Prickly: A podcast from KJZZ's Politics Desk

Political reporter Camryn Sanchez sat down with Democratic Sen. Lela Alston to talk about her long career in the Legislature and how things at the Capitol have changed over time.

Political editor Ben Giles sat down with Camryn Sanchez and Wayne Schutsky to talk more about those races, what the candidates are saying and how the results could impact Arizona’s 2026 general election.

The attorney general’s critics say Kris Mayes’ use of Arizona’s public nuisance law in these cases is a stretch.

There’s a new political party in Arizona, recycled from the bones of a failed attempt to field a legitimate third-party presidential candidate in 2024.

U.S. Rep. David Schweikert is out of the picture in Congressional District 1. But it's unclear who will step into the picture and run for the GOP nomination in what could be one of the most competitive congressional races in 2026.

KJZZ’s Prickly podcast recently sat down with Arizona AG Kris Mayes to discuss the merits of filing so many cases; the criticism from Republicans who say Arizonans want the president’s agenda enacted; and what precedent the Democrat is setting for future attorneys general.

While 2025 is giving most Arizonans a break casting ballots, voters in the 7th Congressional District will head to the polls this year to pick a new representative. Deja Foxx is just 25, and would be the youngest member of Congress if elected.

There’s a familiar character in Arizona politics now trying to exert influence over the state Republican Party – or more specifically, what candidates will represent the GOP in November 2026.

Democrats elected Robert Branscomb as the Arizona party’s new leader earlier this year. It was a bit of a surprise – despite Democratic candidates’ poor performances up and down the ballot in 2024, former chair Yolanda Bejarano had the support of key Democratic officials.

Every two years in January, after voters statewide cast ballots in November, members of the Republican and Democratic parties hold their own elections for their party leaders. Those party chairs will set the tone for their respective parties for the next two years.

A new year means a new legislative session for Arizona lawmakers returning to the Capitol in Phoenix. Political editor Ben Giles catches up with field correspondents Camryn Sanchez and Wayne Schutsky for a debrief on the topics and issues — some prickly — that will likely dominate debate this year.

Political correspondents Camryn Sanchez and Wayne Schutsky dig into both sides’ perspective on the issue and the politics that could motivate lawmakers in the upcoming legislative session next month.

The Arizona secretary of state officially certified the results of July's primary elections, meaning Arizonans now know the candidates who will be running in the handful of competitive legislative races that will determine which party controls the Arizona House and Senate next year.

The Arizona Legislature wrapped up the 2024 legislative session on June 14 after passing a bipartisan budget filled with cuts and dealing with contentious issues like abortion and border security.

Welcome to the third episode of Prickly, a podcast from KJZZ’s Politics Desk. Subscribe here or wherever you get your podcasts, and don’t forget to subscribe to the Prickly newsletter.

Welcome to the second episode of Prickly, a podcast from KJZZ’s Politics Desk. Subscribe here or wherever you get your podcasts, and don’t forget to subscribe to the Prickly newsletter.

The people who run Arizona's elections have dire warnings of potential delays in the election administration process, from mailing ballots to certifying votes. State lawmakers now have days to address Arizona's election laws to accommodate the time it will take county officials to conduct a slew of anticipated recounts and meet key deadlines in state and federal law.→ The Prickly brief: More about...

Welcome to Prickly, a podcast from KJZZ’s Politics Desk. We’ve already launched the Prickly newsletter, an email blast catching you up on everything you might have missed in the world of Arizona politics in the past week or so — plus a look ahead. With the Prickly podcast, we’re going to slow things down. Way down. The first episode drops soon.