The AZ Political Podcast

The AZ Political Podcast

The AZ Political Podcast takes a look at the latest news and state of politics in Arizona. KTAR News' Jim Sharpe, also host of Arizona's Morning News, speaks with newsmakers each week plus gives his insight. 

rss_feed RSS Feed

Most Recent Episode

The AZ Political Podcast
Carine Werner, Arizona State Senator
Seeing Democrats and Republicans work together “really well” — even “collaboratively" — in an election year, is not only encouraging, but it can also give you faith in our system of government. Too bad that getting to this place politically requires tackling an issue awful enough that it can cause one to lose faith in humanity.
 
Republican state Senator Carine Werner told me on the AZ Political Podcast this week that Arizona’s child welfare system is so broken that trying to reform it was daunting and an all-hands-on-deck (Rs and Ds) approach was necessary. And so were 13 new laws.
 
Werner fills us in on what those laws attempt to reform and fix: the Department of Child Safety (DCS); runaway prevention; foster care group home supervision; cooperation between the state of Arizona and the state’s sovereign tribes; and how the abuse of children is reported as well as how those reports are received — and acted upon.
 
But Werner feels there’s more work to be done, saying, “We don’t want to take our eyes off the ball, we want to continue to work on this.” 
 
One of the things she says she’d like to undertake in the next legislative session is staffing, retention, and pay for DCS workers. She knows the job they do leads to high burnout, leaving DCS with little institutional knowledge to train the next generation of workers.
 
There’s no way this gets fixed overnight, but if you’d like to insert a dose of hope in your life by hearing how there are people who actually care about what happens to Arizona’s most vulnerable children — and then sprinkle on a little extra hope by seeing that our elected leaders can work together when necessary — please take the time to watch this edition of the AZ Political Podcast.
00:23:29
Jun 30, 2026 4:0 AM
Clean

More Episodes

The AZ Political Podcast
Marlene Galán-Woods, candidate for CD1
Will the second time be the charm for Marlene Galán-Woods? Will her second attempt to win the Democratic nomination in Arizona’s 1st Congressional District (CD-1) lead to her being Arizona’s second Latina in Congress? (Adelita Grijalva became the first when she won last year’s special election in CD-7.) 
 
Galán-Woods won’t get the chance if she comes in second to Amish Shah, the Democrat who won 2024’s CD-1 Primary. (Shah went on to lose the General Election to Republican David Schweikert.)
 
Shah and two other men, Rick McCartney and Johnathan Treble, will be sharing a debate stage with Galán-Woods Tuesday night.  
 
Galán-Woods tells me on this week’s AZ Political Podcast that with Schweikert out of the CD-1 picture (he’s running for governor), Democrats’ chances of flipping the seat have greatly increased. And she argues that she represents her party’s best chance to beat whomever the Republicans nominate in the CD-1 race. 
 
On the podcast, Galán-Woods also discusses her personal journey: starting out as the daughter of poor Cuban immigrants to realizing her dream of being a broadcast journalist. 
 
And she shares her political journey: what caused her to go from being a solid Cuban-American Republican to a Democrat worthy of receiving the endorsement of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. 
 
Even though this was my first time interacting in the media with Marlene Galán-Woods, in the interests of full disclosure, I should mention I was friends with her late husband, former Republican Attorney General Grant Woods — who took a similar political journey before his death in 2021.
00:17:51
Jun 22, 2026 2:0 PM
Clean
The AZ Political Podcast
Stan Barnes, Copper State Consulting
Nothing’s more important on Arizona’s political calendar this week than the Republican gubernatorial debate. So much so that not only will KTAR News carry it live on-air and online (at 6 PM Wednesday), doing a preview of the debate on the latest AZ Political Podcast was a no-brainer. 
 
I also didn’t have to use much brain power to pick the guest for this topic: Republican political consultant Stan Barnes, who is long-time friends with the two top candidates fighting to face Democratic incumbent Gov. Katie Hobbs this fall, Congressmen Andy Biggs and David Schweikert. 
 
With so many similarities between Schweikert and Biggs, Stan believes they won’t debate policy — nor does he think there’ll be any personal attacks between the two. So, he thinks the debate will come down to one thing: a candidate’s electability versus Hobbs. 
 
Stan tells me that, at his core, Shweikert believes he is the guy to hobble Hobbs and that if he loses the nomination (the direction polling is pointing), Hobbs not only beats Biggs, that defeat could also lead to Democratic majorities in both chambers of the state Legislature — a political place Arizona hasn’t been in since 1966. 
 
For those who think it’s unfair that lower-tier candidates don’t ever get mentioned, Stan and I do talk about Ken Miceli and Scott Neely: two East Valley businessmen who will be on the GOP ballot and the debate stage with Biggs and Schweikert. 
 
Stan thinks they’ll likely have their biggest impact on Wednesday night when he presumes they’ll go after the front-runner, Biggs. Will they score enough points to move Schweikert up? Or will they just make it look like it’s three against one? 
 
You can get answers by watching the debate on KTAR.com, but I’d suggest doing that after you watch the pre-game show: the AZ Political Podcast.
00:19:36
Jun 16, 2026 4:0 AM
Clean
The AZ Political Podcast
Stacey Pearson, co founder of Lumen Strategies
Will you get to decide if firing squads will be part of a list prisoners can choose from when they’re executed in Arizona? How do you feel about mail-in voting? Would you vote by mail to enshrine into the Arizona constitution the right to vote by mail?
 
Those are just a couple of the dozens of examples of what you could be voting on this year. That’s because Arizona is one of a handful of states where you get to be a quasi-legislator and partake in direct democracy by creating (or rejecting) laws in the voting booth. 
 
On this week’s AZ Political Podcast, I get to talk with political consultant Stacy Pearson of Lumen Strategies not only about the ballot measures you could see this fall, but also the four types of ways they end up on ballots: two that are initiated by citizens and two that are referred by the Legislature to voters. 
 
Stacy’s firm is engaged in trying to get an initiative called the “Constitutional Right to Early and Mail-in Voting Amendment” on Arizona’s ballot and there are some big hurdles to get there: State law requires that almost 384,000 signatures need to be gathered (and tens of thousands of extras to make up for those ineligible to sign) and submitted by July 2. And there are potential legal challenges to the signatures as well as challenges to the wording of the initiative.
 
Whew! It takes a lot of initiative to get an initiative in front of voters.
 
We also discuss what happens when two opposing ballot measures pass; how it’s possible for two similar ballot measures to split the vote and both fail; and the electoral track record of ballot measures. 
 
Initiatives and referendums make for fascinating politics because it’s voters making government “of the people” and “by the people” by bringing “power to the people” to create law.
00:26:24
Jun 11, 2026 4:0 AM
Clean
The AZ Political Podcast
Daniel Keenan, Republican candidate for Arizona's 5th Congressional District (CD-5)

For Republicans. Daniel Keenan is the "Mark Lamb alternative" in Arizona's 5th Congressional District. Keenan joins Jim Sharpe for the AZ Political Podcast where they discuss his reasoning to run for office, his background, and the recent Mark Lamb controversy.

00:23:14
Jun 3, 2026 12:9 PM
Clean
The AZ Political Podcast
Andy Biggs, US representative and candidate for AZ Governor

Do Andy Biggs' connections in Washington and Mexico make him a good candidate for Arizona's top job? Joining the AZ Political Podcast is Rep Andy Biggs who says he will use these connections to improve relations with our southern neighbor. 

00:26:59
May 26, 2026 8:30 PM
Clean
The AZ Political Podcast
Chuck Coughlin, president and CEO of High Ground Consulting

Will Arizona's 1st congressional district seat flip democratic in the July 21 primary? Chuck Coughlin joins the AZ Political Podcast with Jim Sharpe to discuss what he says will be a very interesting race. 

00:32:22
May 21, 2026 4:0 AM
Clean
The AZ Political Podcast
John Trobough, candidate for Arizona's 1st congressional district

Technology executive John Trobough joins The AZ Political Podcast with Jim Sharpe to discuss his run for Congress in Arizona's 1st District. He breaks down his views on artificial intelligence, data privacy, and how he plans to apply his tech background to legislation on Capitol Hill.

00:31:22
May 12, 2026 4:0 AM
Clean
The AZ Political Podcast
David Schweikert, U.S. representative and candidate for Arizona Governor

If he was already governor, Republican Congressman David Schweikert says he might not have signed the Republican budget that Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs just vetoed. Schweikert joined Jim Sharpe to discuss his race for Governor.

00:28:20
May 7, 2026 4:0 AM
Clean
The AZ Political Podcast
John Cohen, Former Undersecretary for Intelligence at DHS

Former Undersecretary for Intelligence at the Department of Homeland Security John Cohen joins the AZ Political Podcast with Jim Sharpe to discuss how rhetoric is leading to political violence ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. 

00:22:19
Apr 30, 2026 7:28 PM
Clean
The AZ Political Podcast
Mike Noble, CEO of Noble Predictive Insights

Pollster Mike Noble dives into why Republican Congressman David Schweikert should suspend his campaign for governor, endorse fellow Congressman Andy Biggs, and ask for the lieutenant governor nomination. Schweikert should do all this in order to save the GOP’s chances of wresting the Governor’s office from Democrat Katie Hobbs.

00:25:38
Apr 23, 2026 7:57 PM
Clean
The AZ Political Podcast
Kevin Sartor, mayor of Surprise

The mayor of Surprise, AZ joins the Arizona Political Podcast with Jim Sharpe this week. Kevin Sartor goes in depth on the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility coming to his city. 

00:23:11
Apr 16, 2026 4:0 AM
Clean
The AZ Political Podcast
Greg Stanton, Arizona congressman
Congressman Greg Stanton joins the AZ Political Podcast at what he calls an “incredibly serious moment” in American history. Stanton reacts to President Trump’s actions toward Iran, calling the situation an unauthorized war and warning that threats of total destruction are reckless and unacceptable.
00:35:57
Apr 7, 2026 7:10 PM
Clean
The AZ Political Podcast
Juan Ciscomani, Arizona representative

S. Rep. Juan Ciscomani, R-Arizona, talks tight elections, Department of Homeland Security funding negotiations, and bringing both parties together for Arizona's water future. He's this week's guest on the AZ Political Podcast with Jim Sharpe.

00:19:55
Mar 25, 2026 9:42 PM
Clean
The AZ Political Podcast
Howie Fischer, Capitol Media Services

Howie Fischer, chief correspondent for Arizona’s Capitol Media Services, joined the AZ Political Podcast with Jim Sharpe to share his thoughts on how Governor Hobbs and the Legislature will or won't work together this session, things he never expected to see, and the biggest change he's seen at the state level politically. 

00:26:57
Mar 18, 2026 4:0 AM
Clean
The AZ Political Podcast
Chuck Todd, political analyst

Political analyst and host of the "ChuckTodd-Cast", Chuck Todd, joined the AZ Political Podcast with Jim Sharpe to give us his thoughts on the conflict with Iran, how the national midterms are shaping up, and who has the best shot at Arizona governor.

00:29:05
Mar 10, 2026 10:52 AM
Clean
The AZ Political Podcast
John Cohen, Former Undersecretary for Intelligence at DHS

Former Undersecretary for Intelligence at the Department of Homeland Security John Cohen joins the AZ Political Podcast with Jim Sharpe to discuss a potential increase in terror threats due to the continuing conflict with Iran.  

00:25:01
Mar 3, 2026 10:12 PM
Clean
The AZ Political Podcast
Stan Barnes, Copper State Consulting, Stacy Pearson, Lumen Strategies

Democratic Political Strategist Stacy Pearson and Republican Political Strategist Stan Barnes sit down with Jim Sharpe to discuss President Donald Trump's State of the Union Address. 

00:28:30
Feb 25, 2026 6:29 PM
Clean
The AZ Political Podcast
Carine Werner, Arizona State Senator

The deaths of Rebekah Baptiste, Emily Pike and Zariah Dodd in 2025 drew severe scrutiny to the Arizona Department of Child Safety (DCS). Jim Sharpe sat down this week with Sen. Carine Werner to discuss her office's investigation into the department and proposed legislation aimed to prevent and better serve children within the DCS system.

00:30:01
Feb 23, 2026 3:25 PM
Clean
The AZ Political Podcast
Beth Lewis, Save Our Schools Arizona

Public school advocate Beth Lewis discusses a new proposal that could appear on Arizona ballots in November that would place new guidelines on the ESA program. 

00:26:29
Feb 12, 2026 7:48 PM
Clean
The AZ Political Podcast
Adrian Fontes, Arizona Secretary of State

Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes says what happened in Fulton County, Georgia (FBI agents seizing ballots and documents from the 2020 election) can’t happen in Arizona — at least not in the same way. 

00:34:13
Feb 5, 2026 10:8 PM
Clean
The AZ Political Podcast
John Cohen, Former Acting Under Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis and Counterterrorism Coordinator, Department of Homeland Security

On this week's episode of the AZ Political Podcast, John Cohen, a former high-ranking Homeland Security official, sits down with Jim Sharpe to talk about all the recent immigration news. During the episode, Cohen says that federal immigration operations conducted elsewhere are negatively affecting efforts in Arizona to capture dangerous criminals residing illegally in the U.S. — and are hurting law enforcement's reputation in general.

00:34:22
Jan 29, 2026 11:10 AM
Clean
The AZ Political Podcast
Mike Noble, Noble Predictive Insights CEO

Noble Predictive Insights CEO Mike Noble breaks down his Arizona Power Rankings, which are based on a formula designed to gauge electability. 

00:32:32
Jan 20, 2026 7:39 PM
Clean
The AZ Political Podcast
Jay Feely, former Arizona Cardinals player and candidate for Congressional District 1

Former Arizona Cardinals kicker Jay Feely discusses his run for Arizona's 1st Congressional District seat and why he jumped into the race after originally declaring his candidacy for another district. 

00:31:13
Jan 15, 2026 8:16 PM
Clean
The AZ Political Podcast
Warren Petersen, Senate President

For this week's episode of the AZ Political Podcast, Jim sits down with Senate President Warren Petersen. The two discuss the 1,500 bills expected to be introduced this year, immigration and border issues, education, and a one billion dollar tax cut Republicans hope to see pass. They finished the conversation talking about Petersen running for Attorney General, and if he will remain Senate President. 

00:23:04
Jan 9, 2026 11:11 AM
Clean