WAS APPETITE FOR STRONGER BORDER SECURITY.

WE SAW THAT IN RUBEN GALLEGO.

WE SAW THAT IN, YOU KNOW, MARK KELLY WAS SUPPORTIVE OF THIS.

AND MENDOZA HERSELF SUPPORTS A STRONG BORDER.

HOWEVER, THERE WAS THIS TREMENDOUS OVERREACH THAT I THINK CREATED WAY MORE OF A PROBLEM FOR THE REPUBLICAN PARTY THAN THEY HAD STARTED WITH IN THE BEGINNING.

AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE SEEING NOW.

WHEN PEOPLE TALK ABOUT IMMIGRATION NOW, THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT ICE, NOW THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT EXCESSIVE FORCE.

SO I, YOU KNOW, WE SAW JD VANCE MAKE A STATEMENT THIS MORNING THAT HE THINKS MAYBE IT'S TIME TO REEVALUATE THEIR IMMIGRATION POLICY BASED ON YESTERDAY'S RESULTS.

AND I THINK THAT IS GOING TO BE A PRIORITY.

GO AHEAD.

YEAH.

YOU KNOW I THINK, YOU KNOW WHAT WE SAW WITH GALLEGO EARLY ON IN THE SECOND TRUMP ADMINISTRATION.

HE WAS ONE OF THE CO-SPONSORS OF THE LAKEN RILEY ACT.

AND I THINK WHAT HE WAS TRYING TO DO THERE WAS SORT OF, AGAIN, LIKE LEAN INTO THE CENTERS, BUILD SOME POLITICAL CAPITAL THAT IS A PLAYBOOK THAT DEMOCRATS HAVE TRIED FOR A LONG TIME.

AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT GRIJALVA, AS WE JUST HEARD, IS NOT GOING TO FOLLOW.

SO WE'LL SEE.

YOU KNOW, WHERE SHE TAKES IT FROM HERE.

SO THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE BLUE WAVE HAVING AN IMPACT IMMEDIATELY, AS YOU SAID, WITH WITH THE TWEETS AND THE TRUTH SOCIAL POSTS, THAT IMMIGRATION POLICY POSSIBLY IS GOING TO BE BENT IN THE DIRECTION THAT THE PEOPLE, THE VOTERS VOICED THEIR OPINION TOWARDS LAST NIGHT.

RIGHT.

BUT THERE IS IT'S NOT EXACTLY CLEAR WHAT DEMOCRATS IN POWER CAN DO.

YOU KNOW, THEY NOW SEEM TO BE HOLDING BOTH CHAMBERS AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL.

BUT, YOU KNOW, THE LAWS RIGHT NOW ARE ON THE BOOKS, AND DHS IS UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH, AND THEY CAN IMPLEMENT THEM AS THEY PLEASE.

THE FUNDING IS ALREADY THERE.

THEY ALREADY HAVE SOME $270 BILLION TO PLAY WITH.

BERNIE SANDERS SPONSORED A BILL OR WROTE A BILL EARLIER THIS YEAR TO TRY TO CLAW BACK SOME OF THAT MONEY.

BUT, I MEAN, THAT WOULD HIT A CERTAIN VETO FROM IF IT LANDS ON TRUMP'S DESK.

SO, YOU KNOW, THERE MAY BE SOME OVERSIGHT THAT THEY CAN TRY TO DO OR THERE MAY BE SOME HEARINGS THAT THEY TRY TO HOLD ABOUT HOW THEY'VE IMPLEMENTED THESE LAWS, BUT I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY HOW MUCH THEY CAN DO UNTIL MAYBE THEY HOLD THE PRESIDENCY.

BUT, YOU KNOW, ON THE OTHER HAND, I MEAN, THE QUESTION RIGHT NOW IS, WHAT DOES DONALD TRUMP WANT TO DO WITH THE NEXT TWO YEARS?

AND ONE COULD ASSUME HE'S THINKING ABOUT HIS LEGACY.

HE'S THINKING ABOUT HIS POPULARITY, WHICH WE KNOW IS IMPORTANT TO HIM.

AND HE PROBABLY HAS A LOT OF REPUBLICANS AROUND HIM, LIKE JD VANCE, WHO ARE THINKING ABOUT RUNNING AND MAY WANT A BETTER RECORD TO RUN ON.

SO A LOT OF IT MAY ACTUALLY BE A LITTLE MORE SELF-SERVING, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, NOT UNUSUAL FOR POLITICIANS THINKING ABOUT ELECTION.

SO SOME OF THE MOVEMENT MAY NOT NECESSARILY COME FROM DEMOCRATS THEMSELVES, BUT ON TRUMP, ON VANCE THINKING ABOUT WHO'S GOING TO BE RUNNING IN 2028 AND HOW CAN WE HELP THE REPUBLICAN OUT?

BECAUSE WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS HAS NOT BEEN HELPING OUR REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES.

YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.

YOU KNOW, I THINK BACK TO WHEN TRUMP WAS LEAVING OFFICE LAST TIME, AND ONE OF HIS OUTGOING POLICY MOVES WAS TO TRY TO BUILD AS MANY MILES OF BORDER WALL HERE IN SOUTHERN ARIZONA AS WELL.

HE WAS BLASTING THROUGH MOUNTAINS AS POSSIBLE BEFORE HE LEFT OFFICE.

I THINK IN SOME WAYS, A LAME DUCK PRESIDENCY, YOU KNOW, CAN BE FEELING AGGRIEVED AND COULD TRY TO JUST CEMENT A FINAL, I DON'T KNOW, LAST PUSH TOWARDS ONE OF THESE DEFINING POLICY ISSUES, WHICH FOR HIM IS IMMIGRATION.

SO I THINK THAT IT IS LIKE CONTESTED WHAT WILL HAPPEN.

BUT I THINK WE'RE KIND OF IN A DANGEROUS MOMENT NOW AS WELL.

ABSOLUTELY.

ALL RIGHT.

LET'S MOVE TO SOME OF THE OTHER CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT CONTESTS AS THE NUMBERS ARE STILL COMING IN.

AND A LOT OF THESE CASES, CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT TWO HAS ALREADY TURNED UP AN INTERESTING RESULT.

THAT'S BETWEEN REPUBLICAN INCUMBENT ELI CRANE AND DEMOCRAT JONATHAN NEZ.

AS OF THIS AFTERNOON.

THIS EVENING, CRANE'S AHEAD BY ONLY ABOUT 1000 VOTES.

CRANE'S THE TUCSON NATIVE, BUT THE DISTRICT IS MOSTLY NORTHERN ARIZONA, INCLUDING THE NAVAJO NATION.

SAMUEL, LET'S ASK YOU FIRST.

IS THIS ONE OF THE BIGGEST SURPRISES FROM LAST NIGHT?

I MEAN, THAT'S A RESULT I CANNOT STOP TRACKING.

THIS WAS A DISTRICT THAT WAS A RELIABLY RED DISTRICT.

I THINK IT WAS A SOLID RED.

THEN I NOTICED WHEN THE NEW YORK TIMES MAYBE CHANGED IT TO LIKELY RED, LIKELY REPUBLICAN, I WAS LIKE LIKELY REPUBLICAN.

AND NOW WE ARE IN THIS SITUATION WHERE WE DON'T.

IT MAY FLIP.

I MEAN, THIS WAS NOT A DISTRICT THAT WAS ON ANYBODY'S RADAR.

AND I THINK THIS IS JUST A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF SORT OF THE TAX THE REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES ARE PAYING FOR GOING ALONG WITH AN UNPOPULAR PRESIDENTIAL ADMINISTRATION.

YEAH.

YOU KNOW, IT IS A DEEP USED TO BE A DEEP RED DISTRICT.

CRANE WON BY NINE PERCENTAGE POINTS, I THINK, LAST TIME BY A LOT.

YEAH.

AND THIS IS THE SECOND TIME HE'S TRIED TO UNSEAT HIM.

AND YOU KNOW, NEZ HAS NAME RECOGNITION AS FORMER NAVAJO NATION PRESIDENT.

WE SAW IN THE LAST MONTH THE REPUBLICANS START TO PUT SOME MORE MONEY INTO THIS.

THEY STARTED TO GET A LITTLE BIT NERVOUS.

THEY WANTED TO MAKE SURE THEY HAD A WIN.

BUT NOW THAT IT IS SO CLOSE, I MEAN, I'M AS WELL, LIKE VERY SURPRISED BY THIS RESULT.

WHICHEVER WAY IT TURNS THAT IT'S EVEN THIS CLOSE.

I MEAN, THE WAY I'M LOOKING AT THE RESULT NOW, THIS IS WHAT I THOUGHT CD6 WAS GOING TO LOOK LIKE.

YEAH, THIS IS WHAT I THOUGHT CD ONE WAS GOING TO LOOK LIKE.

I DID NOT REALIZE THAT CD6 AND CD1 WERE GOING TO BE SO IN THE DEMOCRATS FAVOR RIGHT NOW, AND CD TWO IS THE TOSS UP.

I MEAN, THAT'S JUST LIKE A REALITY.

I DID NOT THINK WE'D BE LIVING RIGHT NOW.

AND I THINK IT REALLY SPEAKS TO PEOPLE JUST REALLY BEING INCENSED WITH THE CURRENT STATE OF AFFAIRS.

AND THEN WHO'S BEHIND THOSE STATE OF AFFAIRS AND, YOU KNOW, ACROSS THE BALLOT, ACROSS THE NATION, STATE TO STATE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE HAVE JUST BEEN REJECTING THESE LAST TWO YEARS OF POLICIES PUT FORTH BY THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION.

AND THAT THAT PLAYS OUT EVEN IN SUCH TRADITIONALLY RED DISTRICTS IS REMARKABLE.

YEAH.

ANY OTHER SURPRISES IN THE CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS?

WELL, WE ALSO HAVE A TIGHT RACE BETWEEN FEELY AND SHAH.

THIS IS, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, PEOPLE THOUGHT THAT IT WAS GOING TO BE A RELATIVELY EASY WIN FOR FEELY.

AND RIGHT NOW SHAH IS UP.

AND YOU KNOW THAT RACE HASN'T CALLED YET AS I DON'T THINK IT'S BEEN CALLED.

BUT I THINK SHORE HAS A FAIRLY SIZABLE ADVANTAGE AT THIS AT THIS POINT.

SO YEAH.

RIGHT.

AND JAY FEELY, THE FORMER NFL KICKER WITH THE ARIZONA CARDINALS NOW TRYING TO WIN THE SEAT IN CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT ONE.

BUT AS THE NUMBERS SHOW, RIGHT NOW BEING DEFEATED BY DEMOCRAT AMIT SHAH, THAT'S NORTHEAST PHOENIX, SCOTTSDALE, FOUNTAIN HILLS.

YEAH.

IT CAN ALSO BE NOTED THAT THE ARIZONA CARDINALS HAVE LOST FIVE OUT OF THEIR LAST EIGHT GAMES, SO MAYBE FEELY MIGHT ADD TO THAT RECORD MAY HAVE BEEN A BAD OMEN.

NOW LET'S MOVE ON TO SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION.

THIS CONTEST HAD TERESA RUIZ DEFEATING KIMBERLY YEE.

RUIZ, THE FORMER TEACHER AND EDUCATION ADMINISTRATOR.

YEE WAS THE ARIZONA STATE TREASURER.

AZPM'S NOOR HAGHIGHI FOLLOWED THAT CONTEST DURING THE SEASON, AND SHE JOINS US NOW.

NOOR EDUCATION WAS SUPPOSED TO BE IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE NONPARTISAN, BUT THE DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE WON IN THIS CASE.

THAT'S RIGHT.

TONY.

DOCTOR TERRY RUIZ IS ABOUT SIX POINTS AHEAD OF KIMBERLY YEE THIS EVENING.

YEE IS THE CURRENT TREASURER OF ARIZONA AND A LONGTIME POLITICIAN WHO BEAT INCUMBENT TOM HORNE IN THE PRIMARY THIS SUMMER BY ABOUT A THOUSAND VOTES.

I THINK SPEAKING TO THAT BACK AND FORTH THAT WE SEE IN THIS ROLE BETWEEN PARTIES, THAT REALLY SPEAKS TO THE PURPLE NATURE OF ARIZONA, AND ALSO THE FACT THAT EDUCATION, AT ITS CORE, IS A NONPARTISAN ISSUE.

THE LAST TIME WE SAW DEMOCRAT IN THIS SEAT WAS KATHY HOFFMAN.

FROM 2018 TO 2022, BEFORE HORNE WAS ELECTED FOR HIS THIRD TERM.

SO ARIZONA SAID THEY WANT TO SEE DEMOCRATIC LEADERSHIP RETURN A BIG CHANGE.

NOOR WITH THE WITHOUT TOM HORNE AT THE FRONT.

WHAT KIND OF LEGACY DOES HE LEAVE?

YEAH, I THINK ONE OF THE HALLMARKS OF HIS CAREER HAS BEEN ESTABLISHING THE EMPOWERMENT SCHOLARSHIP ACCOUNTS PROGRAM THAT WAS BORN UNDER HIS FIRST AND SECOND TERMS.

NOW THAT IT'S UNIVERSAL, IT'S REALLY BALLOONED TO ALMOST 110,000 STUDENTS ACROSS THE STATE, COSTING $1 BILLION EACH YEAR.

AND A REMINDER THAT PROGRAM, THE ESSAY PROGRAM, IS WHAT ALLOWS PARENTS TO USE STATE VOUCHER MONEY TO FUND THEIR KIDS TUITION AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS, HOME SCHOOLS, MICRO SCHOOLING, ETC.

AND HE'S ALSO, I THINK, INSTILLED A BIT OF FEAR IN PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS.

HE ESTABLISHED A HOTLINE WHERE PEOPLE CAN CALL IN AND REPORT INAPPROPRIATE LESSONS TO THE STATE UNDER HIS.

IN HIS EYES, THAT WOULD INCLUDE THINGS LIKE CRITICAL RACE THEORY AND WHAT HE CALLS GENDER IDEOLOGY.

SO HE'S QUITE NOTORIOUS FOR BEING AGAINST DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION EFFORTS IN SCHOOLS.

NOW RUIZ IS IN CHARGE NOW.

WHAT ARE HER PRIORITIES?

HOW ARE WE GOING TO SEE THINGS CHANGE REGARDING ARIZONA AND EDUCATION?

YEAH, I THINK WE'RE GOING TO SEE QUITE A 180 FROM HORNE'S LEADERSHIP.

I ALSO FIRST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS IS AN EXECUTIVE ROLE.

IT'S GOING TO REQUIRE HIGH LEVEL OVERSIGHT.

IT'S NOT THE SUPERINTENDENT DOES NOT MAKE POLICIES.

BUT RUIZ DOES WANT TO SORT OF REPURPOSE SOME OF THE FUNDS THAT ARE WITHIN THE PROGRAM RIGHT NOW AND PUT THEM BACK INTO THE PUBLIC EDUCATION SYSTEM.

I THINK ALSO WITH A DEMOCRATIC MAJORITY IN THE STATE LEGISLATURE WILL HAVE A BETTER SHOT AT REFORMING EDUCATION.

PUBLIC SCHOOL ADVOCATES WILL HAVE A BETTER SHOT AT REFORMING THAT SYSTEM.

AND SHE ALSO HAS SPENT THIS YEAR TOURING ALL 15 COUNTIES ACROSS THE STATE.

I THINK SHE'S REALLY USED HER EXPERIENCE AS A FORMER MATH TEACHER TO APPEAL TO PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS AND ADVOCATES.

SHE WANTS TO ERADICATE THAT HOTLINE ON DAY ONE, AND SHE ALSO WANTS TO ESTABLISH AN OFFICE OF RURAL EDUCATION, WHICH WE HAVEN'T SEEN BEFORE, TO ADDRESS BUILDING ISSUES, FAILING BUILDINGS, AND ALSO THE SPECIFIC ACADEMIC NEEDS IN THOSE REGIONS.

ALL RIGHT.

ACP NOOR HAGHIGHI REPORTING FOR US LIVE.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, JOHN.

BOTH CANDIDATES WANTED CHANGES IN THAT EMPOWERMENT SCHOLARSHIP ACCOUNT PROGRAM, BUT EACH SUGGESTED DIFFERENT WAYS TO DO IT.

YEAH.

YOU KNOW, THIS WAS ANOTHER RACE THAT SURPRISED ME.

YEE OBVIOUSLY HAD NAME RECOGNITION AS BEING THE STATE TREASURER.

RUIZ RAN A SORT OF MILD CAMPAIGN.

SHE WASN'T OUT THERE A LOT.

YOU DIDN'T HEAR HER NAME A LOT.

I THINK PEOPLE DIDN'T REALLY KNOW HER.

AND YET I THINK PEOPLE ARE SO UPSET WITH THE STATE OF EDUCATION.

I MEAN, WE LIVE IN A STATE THAT IS WOEFULLY UNDERFUNDED PUBLIC EDUCATION.

WE HAVE THIS EMPOWERMENT SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM THAT NORA WAS JUST TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, $1 BILLION THAT PEOPLE USE FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES AND ALSO SOMETIMES FOR JUST PURE SHENANIGANS AND THINGS THAT MAKE NO SENSE AND DON'T DELIVER ANY SORT OF EDUCATIONAL PURPOSE TO A CHILD.

OUR TEACHERS ARE UNDERPAID.

THEY WORK SECOND AND THIRD JOBS.

THEY JUST PAY THE BILLS.

LIKE I THINK PEOPLE ARE JUST UNHAPPY.

I MEAN, HERE IN IN TUCSON, WE'RE SEEING ALL THESE SCHOOL CLOSURES.

WE JUST HAD ANOTHER ANNOUNCEMENT TODAY AND PEOPLE WANT A CHANGE.

AND I THINK THAT THEY VOTED AGAINST THE REPUBLICANS AND AGAINST THE LEGACY OF HORNE MORE THAN THEY VOTED FOR AGAINST YEE IN PARTICULAR, OR FOR RUIZ.

AND WE HAVE TO REMEMBER WHEN HORNE CAME IN THAT WAS FOLLOWING THE PANDEMIC.

I MEAN, HOFFMAN FACED SORT OF A DOOMED ELECTION AT THAT POINT.

SHE WAS THE ONE OVERSEEING THE SCHOOL CLOSURES.

SO WE'VE KIND OF HAD THIS DISSATISFACTION WITH THAT ROLE GOING WILDLY, SWINGING BACK AND FORTH.

MAYBE THIS WILL BE A TERM WHERE PEOPLE WILL BE FINALLY SATISFIED, BUT THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF DISSATISFACTION OVER THE LAST TEN YEARS.

YEAH.

ALL RIGHT.

YOU'RE CONNECTED TO AZPM VOTES 2026.

I'M TONY PERKINS, JOINED BY JOHN WASHINGTON, SENIOR REPORTER AT LOOKOUT, AND SAMARA KLAR, POLITICAL SCIENTIST AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA.

NOW LET'S LOOK AT SOME OTHER STATE CONTESTS OF NOTE AS WE REVIEW THE MIDTERM ELECTIONS.

ATTORNEY GENERAL REPUBLICAN WARREN PETERSEN WAS CHALLENGING DEMOCRAT KRIS MAYES.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS HAS DECLARED MAYES THE WINNER, AND SHE JOINED OTHER ATTORNEY GENERAL ATTORNEY GENERALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY IN FIGHTING TRUMP ADMINISTRATION POLICIES IN COURT.

AND PETERSEN, YOU KNOW, ON THE OTHER HAND, SAID THAT SHE WAS POLITICIZING THE OFFICE OF ATTORNEY GENERAL.

WHAT IS THE NEXT FEW YEARS GOING TO BE LIKE WITH KRIS MAYES CONTINUING HER WORK, MAYBE MORE CHALLENGES TO THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION?

WELL, I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH APPETITE THERE IS FOR MORE CHALLENGES TO THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION RIGHT NOW.

I MEAN, KRIS IS IN A DIFFERENT SITUATION THAN SHE WAS PREVIOUSLY.

IT LOOKS AS THOUGH THE ELECTION RESULTS ARE NOT BEING QUESTIONED.

THEY'RE NOT.

NO ONE'S SOWING ANY DOUBT THIS TIME AROUND.

TRUMP HAS SAID, YEAH, THOSE GUYS DEFINITELY ALL LOST AND DOES NOT SEEM TO BE CHALLENGING ANYTHING.

KRIS MAYES HAD YOU KNOW, SHE WAS FOLLOWING SOME VERY CONTENTIOUS ELECTIONS IN ARIZONA.

SHE MAY WANT TO MOVE ON TO OTHER ISSUES IN THE STATE.

I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY, YOU KNOW, PENDING CASES SHE'S STILL REVIEWING.

BUT THE TRUTH IS, THE POLITICAL LANDSCAPE IN ARIZONA IS SO DIFFERENT RIGHT NOW THAN IT WAS FOLLOWING 2024 OR 2022.

WE HAVE DEMOCRATS POSSIBLY RUNNING THE SHOW IN THIS STATE.

AND IT'LL SEE, WE'LL SEE.

WE'LL SEE IF HOW PROACTIVE THE DEMOCRATIC LEADERS CAN BE WITH THEIR AGENDAS.

YEAH, I EXPECT MORE OF THE SAME.

YOU KNOW, SHE WON HER LAST RACE BY 280 VOTES.

THAT WAS NOT A CLEAR MANDATE.

AND YET SHE HIT THE GROUND RUNNING.

SHE SUED THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION OVER 50 TIMES.

SHE WAS, YOU KNOW, VERY CLEAR AND REMAINED SORT OF PRINCIPLED THROUGHOUT HER TENURE SO FAR.

AND THIS TIME SHE, YOU KNOW, TROUNCED PETERSEN.

AND I EXPECT HER TO JUST KIND OF KEEP UP THE SPRINT.

AND THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S SECRETARY OF STATE CONTEST FOR ARIZONA, ALEXANDER KOLODIN, WAS THE REPUBLICAN HOPING TO UNSEAT DEMOCRAT ADRIAN FONTES.

CULLODEN WAS ONE OF THE STATE'S 2020 ELECTION DENIERS AND FONTES, MAKING AN AGGRESSIVE EFFORT TO DEFEND ARIZONA'S ELECTION PROCEDURES AND ELECTION SECURITY.

TAMARA, WE ASKED YOU THIS QUESTION A WEEK OR SO AGO ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT VOTERS EVEN PAY ATTENTION TO THE CLAIM OF ELECTION DENIALISM HERE IN 2026.

ELECTION DENIERS HAVE NOT DONE WELL ELECTORALLY IN ARIZONA.

DENYING THE ELECTION IN ARIZONA DOES NOT LEAD TO ELECTORAL SUCCESSES.

WE SEE IT OVER AND OVER AGAIN.

I THINK THIS ELECTION MAY BE THE END OF ELECTION DENIALISM IN ARIZONA, WITH ANDY BIGGS LOSING WITH COLIN AND LOSING.

I THINK WE MAY NOT HEAR ABOUT THIS ISSUE ANYMORE.

I DON'T I DON'T THINK IT'S A WINNING ISSUE.

I THINK THEY NOW KNOW THAT.

AND I DON'T SEE ANY MORE OF THIS COMING UP.

WELL, IF WE CAN PUT 2020 TO BED, I WOULD BE VERY HAPPY.

YEAH.

I THINK THE THE IDEA THAT THERE'S ONGOING PROBLEMS WITH ELECTION INTEGRITY REALLY FELL FLAT WITH VOTERS.

YOU SAW YESTERDAY KARI LAKE, WHO HAS NEVER CONCEDED HER RACE.

TO TO TO TRY TO TAKE THE GOVERNORSHIP.

FOUR YEARS AGO SHE TRIED TO GIN UP SOME CONTROVERSY OVER SOME A VERY BRIEF POWER OUTAGE IN MARICOPA COUNTY.

I WENT TO THE PLACE, THE VOTING PLACE, AND EVERYTHING WAS ABSOLUTELY FINE.

THERE WERE NO THERE WAS A SLIGHT LIKE A VERY TEMPORARY OUTAGE, AND PEOPLE WERE ABLE TO FIND ANOTHER PLACE TO VOTE VERY EASILY.

I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, KOLODIN REALLY TRIED TO BE THE FACE OF ELECTION DENIALISM WAS THE FACE OF ELECTION DENIALISM, AND IT JUST DIDN'T WORK.

AND I THINK THAT WAS HIS HIS LOSING BATTLE AND HOPEFULLY IT IS PUT TO BED.

WE ALSO SAW TRUMP BACK AWAY FROM A LITTLE BIT THIS ELECTION, ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO VOTE BY MAIL.

SO I THINK SORT OF THE WHOLE CULTURE AROUND THE ELECTION DENIALISM STREAK SEEMS TO BE SEEMS TO BE DONE.

YEAH.

YOU KNOW, YESTERDAY TWO, LIKE THERE WAS SO MANY THERE WERE SO MANY NERVES ABOUT WHAT WE WOULD SEE AT THE POLLS.

WOULD ICE BE AT THE POLLS?

WOULD THE LINES BE, YOU KNOW, SO LONG THAT PEOPLE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO GET TO VOTE, WOULD BE PROBLEMS WITH TABULATION MACHINES?

NONE OF THAT HAPPENED.

AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, MARKWAYNE MULLIN, THE HEAD OF DHS, HE WAS CONFRONTED BY A REPORTER YESTERDAY SAYING LIKE, WELL, ARE YOU GOING TO SEND ICE TO THE POLLS?

AND HE'S LIKE, OH, NO, WE NEVER WERE GOING TO DO THAT ANYWAY.

AND I THINK THAT MAYBE THEY WERE THEY WERE ABLE TO READ A LITTLE BIT THE WRITING ON THE WALL SAYING THAT THIS IS GOING TO BE SUCH A LOSS FOR REPUBLICANS THAT WE CAN'T TRY TO, LIKE, PULL ANY OF THESE MOVES AND SEE IF WE CAN MAKE THESE WILD CLAIMS AND, YOU KNOW, SOW DISCORD OR DISTRUST IN THE ELECTIONS BECAUSE THERE JUST THERE WASN'T ANY.

YEAH.

NOW, VOTER ID WAS ON THE BALLOT QUITE LITERALLY YESTERDAY.

PROPOSITION 144 IN ARIZONA HAD TO DO WITH ELECTION SECURITY AND WOULD HAVE REQUIRED VOTERS TO TO SHOW SOME SORT OF GOVERNMENT IDENTIFICATION.

THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S OFFICE IS SHOWING REJECTION OF THIS ONE AS OF THE NUMBERS AS OF THIS EVENING.

SAMARA.

VOTER ID WAS SOMETHING THAT MOST CANDIDATES, MOST, MOST, MOST OF THIS ISSUE WAS SORT OF PUT TO BED EARLY BEFORE ANYONE REALLY HAD A CHANCE TO HAVE REAL STRONG FEELINGS ABOUT IT YESTERDAY.

YEAH.

YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT CLEAR WHETHER THAT ISSUE WHAT SORT OF WHERE THAT BALLOT MEASURE APPEARED ON THE BALLOT TO TRY TO GENERATE SUPPORT FOR REPUBLICANS, TRY TO GENERATE SUPPORT FOR CALL IT IN.

I KNOW HE WAS VERY MUCH BEHIND THIS ISSUE, BUT ARIZONANS REJECTED IT AND THEY REJECTED IT PRETTY RESOUNDINGLY.

I MEAN, YOU WOULD HAVE TO IMAGINE ARIZONA IS A HUGE VOTE BY MAIL STATE.

85% OF ARIZONANS ARE VOTING BY MAIL.

AND I THINK THE FACT THAT NO ONE COULD QUITE EXPLAIN HOW THIS WOULD WORK WITH OUR VOTE BY MAIL SYSTEM SORT OF DOOMED IT FROM THE BEGINNING.

A LOT OF THE PROPOSITIONS WERE A LITTLE BIT CONFUSING TO PEOPLE, BUT THIS ONE I THINK, WAS CONFUSING, NOT ONLY AS IT WAS WRITTEN, BUT ON ITS FACE.

PEOPLE JUST DIDN'T SEE HOW THIS WAS GOING TO WORK AND NO ONE COULD EXPLAIN.

KOLODIN DIDN'T NEVER QUITE CLARIFIED WHAT THIS WOULD LOOK LIKE TO PRESENT AN ID BEFORE VOTING BY MAIL.

AND SO HE AND HIS, YOU KNOW, BABY BALLOT MEASURE JUST DIDN'T PASS.

VOTERS FOUND SOME OTHER BALLOT MEASURES AMONG THEIR CHOICES IN THE GENERAL ELECTION.

ONE OF THEM WAS PROPOSITION 317, DECLARING DRUG CARTELS TO BE TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS.

JOHN IS GETTING A YES VOTE SO FAR.

YEAH.

AND, YOU KNOW, IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S PASS.

WE WILL SEE HOW.

AND I THINK ESPECIALLY WITH THE DEMOCRATIC TRIFECTA, THIS MIGHT NOT BE SOMETHING THAT'S WIELDED VERY MUCH AT ALL.

HOWEVER IT IS IT DOES PRESENT A DANGER IN A LOT OF PEOPLE'S EYES.

YOU KNOW, WE SAW THAT THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL DESIGNATED DRUG CARTELS AS TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS LAST YEAR AND USED THAT DESIGNATION TO DEPORT A COUPLE HUNDRED PEOPLE TO EL SALVADOR, MOSTLY VENEZUELANS.

AND PEOPLE WERE REALLY SHOCKED AND INCENSED THAT THEY COULD THEY COULD DO THIS.

I THINK THAT THERE IS THIS FEAR OF OVERREACH, OF SOMEONE GETTING SNARED IN THIS IDEA THAT THEY'RE POTENTIALLY A TERRORIST, AND THAT WOULD HAVE DEVASTATING EFFECTS ON THEIR LIVES.

AND YET, LIKE, HERE WE ARE.

I AGAIN, THOUGH, I THINK THAT I'M NOT SURE HOW THIS WILL BE ACTUALLY USED.

IT COULD ALSO END UP IN THE COURTS.

I MEAN, THIS IS THE KIND OF BALLOT MEASURE THAT GETS TIED UP IN IN JUDICIAL APPEALS FOR A LONG TIME.

FAIR POINT.

RIGHT.

VOTE IN PROPOSITION 318.

VOTE TO KEEP SCHOOLS FROM LETTING ANYONE USE A RESTROOM OR OTHER PRIVATE SPACE NOT DESIGNATED FOR THEIR SPECIFIC GENDER AS A TRANS RIGHTS PROPOSITION.

JOHN.

IT WAS WORDED TO CONNECT WITH STUDENT ATHLETICS.

YEAH, THOUGH.

AND IT'S ALSO TRACKING TOWARD APPROVAL AT THIS TIME.

IT IS, YOU KNOW, YEAH.

I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO CLARIFY A COUPLE OF THINGS HERE THAT IT IS REALLY FOCUSED ON ATHLETICS.

SO IT DOESN'T THERE IS AMBIGUITY IN THE LAW.

AND THIS NEEDS TO BE INTERPRETED.

AND WE'LL SEE HOW IT PLAYS OUT.

AND WE'LL ALSO SEE IF IT'S SUBJECT TO LAWSUITS, ESPECIALLY WITH DEMOCRATS HOLDING BOTH CHAMBERS IN ARIZONA.

HOWEVER YEAH, IT'S NOT WIDESPREAD OF ALL BATHROOMS IN SCHOOLS.

IT'S FOCUSED ON ATHLETICS AS WELL AS ALLOWING TRANS KIDS TO PLAY IN IN SCHOOL SPORTS.

YOU KNOW, I'VE TALKED TO SOME PARENTS OF TRANSGENDER CHILDREN, AND I THINK THAT THERE IS A REAL FEAR HERE.

AND, YOU KNOW, WHAT WILL THIS DO TO OUR YOUTH THAT ARE A MINORITY ALREADY VERY MARGINALIZED.

AND YET THIS IS FURTHER PUSHING THEM INTO THE SHADOWS, NOT ALLOWING THEM TO USE BASIC FACILITIES TO, YOU KNOW, EXECUTE THEIR BODILY NEEDS.

AND COMING FROM A LEGISLATURE WHO HAS BEEN ATTACKING NOT ONLY TRANS KIDS, BUT LGBTQ RIGHTS FOR YEARS.

I THINK THAT THIS IS GOING TO GO THE OTHER WAY WITH A DEMOCRATIC TRIFECTA, IF THAT HOLDS.

BUT RIGHT NOW, THERE'S A LOT OF UNCERTAINTY AND FEAR IN IN THE TRANS COMMUNITY.

TAMARA, WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THIS ISSUE IN GENERAL OVERALL?

THE THE REPUBLICANS IN THE LEGISLATURE WANTED TO GET THIS ON THE BALLOT.

AND THEY THEY SUCCEEDED.

AND THEY PUT THIS IN FRONT OF THE IN FRONT OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC AT LARGE IN A VOTE.

YEAH.

I MEAN, THE ISSUE OF TRANS PARTICIPATION IN SPORTS WAS ON THE BALLOT, I BELIEVE IN ARIZONA, IN COLORADO AND WASHINGTON AND ACROSS ALL THREE STATES, VOTERS WERE ARE AGAINST IT.

AND THE TRUTH IS, THIS IS JUST NOT A POPULAR ISSUE WITH IN PUBLIC OPINION, WHETHER YOU LOOK AT ARIZONA OR ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

PEW RECENTLY DID A POLL.

THEY FOUND 20%, 23% OF DEMOCRATS BELIEVE THAT TRANS KIDS SHOULD BE ABLE TO PLAY SPORTS IN LINE WITH THEIR CHOSEN GENDER IDENTITY.

SO THAT'S JUST 23% OF DEMOCRATS.

SO IT'S STILL A DEEPLY UNPOPULAR ISSUE.

THIS COULD BE AN ISSUE THAT CHANGES OVER TIME.

AS WE SAW, YOU KNOW, 20 YEARS AGO WITH SAME SEX MARRIAGE.

BUT THIS FOR NOW, THIS IS NOT A WINNING ISSUE FOR THE DEMOCRATS.

IT'S NOT SURPRISING THAT IT DID NOT PASS IN ARIZONA.

AND IT'S A REALLY HARD ISSUE FOR CANDIDATES WHO ARE COMING OUT IN SUPPORT OF IT.

YEAH, I THINK I COULDN'T ATTRIBUTE THE LOSS TO SOME CONFUSION ABOUT HOW THE BALLOT MEASURE WAS WORDED.

BUT I DID TALK TO SOME VOTERS YESTERDAY WHO DID SUPPORT TRANS RIGHTS AND WERE A LITTLE BIT UNSURE WHICH WAY THEY SHOULD VOTE.

I THINK ANOTHER ISSUE HERE IS I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF MISINFORMATION AND LACK OF EDUCATION ABOUT HOW BIG OF AN ISSUE THIS REALLY IS.

THERE ARE NOT A LOT OF TRANS KIDS WHO ARE TRYING TO PLAY SPORTS ON, YOU KNOW, A WHICHEVER TEAM.

IT'S JUST NOT A HUGE ISSUE.

AND IT'S BEEN MADE INTO THIS GIANT CULTURE WAR, JUST LIKE STICK THAT PEOPLE ARE WHACKING EACH OTHER WITH, BUT ON THE GROUND.

I MEAN, THIS IS JUST ABOUT BASIC CIVIL RIGHTS AND PROTECTING PEOPLE WHO ARE AGAIN, ALREADY, LIKE REALLY PUSHED INTO A CORNER BY SOCIETY.

AND I THINK IT'S JUST A SHAME THAT THAT, THAT VOTERS TURNED IT OUT THIS WAY.

YEAH.

I MEAN, THE POLLING THAT I WAS DOING ISSUE POLLING OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS AFFIRMS EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE SAYING AMONG BOTH DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS, TRANS SPORTS PARTICIPATION WAS ONE OF THE LOWEST IMPORTANCE ISSUES.

YEAH.

I MEAN, AND I DO THINK A LOT OF VOTERS SEE IT AS A DISTRACTION, ALTHOUGH, YOU KNOW, THAT DIDN'T HELP THE THE PROPONENTS OF THE ISSUE WHEN IT CAME TO THE BALLOT MEASURE.

YEAH.

ALL RIGHT.

ONCE AGAIN, WE'RE REVIEWING THE MIDTERM ELECTIONS WITH AZPM VOTE 2026.

I'M TONY PERKINS, JOINED BY JOHN WASHINGTON WITH LOOKOUT AND SAMARA KLAR, POLITICAL SCIENTIST AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA.

WE GOT ABOUT TEN MINUTES LEFT IN THE SHOW.

LET'S GET TO ONE OF THE OTHER PROPOSITIONS FIRST, WHICH WAS 319.

VOTERS MAY HAVE LOOKED AT THIS ONE ON THEIR BALLOT TO PROHIBIT THE STATE FROM USING TRAFFIC PHOTO ENFORCEMENT SYSTEMS WITHOUT VOTER APPROVAL.

SAMARA, THIS WAS SORT OF A CONFUSING ONE FOR PEOPLE SEEING IT ON THE BALLOT, AND IT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE FLOCK TRAFFIC SYSTEMS THAT HAVE BEEN IN THE NEWS RECENTLY.

NOW, RIGHT NOW, VOTERS ARE OVERWHELMINGLY GIVING THIS THEIR APPROVAL.

YEAH.

I MEAN, I HAVE ALSO SPOKEN WITH VOTERS WHO WHO WERE CONCERNED ABOUT SURVEILLANCE OR CONCERNED ABOUT FLOCK CAMERAS.

THIS WAS STRICTLY ABOUT HAVING SPEED TRAPS FOR FOR SPEEDING DRIVERS.

NOW WE KNOW ARIZONA DRIVERS.

I THINK THAT MAYBE THEY JUST LIKE TO SPEED.

I DON'T KNOW.

BUT, YOU KNOW, WE BANNED RED LIGHT CAMERAS, YOU KNOW, NOT THAT MANY YEARS AGO.

SO THIS KIND OF FALLS IN LINE WITH THAT SAME ATTITUDE.

BUT YOU KNOW YEAH I'M DISAPPOINTED.

YEAH.

THERE'S A LOT OF MOMENTUM TO COME OUT AGAINST FLOCK CAMERAS, AUTOMATIC LICENSE PLATE READERS.

AND I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE SAW A TRAFFIC CAMERAS AND JUST ASSUMED THAT IT WAS FLOCK.

I ALSO TALKED WITH A NUMBER OF VOTERS WHO THOUGHT THAT THAT'S WHAT THEY WERE VOTING ON, BUT THAT WAS NOT THE CASE.

OKAY, NOW LET'S GET TO SOME GENERAL QUESTIONS.

LOOKING AT THE BIG PICTURE AGAIN, SPECIFICALLY WITHIN THE STATE OF ARIZONA AND THE STATE LEGISLATURE.

THE BASIC QUESTION THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE ASKING AS A RESULT OF THE OUTCOMES YESTERDAY, CAN DEMOCRATS FLIP THE STATE LEGISLATURE THAT HAS BEEN DEMOCRAT HAS BEEN DEMONSTRATED AS REPUBLICAN DOMINATED THROUGH MANY, MANY YEARS.

WELL, THEY HAVEN'T SINCE 1966.

SO WE'RE 60 YEARS SINCE THERE'S BEEN DEMOCRATIC CONTROL OF BOTH CHAMBERS IN ARIZONA.

AND IT SEEMS LIKE THAT'S THE WAY IT'S GOING TO GO.

AND NOW THAT DEMOCRATS ARE IN POWER, WE WILL SEE WHAT THEY WILL DO.

I'VE BEEN TALKING TO LOBBYISTS AND TRYING TO GET A HOLD OF, YOU KNOW, LEGISLATORS WHO ARE SORT OF CELEBRATING IN CELEBRATORY MOOD TODAY TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THEIR PRIORITIES ARE LEGISLATIVELY GOING INTO THE NEXT SESSION.

AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE MAY BE ABLE TO SEE IS KATIE HOBBS, NOT JUST USE HER VETO PEN, BUT ACTUALLY USE IT OR I GUESS, USE THAT SAME PEN TO ACTUALLY SIGN SOME BILLS.

MAYBE SHE'LL SEND THE VETO PEN TO TRUMP, WHO MIGHT BE FORCED TO VETO A COUPLE BILLS COMING HIS WAY.

BUT I THINK IT'S JUST GOING TO REALLY YOU KNOW, WE HAVEN'T EVEN SEEN KATIE HOBBS REALLY GOVERN IN A WAY THAT, YOU KNOW, SHE SUPPOSEDLY IS ABLE TO.

WE'LL SEE HOW SHE'S ABLE TO NEGOTIATE WITH WITH BOTH CHAMBERS.

I MEAN, OVER THE LAST TEN YEARS, WE'VE SEEN THE STATE LEGISLATURE BECOME LESS AND LESS AND LESS REPUBLICAN.

I MEAN, THE REPUBLICAN ADVANTAGE HAS BEEN SHRINKING VERY STEADILY AND ALMOST LIKE A LINEAR TREND DOWNWARDS.

SO ON ONE HAND, IT WAS INEVITABLE THIS WOULD HAPPEN.

BUT I THINK TO A LOT OF ARIZONANS, IT FEELS A LITTLE BIT SURREAL.

AND I DO WONDER THE EXTENT TO WHICH, YOU KNOW, THE HOBBS ADMINISTRATION SAW THIS COMING, THE EXTENT TO WHICH THEY'RE PREPARED TO ACTUALLY PRODUCE SOME POLICY.

YEAH.

I MEAN, YEAH, I THINK PEOPLE ARE SURPRISED AS WELL.

YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE OTHER RACES WE HAVEN'T MENTIONED IS A STATE MINE INSPECTOR, WHICH IS I THAT RACE.

HAS IT BEEN CALLED YET FOR FOR DEMOCRAT?

I THINK FOR THE MAYBE THE FIRST TIME EVER, OR AT LEAST FOR A VERY LONG TIME.

I MEAN, TRULY ARIZONA GOT HIT BY A BLUE WAVE.

YEAH.

NOW, WE ASKED, HOW WILL HOBBS AGENDA FIT WITH A NEW SLATE OF LAWMAKERS?

WELL, WE DON'T KNOW THAT MUCH ABOUT WHAT HOBBS AGENDA MIGHT BE.

FIRST OF ALL.

WELL, IN HER BUDGET THAT SHE PASSED, SHE DID LAY OUT SOME PRIORITIES.

HOUSING.

IT WAS DEFINITELY A HUGE ONE.

AFFORDABILITY AS WELL.

THOSE ARE SORT OF BIG PICTURE THINGS LIKE, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN WHEN IT ACTUALLY BECOMES A BILL AND ACTUALLY HAS AN IMPACT ON PEOPLE'S LIVES?

BUT I THINK THAT THERE IS A HUNGER AMONG THE LEGISLATORS, THE DEMOCRATIC LEGISLATORS, AT LEAST TO.

AND THERE'S ACTUALLY A NUMBER OF BILLS THAT THEY'VE ALREADY WRITTEN THAT JUST NEVER GOT SEEN IN COMMITTEE OR NEVER MADE IT TO A VOTE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE HOUSE.

AND WE HAVE THOSE LIKE THE LEGISLATORS HAVE THOSE IN THEIR POCKETS, AND THEY CAN JUST PULL THOSE OUT AND, YOU KNOW, INTRODUCE THEM AGAIN AND THAT WE MAY BE ABLE TO SEE THEM LAND ON HOBBS DESK.

I THINK ANOTHER BIG ISSUE IS DATA CENTERS.

I THINK NATIONALLY AS WELL.

ANY RACE THAT DATA CENTER WAS AT ALL AN ISSUE, PEOPLE WERE VOTING AGAINST THEM.

AND THAT IS WHAT, YOU KNOW, ACTUALLY WAS A LITTLE BIT OF A BIPARTISAN ISSUE IN ARIZONA.

BUT YEAH, WE'LL SEE.

I THINK THAT WILL BE AN ISSUE AS WELL.

COMING UP.

SAMARA.

ONE THING THAT MADE SOME HEADLINES, HOWEVER BRIEFLY DURING THIS ELECTION CYCLE WAS THE INTEREST IN DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISM CENTERED ON ZOHRAN MAMDANI AND NEW YORK CITY AND A COUPLE OF OTHER CONTESTS AROUND THE COUNTRY.

IT MADE NEWS FOR A FEW WEEKS, ESPECIALLY AMONG YOUNGER VOTERS.

THAT DIDN'T MAKE MUCH NEWS YESTERDAY.

YEAH, THERE WEREN'T TRULY A LOT OF HIGH PROFILE DSA CANDIDATES ON THE BALLOT YESTERDAY.

I MEAN, YESTERDAY WAS NOT REALLY A REFERENDUM ON DSA.

IT WAS A REFERENDUM ON DONALD TRUMP.

AND IN ARIZONA, WE DIDN'T HAVE, YOU KNOW, MAJOR RACES WITH DSA CANDIDATES.

BUT I THINK IT REALLY GOES TO SHOW THAT LIKE THERE'S THERE'S JUST NO ONE SIZE FITS ALL CANDIDATE FOR DEMOCRATS OR FOR REPUBLICANS.

ARIZONA IS A VERY DIFFERENT PLACE FROM NEW YORK CITY.

WE'RE GOING TO HAVE VERY DIFFERENT CANDIDATES REPRESENTING OUR VOTERS HERE.

SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN ONE CANDIDATE SUCCEEDS ELSEWHERE, IT'S NOT ALWAYS WISE TO GENERALIZE THAT THEY MAY BE THE RIGHT CANDIDATE ELSEWHERE.

SO WE'LL HAVE TO SEE HOW THE DSA, SORT OF THE ROLE THE DSA PLAYS OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS, ESPECIALLY WITH THE DEMOCRATS CONTROLLING THE HOUSE.

YEAH.

YOU KNOW, I THINK, YOU KNOW, RECALL THAT, YOU KNOW, RAUL GRIJALVA WAS CHAIR OF THE PROGRESSIVE CAUCUS FOR A LONG TIME.

THAT'S NOT DSA, BUT THAT IS PROGRESSIVE.

THAT IS LEANING TOWARDS SOMETHING THAT DSA.

AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT THEY THOSE POLICY APPROACHES CAN KIND OF GO HAND IN HAND.

WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN MAYBE MORE INTERESTING IS IF DEMOCRATS DIDN'T WIN BY SUCH A HUGE MAJORITY IN CONGRESS, AND DSA CANDIDATES MAY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO WITHHOLD VOTES AND REALLY PRESSURE IN A DIFFERENT WAY.

DEMOCRATIC LEADERSHIP IN ARIZONA.

I THINK WE, HOWEVER, ARE SEEING A LITTLE BIT OF AN EFFECT.

I MEAN, IF YOU LOOK AT A PROP 421 HERE IN TUCSON, THAT THAT WAS THE TIP FRANCHISE AGREEMENT THAT A NUMBER OF DSA MEMBERS IN SOUTHERN ARIZONA HAVE BEEN REALLY RAILING AGAINST TEPS LIKE STRANGLEHOLD ON PEOPLE'S UTILITY BILLS AND REALLY TRYING TO PUSH FOR PUBLIC POWER.

I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S IN THE CARDS JUST YET, BUT THAT THIS LOST, I THINK, SHOWS A SIGN THAT THEY ACTUALLY HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF POWER RIGHT NOW.

NOW, WE HEARD FROM ADELITA GRIJALVA EARLIER.

SHE WAS ONE OF THE STRONGEST VOICES REGARDING WHAT THE DEMOCRATS SHOULD SHOULD DO REGARDING TRUMP ADMINISTRATION POLICIES.

HAKEEM JEFFRIES, WHO IS EXPECTED TO BE A CONTENDER FOR A NEW SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE NOW THAT THE DEMOCRATS HAVE TAKEN OVER THE HOUSE.

HE SAID TODAY THAT DEMOCRATS ARE NOT THAT INTERESTED IN REVENGE OF, YOU KNOW, GETTING EVEN WITH THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION AND ITS POLICIES ABOUT AND INVESTIGATIONS OR IMPEACHMENT THAT'S GOING TO GET IN THE WAY OF SOLVING ISSUES LIKE AFFORDABILITY.

SAMER, LET ME ASK YOU THIS FIRST QUESTION.

WHAT ABOUT THE VOTERS?

DO THEY WANT TO SEE MORE INVESTIGATIONS?

YOU KNOW, FROM WHAT I CAN TELL, VOTERS ARE NOT INTERESTED IN A LOT OF DRAMA RIGHT NOW.

THEY WANT SOLUTIONS TO SOME REAL PROBLEMS THAT PEOPLE ARE FACING.

I MEAN, THE BLUE WAVE YESTERDAY HAD TO DO WITH THE FACT THAT THE REPUBLICANS CAME IN IN 2024, PROMISING TO FIX COST OF LIVING ISSUES, PROMISING TO SOLVE INFLATION, AND DIDN'T.

AND I THINK THE DEMOCRATS SAW WHAT HAPPENED.

AND THEY SHOULD BE FEARFUL THAT IF THEY DON'T SOLVE THESE PROBLEMS, IT COULD, YOU KNOW, COME RIGHT BACK AND GET THEM IN 2028.

SO I WOULD IMAGINE THE PRIORITY IS GOING TO BE ON LEGISLATING TO THE EXTENT THAT THEY CAN WITH A REPUBLICAN IN THE PRESIDENCY.

AND TO THE EXTENT THAT I'VE HEARD CANDIDATES TALKING ABOUT IT, TALARICO, FOR EXAMPLE, SAYING THIS IS NOT HIS PRIORITY.

HIS PRIORITY IS POLICY MAKING.

THAT THAT DOES SEEM TO BE THE TONE RIGHT NOW.

YEAH.

YOU KNOW, TRUMP WAS IMPEACHED TWICE.

YOU KNOW, IN HIS FORMER TERM YESTERDAY, ADELITA GRIJALVA MENTIONED THE POSSIBLE IMPEACHMENT OF PETE HEGSETH.

SO I DON'T KNOW IF I WOULD USE THE TERM REVENGE HERE, BUT MAYBE ACCOUNTABILITY.

I MEAN, THINK ABOUT LIKE WHAT HAPPENED WITH DOGE, YOU KNOW, THE TOTAL STRIPPING OF USAID AND THE COUNTLESS LIVES, LIVES LOST BECAUSE OF IT.

I THINK THERE IS POTENTIALLY AN APPETITE FOR ACTUALLY UNDERSTANDING WHAT HAPPENED THERE AND WHAT THE CONSEQUENCES ARE.

WE DON'T HAVE REAL CLARITY YET.

I MEAN, RESEARCHERS ARE LOOKING INTO IT, BUT I THINK UNDERSTANDING THE INNER WORKINGS OF, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER AGENCY LIKE DOGE WAS, OR AGAIN, GOING BACK TO IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT, I MEAN, UNDERSTANDING HOW AND WHY A LOT OF THESE POLICIES WERE IMPLEMENTED THAT HAD SUCH HUGE AND VIOLENT IMPACTS ON OUR STREETS.

ALL RIGHT.

NOW FOR OUR LAST COUPLE OF QUESTIONS HERE, IT'S TALKING ABOUT HOW ARIZONA FITS IN NATIONALLY AND AS REGARD TO WHAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY WITH THE BLUE WAVE.

ARIZONA HAS TWO DEMOCRATIC U.S.

SENATORS, AND NOW WE HAVE A BLUE WAVE THAT'S BROUGHT IN MORE DEMOCRATS INTO OFFICE.

KATIE HOBBS CONTINUES TO BE THE ARIZONA GOVERNOR.

LOOKING AHEAD, DOES ARIZONA FIT IN THE PURPLE CATEGORY ANYMORE OR IS IT NOW A BLUE STATE?

I MEAN, I THINK THE QUESTION ONCE WAS TEN, 15 YEARS AGO, ARE WE RED OR WE PURPLE?

AND NOW IT'S ARE WE PURPLE OR ARE WE BLUE?

I MEAN, ARIZONA IS A PURPLE STATE, BUT WE HAVE EVERY SINGLE KEY OFFICE BEING HELD BY A DEMOCRAT AND POSSIBLY A TRIFECTA.

I MEAN, WE ARE TODAY.

WE ARE A BLUE STATE.

WILL THAT HOLD IN TWO YEARS?

THAT IS A GOOD QUESTION.

AND I THINK WE ALSO HAVE SENATORS WITH BOTH OF THEM HAVE PRESIDENTIAL AMBITIONS.

SO MAYBE THE ARIZONA MODEL IS SOMETHING THAT COULD BE, YOU KNOW, COPIED, COPIED NATIONALLY.

ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU, JOHN AND SAMARA.

THAT'LL DO IT FOR OUR POST-ELECTION DAY RECAP AND REVIEW FROM AZPM NEWS VOTE 2026 FOR ALL OF OUR STAFF AND CREW.

I'M TONY PERKINS.

THANKS FOR JOINING US.