Arizona Politics for the Week-Candidates Galore
NEWS\OPINION BY DOUGLAS WOLF| October 26, 2025
Attorney General Kris Mayes made her stop in SaddleBrooke and delivered a seminar on the variety of frauds that afflict citizens and the elderly in particular. The computer was the original theft machine and has been amplified significantly by the ubiquitous use of mobile phones. Realistically, it is nearly impossible to imagine life without a cell phone. But, like any tool, it can be used for bad and often is. Confidence men (conmen) operate their scams is based on basic human characteristics; the impulse to help others, reciprocity and greed.
Voice Scams
One of the phone scams is using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to generate the sound and tone of a familiar voice. Your phone rings and you answer (it might look like a number recognize) and you hear a voice sounding like your niece or grandson asking for help. The story might be they need money immediately as they are stuck with a broken down car and cannot pay the bill or under arrest in a foreign country. AI is getting the phony voice from random calls that a person answers and in talking back to a computer, the recording is stored and then re-generated into any text the criminal wants.
One way to beat this scam is to have a code word agreed to with all your close family that identifies them as being the real deal. It could even be a phrase such as what is the weather today in Miami and the answer is an agreed upon return phrase.
Bad Links in Mobile Phones
Another means for defrauding folks is a text message that appears to be legitimate from a bank, investment company even the Social Security Administration or your credit card company. The key is the live link-when you click it, malware can be downloaded to your phone and it records any account information or passwords you may use to do your financial business, giving the crooks access to your accounts.
AG Mayes
Mayes went on to describe other less common means of trickery and took many questions from the worried audience. The event, promoted as a non-partisan non-campaign event came across as that. Mayes did not go into any political territory-still it was an undeniable free boost to her looming re-election.
More Governor Candidates Jump In
No one expect David Schweickert to enter the fray against Karen Taylor Robson and Andy Biggs in the Governor’s race, but he did. Giving up a Congressional seat in east metro Phoenix, Schweikert positions himself as the experienced moderate who has been elected multiple times in a nearly evenly split district. But his hat is in, and this scrambles the experts opinions as to who can win. Robson is the favorite of the higher income-end of the establishment in Phoenix-lots of money and knows everyone. Biggs is the Trumpian, Freedom Caucus candidate who is well known among the grass roots activists. Biggs has never had a tough campaign against a Democrat, only a single scrappy fight for his Congressional seat in the primary against Christine Jones.
Davis Schweikert
GOP CHAIR WANTS A BIGGER SEAT
Gina Swoboda became GOP state chair after Kari Lake ambushed and pushed out the elected chair, former State Treasurer Jeff DeWitt because he allegedly offered Lake a job and some cash to stay out of the US Senate race-which she lost to Gallegos. (Lake is such a drama queen.)
Now, Swoboda has declared for CD-5, Schweikert’s seat and claims Trump has endorsed her.
Swoboda is opposed by the Arizona Freedom Caucus lead by state Senator Jake Huffman and his minions, but if Trump really has endorsed Swoboda, this primary is over. Swoboda has said that she will relinquish her GOP chair, January 1st 2026.
Gina Swoboda
November of 2026 is a long way off by the calendar, but a short time when running for a Congressional or state-wide seat. Karen Taylor Robson is scheduled to present to the SaddleBrooke Republican Club members on Veterans Day, November 11th.
