Arizona braces for a wild 2026

Zoom in: Here are some of the biggest storylines we're watching, and what to pay attention to as 2026 gets off to a running start:

🤔 President Kelly/Gallego: Both of Arizona's U.S. senators are on a long list of Democrats seen as presidential possibilities.

• Neither Mark Kelly nor Ruben Gallego has commented on their personal aspirations, but both have certainly leaned into the national attention, which we expect to continue.

🗳️ Statewide election: Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs seeks a second term in purple but still predominantly Republican Arizona. Andy Biggs, Karrin Taylor Robson and David Schweikert are vying for the GOP nomination, each hoping to be the candidate who can make Hobbs a one-term governor.

• Attorney General Kris Mayes will face the winner of a Republican primary that pits attorney Rodney Glassman, state Sen. Warren Petersen and attorney Greg Roeberg against each other.
• We also expect spicy matchups in the secretary of state and superintendent of public instruction contests.

🏛️ Legislative session: Hobbs and the Legislature could be looking at a budget shortfall fueled by economic uncertainty and federal funding cuts, setting the stage for a potentially tough legislative session.

• Lawmakers must decide whether to refer a replacement for the expiring education funding measure Proposition 123 to the ballot, and what that proposal could look like.
• Hobbs has twice broken the state's single-year veto record, and there's no reason to believe the Republican-controlled Legislature will ease up on sending her conservative bills this year.

🧑‍⚖️ Fake electors case: Mayes has decided to continue her case against all but one of the so-called "fake electors" who submitted paperwork to Congress falsely asserting that Donald Trump won the 2020 election.

• A procedural issue with Mayes' indictments has drawn out the case and now she looks to secure convictions while seeking reelection — a potentially dangerous political move.

🌊 Water wars: The agreement that dictates how Colorado River water is allocated between Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming expires in October, and a new deal has proven elusive.

• If the seven basin states can't reach an agreement, the U.S. Interior Department could impose a plan, and Arizona officials have already urged the feds to intervene.

👀 Eyes on ICE: Arizona hasn't seen large-scale immigration raids like those in Chicago, Atlanta and Miami, but local officials worry that the Trump administration may ramp up efforts in our swing state next year to score political points ahead of the important midterm elections.

• Late last week, The Bulwark reported that ICE plans to make Phoenix its next focus of arrests, detentions and deportations.

⚡ Data center drama: More cities, locally and nationally, are saying no to data centers, citing their drain on the power grid and water resources.

• In council chambers and at the state Capitol, expect to see new rules and laws proposed to rein them in — and well-funded lobbying efforts to fight any new regulation.

🙅 Axon angst, again: After years of fighting with the Scottsdale City Council, Axon finally agreed to move forward on a new headquarters campus in November.

• Yes, but: Neighbors are still seeking to thwart the project. They've already initiated a lawsuit against the state over a law passed last year that protects the project and they're preparing to sue the city over its memorandum of understanding with Axon.

😸 March Madness: UofA's men's basketball team may be the best Tucson has seen in years, and all eyes will be on the Cats to see how far they can go in the NCAA tournament.

🏀 Suns rebound: The Phoenix Suns have looked better than expected in the post-Kevin Durant era, but it's a long season. Can they keep it up and make the playoffs?

🏈 Cards QB future: The Kyler Murray era looks to be nearing an end. Who will the Cardinals' quarterback be next season? And will Jonathan Gannon be there to coach him?