Ben Giles
KJZZ 91.5
Phoenix, AZ, United States
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Past articles by Ben:
Arizonans could get faster election results, but at what cost?
Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer says Arizona election officials are caught between a rock and a hard place.Arizona offers no-excuse mail voting and in-person voting on Election Day and has lenient rules for hand-delivering early ballots to the polls. "You have a very voter-friendly system that accommodates dropping off your early ballot on Election Day up until 7 → Read More
Mark Kelly sworn in to new term as U.S. senator
Sen. Mark Kelly was sworn into office Tuesday morning, beginning his first full six-year term in the U.S. Senate.Kelly, a Democrat, former astronaut and Navy combat veteran, was first elected in a special election in 2020, held to determine who would finish the term left by the late Sen. John McCain.He then ran again for a new, full term in 2022. → Read More
These were the top 5 most-viewed stories on KJZZ.org in 2022
Over the course of 2022, KJZZ News covered a wide range of stories. As 2023 approaches, here's a look back at the five most-viewed stories on KJZZ.org this year.1. Republican Rep. Debbie Lesko heckled, exits stage during graduation speech in Glendale → Read More
Kris Mayes defeats Abe Hamadeh in Arizona attorney general race
All outstanding ballots in Maricopa County and across the state of Arizona have now been counted.With that, the unofficial tally released Monday reveals Democrat Kris Mayes has defeated Republican Abe Hamadeh in a neck-and-neck race for attorney general.The attorney general’s race is close enough to trigger an automatic recount.All 15 counties in Arizona now have until Nov. 28 → Read More
Kathy Hoffman concedes race for Arizona superintendent of public instruction to Tom Horne
Democrat Kathy Hoffman has conceded the race for Arizona superintendent of public instruction to Republican Tom Horne. According to the Associated Press, the race remains too close to call.But Horne has held a steady lead over Hoffman for several days now… As of Thursday morning, Hoffman trailed by nearly 9 thousand votes… and there are fewer than 20 thousand votes left to → Read More
Arizona 2022 election: Mark Kelly holds early lead over Blake Masters in U.S. Senate race
In one of the most closely watched contests in the country, Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly held an early lead over Republican Blake Masters late Tuesday. → Read More
Arizona 2022 election: Katie Hobbs leads Kari Lake in governor's race
The Arizona governor’s race remains too close to call, with Democrat Katie Hobbs leading Republican Kari Lake by less than 2 percentage points as of Saturday night. → Read More
Katie Hobbs hasn't agreed to debate Kari Lake. She proposes this alternative instead
Democrat Katie Hobbs has yet to agree to debate her opponent in the Arizona governor's race, Kari Lake, and instead proposed back-to-back town hall-style interviews that will keep her separated from the conservative firebrand.Hobbs made the counterproposal in a Friday press release, the same day the Citizens Clean Elections Commission set as a deadline for her to decide → Read More
Arizona midterm election debates: When and where to see them
The Citizens Clean Elections Commission, Arizona's voter education agency, will host debates for Arizona’s legislative and statewide races prior to the upcoming general election. → Read More
Former U.S. Rep. Matt Salmon drops out of Arizona governor's race
Former U.S. Rep. Matt Salmon has dropped out of the Republican primary for governor. Salmon’s decision, announced 8 days before early voting begins, thins a field that’s been led by two top candidates: Kari Lake and Karrin Taylor Robson. Salmon’s name will still appear on ballots mailed out to voters in early July. → Read More
Trump endorses investor Masters in Arizona Senate primary
Former President Donald Trump endorsed investor Blake Masters in Arizona's crowded U.S. Senate primary Thursday, giving his blessing to another acolyte of tech investor Peter Thiel after his nod helped “Hillbilly Elegy” author JD Vance secure the GOP nomination in Ohio.Trump's endorsement could shake up a race with no clear frontrunner, which has been largely defined by → Read More
Threat of government shutdown looms as AZ Republicans fail to pass a spending plan
For the second consecutive year, June looms yet Arizona lawmakers have yet to pass a spending plan.June is quickly followed by July, and the threat of a government shutdown on the first of the month. Despite spending 137 days so far at the Capitol, and despite a budget surplus exceeding $5 billion, lawmakers still don’t appear close to adopting a budget. → Read More
Boyer opposes plan to sidestep tax cut referendum without boost to K-12 funding
A GOP plan to avoid a voter referendum on $2 billion in income tax cuts — primarily benefiting Arizona’s wealthiest — is stuck unless one Republican’s conditions are met. → Read More
Maricopa County now offers paid leave to either parent of newborn or adopted children
Maricopa County employees now have access to as much as six weeks of paid parental leave.The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to adopt the new policy on Wednesday, touting itself as one of the largest government sector employers in Arizona to offer paid leave to either parent. → Read More
Corporation Commissioner Justin Olson joins crowded GOP primary for U.S. Senate
Arizona Corporation Commissioner Justin Olson is the latest Republican to enter the state’s U.S. Senate race.The former state representative joins a crowded field of GOP candidates vying for the chance to run against incumbent Democrat Mark Kelly in 2022. Attorney General Mark Brnovich, retired Air Force General Michael McGuire and businessmen Blake Masters and Jim Lamon, → Read More
2022 Arizona Governor's Race: The Candidates
Here are the candidates who have declared their candidacy for Arizona governor in the 2022 race so far. Gov. Doug Ducey's second term ends in 2023, and Arizona state law bars him from serving more than two consecutive terms. Katie HobbsParty: DemocratWebsite: katiehobbs.orgArizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, announced June 2, 2021, she is running for governor in 2022. → Read More
Recall Effort Against House Speaker Rusty Bowers Fails
A campaign to recall House Speaker Rusty Bowers failed on a technicality.Backers of the effort to oust Bowers, a Mesa Republican, submitted an estimated 24,500 signatures to the Secretary of State’s Office ahead of a June 17 deadline. Had all the signatures been validated, it was enough to meet the 22,331 signature threshold required to trigger a recall election for the House → Read More
WATCH: Arizona Gov. Ducey Delivers State Of The State Address
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey delivers his State of the State address on Monday. Due to the pandemic, the annual speech, which is normally delivered in front of the Legislature, will be virtual.The address is a tradition that marks the beginning of a new legislative session. A new class of 30 senators and 60 representatives will be sworn in Monday afternoon, before Ducey gives a → Read More
Mark Kelly To Be Sworn In To U.S. Senate Wednesday
U.S. Sen.-elect Mark Kelly will lose the elect portion of the title on Wednesday. Kelly, a Democrat, defeated Republican Sen. Martha McSally in a special election that determined who would serve the remaining two years of the late Sen. John McCain’s six-year term. That allows Kelly to be sworn in anytime after Arizona’s election results are certified on Monday.The ceremony is → Read More
Joe Biden Grows Lead Over Donald Trump In Arizona
President-elect Joe Biden grew his lead slightly over President Donald Trump in Arizona.Biden garnered roughly 750 more votes than Trump among the 7,001 ballots released by Maricopa County election officials on Sunday afternoon.That makes it less likely that enough of the remaining ballots will include votes for Trump and the president can surpass Biden lead, which rose to 20,102 votes statewide. → Read More