Arizona stories ready to republish | October 19, 2026

Below are today’s Arizona and national stories, available for immediate republication. You can access them via The Center Square RSS feed or BLOX Content Exchange.

Pima County may raise spending cap by 75% to $1.43 billion
Arizona’s second most populous county is considering raising its spending cap by 75%. On Nov. 3, Pima County residents will vote on Proposition 425, which would raise the county’s spending cap by $610 million, from $817 million to more than $1.43 billion. The county, which is along Arizona's southern border, is home to Tucson. By Zachery Schmidt.

Maricopa County officials spar over election security
It appears that the gloves have officially come off, again, for two of the highest-ranking elected officials in Arizona’s most populous county. That’s because a pair of first-term Republicans, in Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Chair Kate Brophy McGee and the County Recorder Justin Heap, are still at loggerheads about election security. By Christopher Boan.

EXCLUSIVE: School superintendent candidates outline goals
Candidates for superintendent of public instruction in California and Arizona are outlining priorities for public education ahead of the Nov. 3 election over school choice, education funding, accountability and more. The Center Square exclusively interviewed Republican candidates Sonja Shaw in California and Kimberly Yee in Arizona. Democratic candidates Richard Barrera and Dr. Teresa Leyba Ruiz did not respond to The Center Square’s multiple requests for an interview. This story includes a video. By Esther Wickham.

Poll: Data center companies should pay for power system upgrades
Companies operating data centers should be the ones that pay for upgrades to the electric grid, most voters say  according to a new poll.

Poll: Inflation tops voter concerns, national debt near the bottom
Inflation ranks among the top three issues for 46% of registered voters, a nine-point climb since March, while the national debt and government spending sit near the bottom at 13%.

Southwest illegal border crossing reach lowest level for one year in U.S. history
Illegal border crossings at the southwest border reached their lowest level in U.S. history over the past fiscal year, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection preliminary fiscal 2026 data. Southwest border apprehensions dropped by 95% from Oct. 1, 2025, through Sept. 30, 2026, CBP said.

Election vitriol: Republican policies 'expensive,' Democrats' plans 'socialist'
Less than three weeks out from Election Day, Democrats are ramping up their rhetorical attacks on Republicans, tapping into U.S. voters’ affordability concerns.

End-of-week reports show price pressures across US economy
Following Wednesday's news that inflation remained elevated in September, economic reports released Thursday and Friday offered a look at rising prices across the U.S. economy. Import prices, export prices, and prices charged by American producers all recorded their largest annual increases since 2022.

Everyday Economics: Luxury housing offers builders a way through the slump
Jacksonville and Chicago have more high-income households than in 2019, and more luxury buyers than a year ago but fewer homes for sale, creating an opening for builders despite high mortgage rates.

Sullivan, Peltola spar over Iran, gas, healthcare in heated debate
Candidates for U.S. Senate in Alaska sparred over rising gas prices, the U.S. military conflict in Iran, healthcare and the two traded personal jabs in a debate on Thursday.

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SALES TAX: Tempe is asking the Arizona city’s residents to approve a sales tax increase to fund services, from 1.8% to 2.3%. By Zachery Schmidt.

VVP DATA CENTERS: States should pause approving new data centers or place restrictions on their impact rather than using tax incentives to attract those data centers, a majority of voters say according to a new poll.

SCOTUS ORDERS: The U.S. Supreme Court will release a new orders list on Monday, with home distilling, First Amendment and school admissions cases on the docket for a potential pickup. (Andrew Rice) 

ELECTION PREDICTIONS: Most analysts predict Democrats will flip the U.S. House of Representatives, but by how many? The Center Square speaks with election analysts on what to expect if Democrats take the chamber in November. 

TARIFFS-DEMOCRATS: House Democrats promise to undo President Donald Trump’s tariffs in their first 100 days, but neither of the party’s main tariff bills would remove a tariff Americans are paying now. One terminates executive orders the Supreme Court already voided. The other reaches only the smallest of the three authorities still in force. Neither has moved out of committee, and the Congressional Budget Office says it has published no estimate of what repeal would cost. (Brett Rowland)

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Regional Editor
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