Arizona

Trump and Harris have campaigned a lot in AZ. Here’s how many times

Published

1 year ago

October 7, 2024

Trump and Harris have campaigned a lot in AZ. Here’s how many times

Election season is heating up, and with it, candidates are ramping up campaign efforts. In swing states like Arizona, the effort is tenfold.

Arizona has been a strategic campaign stop not just because it’s a swing state but also because it borders Mexico. Border policies have been a hotbed issue during this election cycle, and candidates have made special visits to learn more about the issue.

Vice President Kamala Harris, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, former President Donald Trump and Ohio Sen. JD Vance have all focused campaign efforts in Arizona, which has 11 electoral votes and could affect the outcome of this year’s election.

Here are the times each candidate has made a visit to Arizona during this 2024 election season.

When has Kamala Harris visited Arizona?

As vice president, Harris visited Arizona half a dozen times, but many of those visits were not specifically campaign opportunities.

Since becoming the Democratic nominee for president in July, Harris has visited Arizona twice.

September visit to the border: Harris visited Douglas and the Raul H. Castro Port of Entry, which was in line with her attempts to reach voters concerned about the nation’s border security. Harris met with border patrol agents and walked along a stretch of fence at the U.S.-Mexico border. She also spoke at Cochise College in Sierra Vista, where she pledged to crack down on the fentanyl crisis.
August rally in Glendale with Walz: Harris held a rally at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, her first appearance after becoming the Democratic party nominee for president. Walz also spoke at that rally, as well as Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly and his wife Gabby Giffords. That night, Harris made her case to become president. She highlighted differences between her plans and those of Trump.

Before the Aug. 9 rally, she visited during a trip on June 24 focused on reproductive rights. She was not yet the presidential nominee at that point. During that June event, she appeared with actor Francia Raisa and Arizona Corporation Commissioner Anna Tovar to discuss abortion rights in Latino communities.

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When has Tim Walz visited Arizona?

Since becoming the Democratic nominee for vice president, Walz has made two campaign stops in Arizona.

September visit to metro Phoenix: Walz’s most recent campaign visit to Arizona was on Sept. 11, the same day Harris and Trump debated each other. Walz made stops in Mesa, Tempe and Phoenix. He met with party leaders and Arizona politicians like Arizona Democratic Party Chair Yolanda Bejarano, Tempe Mayor Corey Woods, Gov. Katie Hobbs and multiple tribal leaders. He also met with students from ASU.
August rally in Glendale with Harris: The first was on Aug. 9, when he and Harris held a rally at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale. At that rally, Walz made his case for vice president, and spoke on his values about gun reform and women’s rights.

When has Donald Trump visited Arizona?

During his 2016 campaign, Trump made seven visits to Arizona to campaign. He again made seven visits to the Grand Canyon State during his 2020 campaign.

So far during his 2024 campaign, Trump has made three stops in Arizona.

September visit to Tucson: Trump’s most recent stop in Arizona came on Sept. 12, when he spoke at Linda Ronstadt Music Hall in Tucson. During that speech, Trump promised to bring mortgage rates down to 2% and said he will “ban all mortgages for illegal aliens,” and doubled down on false claims that immigrants are eating house pets in Ohio.
August visit to the border and rally in Glendale: Trump again visited Arizona for a two-day visit on Aug. 22-23. On the first day, Trump toured of the U.S.-Mexico border. On the second day, Trump held a rally at Desert Diamond Arena. It was a notable rally in the Trump campaign because candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced his endorsement of the Trump campaign.
June town hall at Phoenix church: Trump appeared at a town hall meeting on June 6 hosted by the conservative group Turning Point Action at Dream City Church in Phoenix. That event followed closely after Trump was convicted in a ‘hush money’ scandal, and he focused largely on critiquing the case as being politically motivated. He called for his conviction to be overturned on appeal.

When has JD Vance visited Arizona?

So far during his 2024 campaign, Vance has visited Arizona three times.

September visit to metro Phoenix: Vance’s most recent was on Sept. 4, an event co-hosted by conservative group Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, at Generation Church in Mesa. He also spoke at the Arizona Biltmore on Sept. 5, an event where he made comments about late Arizona Sen. John McCain.
August rally in Glendale with Trump: Vance’s other visit to Arizona was on Aug. 23, when both Vance and Trump held a rally at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale.
August border visit: On the first day of August, Vance made a visit to the U.S.-Mexico border and spoke at an unfinished portion of the border wall in Cochise County. Vance blamed the Harris administration for having “bad” policies when it comes to the southern border.

Do the candidates have any more plans to visit Arizona before Election Day?

Walz recently announced plans to make a campaign stop in Arizona. Though his campaign didn’t specify which day he’ll be in Arizona, his campaign said the reason for his visit is to kick off early voting, which starts on Oct. 9.

Harris, Trump and Vance have yet to announce future dates for campaign stops in Arizona.

Reach the reporter at zbradshaw@gannett.com or on X at @ZachBradshaw14.

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Arizona

Arizona softball starts Big 12 play with run-rule win over BYU

Published

7 hours ago

March 6, 2026

Press Room

Arizona softball starts Big 12 play with run-rule win over BYU

Arizona softball catcher Sydney Stewart celebrates as she runs the bases following a home run against BYU on Mar. 5, 2026 at Hillenbrand Stadium

Photo courtesy of Arizona Athletics

Arizona head coach Caitlin Lowe did not want the 2026 Big 12 softball season to start the way the 2025 one did. Last year, the Wildcats were upset by UCF in the opening series of conference play. There was no such letdown this year as No. 13 Arizona defeated the BYU Cougars 13-1 in five innings at Hillenbrand Stadium.

“They really took it upon themselves to make a statement and just wanting to set a tone for conference,” Lowe said.

It was Arizona’s sixth straight run-rule victory. The players felt that it should be the expectation.

“I think that’s what we’re capable of every single game, and we should keep working towards that goal,” said junior centerfielder Regan Shockey. “And our next focus is just the next game. Do the same exact thing.”

There was an early suggestion that there might be a repeat of last year. A defensive lapse in right field allowed BYU leadoff Lily Owens to reach third base. A one-out double by Hailey Shuler drove her in to give the Cougars an early lead.

After the team’s postgame huddle, right fielder Grace Jenkins spent a considerable amount of time talking to Lowe one-on-one. The head coach could be seen pointing towards right field as if she was explaining fielding and placement.

“We were talking softball, man,” Lowe said. “So, debrief on the day and where she’s at. And she’s a catcher playing the outfield, and she’s doing awesome at it. She is a true athlete and has the high expectations for herself, so I think sometimes she needs to give herself a little grace that she’s kicking butt at it, and she’s great out there. She just wants to be the best.”

Arizona starter Jalen Adams kept the first-inning damage to a minimum. She only needed four more pitches to get the final two outs of the inning.

“Proud of the response after [BYU] scoring a run in the first inning,” Lowe said.

Any confidence the run might have inspired in the Cougars was quickly squashed by the Wildcats’ response with the bats. Arizona sent 15 to the plate and scored 11 runs in the bottom of the first. Eight of those runs came with two outs. Catcher Sydney Stewart drove five in with a 3-run double and a 2-run homer.

After the home run, the lights at Hillenbrand began to flash in what the program’s social media called “party lights.”

“I thought it was pretty cool,” Stewart said. “One time, I think it was like after practice, late practice, they were practicing [the lights]. Like, why don’t we do this? But seeing it today when I was rounding second, like, there’s no way that just happened right now. Just super cool.”

Up Next for Arizona Softball

Who: BYU Cougars (5-15) @ No. 13 Arizona Wildcats (18-5)

When: Friday, Mar. 6 @ 3 p.m. MST; Saturday, Mar. 7 @ 12 p.m. MST

Where: Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium in Tucson, Ariz.

Streaming: ESPN+ (Friday, Saturday)

Stats: Arizona Live Stats (Friday, Saturday)

Lowe was pleased with the way her entire offense passed the bat in the opening frame. While there were two doubles and a home run in the inning, small ball was a big part of the scoring, too. The Wildcats had five singles and four walks in the bottom of the first. They also took advantage of two wild pitches and a stolen base.

“I thought they were perfectly themselves in that first inning,” Lowe said. “As far as not trying to do too much, they stayed true to who they were as hitters, and then just went to work…I think you can see how fast it can happen when it gets contagious that way.”

BYU starter Gianna Mares was responsible for all 11 runs. Shuler moved from designated player to pitcher after Stewart’s home run. She walked Jenkins and allowed her to move up on a wild pitch, but Shuler finally got the final out with a groundout by Emma Kavanagh.

Stewart is known for her big bat and driving in runs. Arizona’s scoring in the second inning came from players with radically different offensive games.

A single, a walk, and a fielder’s choice put runners on the corners with one out for the Wildcats. That brought up Shockey. The centerfielder already had two RBI from the first inning. She picked up her third of the game in the second frame. It almost doubled her season total to 7.

“I didn’t want to change my plan,” Shockey said. “I bounced the ball, and my goal is just to move them over or get on for the next person. I wasn’t thinking of scoring the two runs [in the first inning] because I know who’s behind me, and that’s Sereniti [Trice], and that’s Stew, and that’s Tayler [Biehl]. So my goal was just to bounce the ball and get on. It just happened to score two, but I try to keep it as simple as possible.”

Shockey went 2 for 4 on the day. She scored 2 runs in addition to driving in 3 more. It improved her season average to .443.

Trice was a perfect 3 for 3 with 2 runs scored and 2 RBI. Her average is now up to a team-high .542. She also leads the team with 39 hits. Shockey is second with 31. Trice is fourth on the squad with 18 RBI.

Adams pitched 4.0 innings and improved her record to 10-3. Her ERA dropped to 2.91. She gave up just 1 hit. The only BYU run was unearned. Three errors were committed behind her.

Sophomore Jenae Berry pitched the final inning. She did not give up a hit, but she allowed two baserunners on a walk and a hit batter. She also threw a wild pitch.

The Wildcats and the Cougars will take the field again on Friday afternoon before finishing the series on Saturday, Mar. 7.

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Arizona

ICE detainee in Arizona dies after not receiving ‘timely medical attention’

Published

19 hours ago

March 5, 2026

Press Room

ICE detainee in Arizona dies after not receiving ‘timely medical attention’

A man being held at a US immigration detention facility in Arizona died this week after reporting severe tooth pain and not receiving “timely medical attention”, according to a local official.

Emmanuel Damas, a Haitian asylum seeker, was being held at the Florence correctional center in Arizona when he began to feel a toothache in mid-February, a pain that weeks later led him to the hospital before he died on Monday.

“His reported struggle to receive timely medical attention before being transferred to a hospital raises serious and painful concerns about the quality of care provided to individuals in custody,” Christine Ellis, a Chandler city council member, said in an Instagram post.

According to Ellis, Damas was taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Boston in September 2025 and was later transferred to the facility in Florence, Arizona.

The Arizona Daily Star reported that Ellis had called for an investigation into Damas’s death.

“He was complaining for almost two weeks straight, until he collapsed and got septic from the infection,” Ellis told the local news outlet. Ellis said Damas was transferred to a Scottsdale hospital sometime last week.

Ellis’s office, ICE and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Guardian.

Damas’s death has not yet been reported by ICE, according to the agency’s notifications of detainee deaths. At least nine people have died under custody in 2026, according to ICE: Luis Gustavo Nunez Caceres, 42; Geraldo Lunas Campos, 55; Luis Beltrán Yáñez–Cruz, 68; Parady La, 46; Heber Sanchaz Domínguez, 34; Víctor Manuel Díaz, 36; Lorth Sim, 59; Jairo Garcia-Hernandez, 27; and Alberto Gutiérrez-Reyes, 48.

At least 32 people died in ICE custody last year, marking the deadliest year for detainees of the federal immigration agency in more than two decades.

The stark number of deaths has been just one component of a tumultuous tenure for Kristi Noem as homeland security secretary. On Thursday, Donald Trump announced he would be ousting Noem and replacing her with Markwayne Mullin, a Republican Oklahoma senator, starting on 31 March.

Under her helm, the DHS has faced bipartisan backlash after the shooting deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis at the hands of federal immigration agents earlier this year. Noem accused both US citizens of being involved in “domestic terrorism”.

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Arizona

Haitian man detained at Arizona ICE facility dies in US custody, brother says

Published

1 day ago

March 5, 2026

Press Room

Haitian man detained at Arizona ICE facility dies in US custody, brother says

FLORENCE, AZ (AP) — A Haitian man confined at an Arizona immigration detention center for months died at a hospital Monday after a tooth infection was left untreated, the man’s brother said Wednesday.

Emmanuel Damas, 56, told medical personnel at the Florence Correctional Center that he had a toothache in mid-February, but he was not sent to a dentist, said Damas’ brother, Presly Nelson.

Nelson believes the staff at the facility did not take his brother’s complaints seriously, even though it was a treatable condition. Nelson said he would expect such a death in countries with less access to health care, but not in the United States.

“As a country — I’m an American now — I think we can do better than that,” Nelson said.

Damas is among at least nine people who have died in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody this year.

The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment. ICE had said it hoped to issue a news release Wednesday.

Earlier Wednesday, ICE officials announced the death of Mexican national Alberto Gutierrez-Reyes, who had been in a California ICE detention center and died in the hospital Feb. 27 after reporting chest pain and shortness of breath.

Chandler City Council member Christine Ellis, a Haitian American who is a registered nurse, said she was contacted by Damas’ family after his death.

“As a medical person, I am absolutely appalled that there were medical-licensed people that were working there and allowed those things to happen,” Ellis said. “It does not make sense to me.”

A report from the Maricopa County Medical Examiner’s Office listed Damas’ cause of death as “pending” as of Wednesday.

Damas was taken into ICE custody in September and was soon transferred to the medium-security Florence Correctional Center, where he was held for several months, including after his asylum application was denied, Ellis said.

CoreCivic, a for-profit corrections company that runs the Florence facility, did not respond to emails seeking comment.

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