Dems Poised for Trifecta

Democrats appear headed for control of both state legislative chambers for the first time in six decades, setting up a trifecta with the re-election of Gov. Katie Hobbs.

As of early Wednesday, Democrats led in 20 of 30 state Senate races and 37 of 60 state House races. Republicans currently hold 17-13 and 33-27 majorities, respectively.

The Associated Press called 13 of the state Senate races for Democrats, who also won two uncontested districts, assuring at least a tie.

Democrat leaders, including House Minority Leader Oscar De Los Santos, claimed victory on Tuesday night.

  U.S. House Races Tight

Some of Arizona’s U.S. House races remained too close to call on Wednesday, while Democrat Amish Shah was projected to flip the open 1st District seat with a win over Republican Jay Feely.

Republicans hold six of the state’s nine seats, but Democrats would gain a 5-4 edge if their remaining leads hold up.

In the 2nd District, Democrat Jonathan Nez narrowly led incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Eli Crane, who beat him by about 9 points in 2024.

In the East Valley’s open 5th District, Republican Mark Lamb moved ahead of Democrat Elizabeth Lee, 51% to 48.8%, after trailing on election night.

Republican U.S. Rep. Abe Hamadeh took a 2.2-point lead in early Wednesday vote counting over Democrat Bernadette Greene-Placentia in the West Valley’s 8th District.

Talkin’ Arizona: Slang Terms Explained

A new list of 14 Arizona slang terms suggests newcomers could benefit from a glossary to better communicate in the Grand Canyon State.

The list from When In Your State includes “snowbird,” “the Ten,” and “the Big Ditch,” an affectionate nickname some residents use for the Grand Canyon.

Elsewhere, Tucson claims bragging rights to “stravenues,” diagonal roads that combine a street and an avenue. The city has more than 30 of them.

Then there’s “haboob,” the Arabic term popularized to describe monsoon dust walls after a massive 2011 Phoenix storm went viral.

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➤ Statewide: Arizona voters passed Proposition 318, which restricts the use of opposite-sex bathrooms and locker rooms in schools, the Associated Press projected. (More)

➤ Camp Verde: Residents began rebuilding after Beaver Creek flooding swamped more than 100 homes and destroyed more than a dozen. A couple who rescued animals said six horses remain missing. (More)

➤ Heber-Overgaard: A west Phoenix shed company, Shed Gal, is giving away a storage shed to a resident hit by last month’s tornado. A winner will be drawn Saturday. (More)

➤ Tucson: Voters rejected Prop. 421, a 25-year franchise agreement between the city and Tucson Electric Power. (More)

➤ Window Rock: Navajo Nation Council Speaker Crystalyne Curley was elected the tribe’s first woman president, according to unofficial results. Opponent Justin Jones said he may pursue a legal challenge. (More)

➤ Flagstaff: Voters were rejecting a half-cent sales tax for 77 public safety jobs but narrowly backing a $40 million bond for a new fire station and police station expansion. (More)

➤ Surprise: Some residents of Wittmann asked Surprise to annex their unincorporated community, a legal step organizers say could let them seek incorporation if the city doesn’t agree within 120 days. (More)

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➤ The Arizona Cardinals agreed to trade quarterback Jacoby Brissett to the injury-riddled Baltimore Ravens, days after backup quarterback Gardner Minshew led an overtime comeback against Dallas. (More)

➤ Meanwhile, the Seattle Seahawks ruled out quarterback Sam Darnold with a quad injury for Sunday’s game against the Cardinals in Seattle. Drew Lock, who threw three touchdowns in Seattle’s 31-7 win at Arizona in Week 2, will start. (More)

➤ Three Arizona Diamondbacks free agents made ESPN’s ranking of the top 50 on the market: starters Michael Soroka and Zac Gallen and reliever Jonathan Loaisiga. (More)

➤ Two of Major League Baseball’s top prospects, the Phillies’ Aidan Miller and the Rangers’ Sebastian Walcott, are starring for the Surprise Saguaros in the Arizona Fall League. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: NCAAF | NHL | NBA | NCAAM | NCAAW | Soccer

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➤ Freeport-McMoRan will move forward with its proposed $4.5 billion expansion of its Bagdad copper-molybdenum mine in Yavapai County, with production scheduled to begin in mid-2030. (More)

➤ Tucson Electric Power plans to convert two coal units to natural gas by 2030, exit the Four Corners plant by 2031, and add 680 megawatts each of solar and battery storage by 2041. (More)

➤ The new developer of the 5,300-acre Saddleback community in Peoria has no immediate plans for the golf courses and resort envisioned decades ago, focusing instead on up to 6,500 homes and 60-plus miles of trails. (More)

➤ Scottsdale-based Onsemi agreed to buy New York chip startup Ferric for $600 million in cash plus up to $175 million tied to revenue milestones, adding power technology for AI processors. (More)

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➤ The Salt River has been flowing through Phoenix wider than a city block after the Salt River Project released extra water from reservoirs. (More)

➤ Mesa Community College’s annual Empty Bowls fundraiser will culminate Nov. 17 at its Southern and Dobson campus, where $10 will buy soup, bread, and a handmade bowl, with proceeds going to Paz de Cristo. (More)

➤ The Phoenix Alumnae Club of Pi Beta Phi will celebrate its centennial Friday, marking a century of literacy programs, book donations, and scholarship fundraising by the women’s group. (More)

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The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes. 

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