Author

Jim Small is a native Arizonan and has covered state government, policy and politics since 2004, with a focus on investigative and in-depth policy reporting, first as a reporter for the Arizona Capitol Times, then as editor of the paper and its prestigious sister publications. He has also served as the editor and executive director of the Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting.
The ‘blue wave’ will make it harder for ballot measures to actually be on the ballot for the next 4 years
By: Jim Small - November 13, 2018
The surge in turnout carried Democrats to victory up and down the ballot in Arizona, but it will also have an effect on elections for the next four years: The estimated 2.4 million ballots cast will make it much more difficult for groups to place initiatives on the ballot or block laws passed by the Legislature by sending them to voters.
Sinema wins U.S. Senate race, becomes first woman to represent AZ
By: Jim Small - November 12, 2018
U.S. Rep. Kyrsten Sinema is now U.S. Sen.-elect Kyrsten Sinema, as nearly a week of tallying votes has given her an insurmountable lead over fellow Congresswoman Martha McSally.
Hobbs captures lead in secretary of state race, Kennedy expands Corp Comm lead
By: Jim Small - November 12, 2018
Katie Hobbs, a veteran Democratic legislator and social worker, has her first daily lead in the race for secretary of state over Republican businessman Steve Gaynor.
Republican ‘fraud’ strategy only works because people want to believe the lies
By: Jim Small - November 12, 2018
They want to believe, with as much sincerity as they’re able to trick themselves into faking, the fantasy that there is fraud, that there is a conspiracy to steal political power away from them, that their political opponents are evil and their time in positions of power will be nightmarish. Facts that refute the lie are instead used as evidence of the conspiracy, and truth-tellers become conspirators. Why?
Frank Riggs and His Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day on Twitter
By: Jim Small - November 12, 2018
A former California congressman who this year lost his second statewide race in Arizona in four years went on several Twitter tirades against political gadflies and this reporter Sunday evening, during which he called critics “gutless punks,” “cowards,” “sniveling” and “trolls,” and belittled them for never having served in the military.
Sinema claims ‘insurmountable’ lead, Dems make gains in statewide races
By: Jim Small - November 11, 2018
Kyrsten Sinema is declaring victory in the U.S. Senate race, after votes counted on Sunday put her ahead by roughly 32,000 votes with only about 220,000 left to count, the first time since Dennis DeConcini won re-election in 1988 that Arizona will send a Democrat to the U.S. Senate.
Sinema takes the lead as Dems gain in statewide in latest tally
By: Jim Small - November 8, 2018
Kyrsten Sinema has taken the lead in the back-and-forth contest for the U.S. Senate seat, with votes counted on Thursday giving her a roughly 9,600-vote advantage over Martha McSally.
Whether they meant to or not, voters just cut K-12 funding
By: Jim Small - November 8, 2018
How long will it take for voters to regret passing Proposition 126? What the flood of voters who headed to the polls almost certainly didn’t know is that their votes for Prop. 126 actually cut future funding for K-12 schools, and made it even more difficult to find additional permanent education funds.
More votes cast early in 2018 than in all of 2014
By: Jim Small - November 5, 2018
The number of ballots voted early in 2018 has surpassed the total number of votes cast in the 2014 elections, the last time Arizona voters went to the polls to elect statewide officers.
Federal civil rights observers coming to AZ for Election Day
By: Jim Small - November 5, 2018
The U.S. Department of Justice is deploying personnel from its Civil Rights Division to four Arizona counties tomorrow to “monitor for compliance with... federal voting rights laws.”
National spotlight shines on Christine Marsh
By: Jim Small - October 31, 2018
The race for the state Senate in Legislative District 28 got some national press today, courtesy of a piece in Teen Vogue on Christine Marsh’s transformation from high school teacher to Democratic candidate for elected office.
Ducey’s border security whopper
By: Jim Small - October 30, 2018
No one would ever confuse Doug Ducey with Donald Trump on the campaign trail, but when the governor talks about immigration issues, he has a downright Trumpian claim that he goes to time and again.