As the standoff between Chinese and U.S. trade continues, President Joe Biden’s administration is seizing the opportunity to invest in a key battleground state ahead of the 2024 election by granting direct funding and loans to advance the production of semiconductor chips in Arizona.

In March, the Biden administration announced that the Department of Commerce reached a preliminary agreement with Intel to provide $8.5 million in direct funding and $11 billion in loans under the CHIPS and Science Act. The money would go toward expanding the California-based tech company’s facilities in Arizona, New Mexico, Ohio and Oregon. Intel has a large presence in Arizona with four semiconductor factories built and two more under construction.

Then, in April the administration announced a second preliminary agreement with the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, commonly referred to as TSMC, to expand two already existing projects in Arizona and add a third.

Also, Micron recently received a $6.1 billion for their projects in New York and Idaho and Samsung received $6.4 billion for their project in Texas through the CHIPS and Science Act.

Semiconductors, a crucial piece for technology like electric vehicles, have become a focal point in trade conflict with China. The CHIPS and Science Act was passed in 2022 to combat U.S. reliance on East Asia for semiconductors. It laid out $52.7 billion for semiconductor research, development and manufacturing.

The investments by the Department of Commerce are projected to bring thousands of jobs to Arizona in manufacturing and construction. The White House estimates that TSMC will bring over 25,000 jobs to Arizona and Intel estimates their project will bring another 10,000 jobs.

“Thanks to my CHIPS and Science Act — a key part of my Investing in America Agenda — semiconductor manufacturing and jobs are making a comeback” Biden said in a written statement.

Companies invested in Arizona ahead of CHIPS Act awards 

CHIPS funding landing in Arizona is no coincidence. Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz) and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) played key roles in getting the act passed in 2022 by acting as chief negotiators.

“The goal of the chips and science act is to bring microchip manufacturing back to America and at the same time create really good paying jobs and strengthen our supply chains,” said Kelly in a press release following the announcement of the investment to Intel.

Kelly, who sits on the committees for Energy and Natural Resources and Environment and Public Works, was a top recipient of contributions from the electronics manufacturing industry in the 2020 and 2022 election cycles. He has received $2.5 million over the course of his career in Congress, which began with his 2019 campaign. He won that election and entered office that year.

Sinema accepted $553,000 since her first congressional campaign in 2012, trailing behind Kelly. She served three terms in the House and was elected to the Senate in 2019. She announced her decision not to run again last month.

Intel and TSMC were among the top spenders who lobbied on electronics manufacturing and equipment in 2023. Intel spent about $6.9 million while TSMC spent nearly $3 million. In the first quarter of this year, both companies continued to lobby, with Intel spending $1.6 million and TSMC spending $690,000.

Companies are not required to disclose specifics of how this money was spent but an OpenSecrets analysis found that nine lobbyists for Intel and eight lobbyists for TSMC lobbied the Department of Commerce in 2023.  Each company had eight lobbyists lobbying the department in the first quarter of 2024.

Arizona’s role in the 2024 election

With 11 electoral college votes up for grabs, Arizona could be crucial to Biden’s reelection campaign. Biden narrowly won the state by .03% in 2020.

Biden’s campaign is the top recipient of contributions from the electronics manufacturing and equipment industry. Intel ranks ninth among those contributors, with individual donations adding up to $40,000.

Intel has also invested in Arizona’s toss-up Senate race, an election that could determine whether Democrats retain their slim majority. Likely Democratic candidate Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) received over $7,000 in individual donations this cycle. He is also one of the top recipients of money from the electronics manufacturing industry for this cycle with contributions topping $257,000. He is largely outraising his likely opponent, Kari Lake, who has only received about $25,000 from the industry.

This story was originally published on May 9, 2024, by OpenSecrets, and is republished here with permission.

Arizona State is set to promote Graham Rossini as its vice president of athletics, a source briefed on the matter confirmed to The Athletic.

Rossini has worked in college and pro sports, holding senior positions within Arizona State athletics since 2021. He most recently worked as executive senior associate athletic director and chief business officer. A 2002 Arizona State graduate, Rossini replaces Ray Anderson, who resigned in November.

SunDevilSource first reported the expected hire.

Rossini takes over at a challenging time for the Sun Devils. The football program recently received four years probation and other negotiated penalties for breaking NCAA rules put in place during the COVID-19 recruiting dead period. The men’s basketball program needs a new or renovated arena as well as stronger financial support. The once-proud baseball program hasn’t advanced to the College World Series since 2010.

More than anything, Arizona State needs stronger fundraising, particularly within the name, image and likeness landscape. Under university president Michael Crow, Arizona State was slow to embrace this development, setting the athletic department behind its peers. The decision stalled all three anchor programs, frustrating the fan base, which has questioned the administration’s commitment to its major sports.

Rossini’s hire is the biggest Arizona State has made in wake of the football investigation. Anderson was never accused of wrongdoing, but he drew criticism from fans and media for supporting then-head coach and close friend Herm Edwards throughout the controversy. Deputy athletics director Jean Boyd, a respected voice within the department who oversaw the football program, recently announced he would step down this summer.

Fans pushed for Arizona State to bring in an outside candidate to replace Anderson, who held the role for nearly a decade, to distance itself from the recent past. Jim Rund, senior vice president of educational outreach and student services, held the position on an interim basis.

Arizona State is set to compete in the Big 12 this fall, making the transition along with former Pac-12 schools Utah, Colorado and rival Arizona. Crow has always looked at Stanford as a model: strong in academics and competitive across all sports. That has been reflected in how he compensates the university’s athletic directors. In 2022, for example, Anderson, who was among the highest-paid athletic administrators in the country, was eligible for nearly $500,000 in academic bonuses alone.

In previous roles, Rossini has led Arizona State efforts to increase ticket sales, corporate sponsorships and philanthropic contributions with a particular focus on NIL, fan experience and letterwinner outreach. Notably, he helped secure the naming rights to Mountain America Stadium (previously Sun Devil Stadium) and a 10-year extension for the naming rights to Desert Financial Arena.

Rossini previously worked 13 years as a vice president for the Arizona Diamondbacks, where his responsibilities included ticketing and corporate sponsorships. He also oversaw the design, construction and marketing of Salt River Fields, the organization’s spring training complex.

Kenny Dillingham, an Arizona State graduate, replaced Edwards as head coach and went 3-9 in his first football season. His enthusiasm, passion and “Activate the Valley” campaign have energized fans, but the program, which recently lost quarterback Jaden Rashada and standout receiver Elijhah Badger to the transfer portal, still has not recovered from the Edwards fallout. After a slow start, the program has recruited better, but it still is predicted to finish near the bottom of the Big 12 next season.

Men’s basketball coach Bobby Hurley has led Arizona State to three NCAA Tournaments in nine seasons, although he likely would have added a fourth had the 2020 tournament not been canceled. Despite NIL challenges, Hurley and his staff have 2024’s No. 8 recruiting class, per the 247Sports Composite rankings. Head baseball coach Willie Bloomquist, an Arizona State product in his third season, is still building his program.

Required reading

(Photo: Kirby Lee / Image of Sport / USA Today)