Arizona
One of these 3 Democrats will replace Rep. Athena Salman at the Arizona Legislature
Democrats in the Tempe area on Tuesday night chose three possible replacements for former state Rep. Athena Salman.
Jevin Hodge, Deborah Nardozzi and Jacob Raiford were chosen by ranked-choice voting from a field of nine candidates during a virtual meeting of the Legislative District 8 Democrats.
The three names now go to the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors. The board members will appoint one of them to fill out Salman’s term, which ends next January. It’s unclear how long it will take the board to make the appointment.
Salman resigned to run Arizona Campaigns for Reproductive Freedom for All, formerly known as the National Abortion Rights Action League.
Hodge in 2022 was the Democratic nominee for Congressional District 1. He lost narrowly to incumbent U.S. Rep. David Schweikert. In 2020, Hodge also had a closely contested race for Maricopa County supervisor, but lost to Republican Jack Sellers.
He highlighted his background as the son of a single mother who understands the financial and social strains of everyday Arizonans. Hodge touted his endorsement, which included U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego, Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego and Phoenix City Councilwoman Kesha Hodge Washington.
Deborah Nardozzi previously served as chair of a legislative district that ran from central Phoenix eastward to the Salt River Pima Indian Community. Parts of that district were fashioned into the current LD 8 when district lines were redrawn in 2021.
“She wins campaigns,” said LD 8 chairman Steven Jackson, who nominated her. He singled out her work on helping elect Democrats in neighboring LD 9, where Democrats picked up three seats. Those seats are crucial to flipping the Legislature to Democratic control this year, Jackson said.
Nardozzi, citing her campaign and issues involvement, said she is ready to jump into a legislative session that is already underway if selected.
Jacob Raiford is the current first vice chairman of LD 8. He serves as the Arizona representative on the board of the American Civil Liberties Union and, locally, has been active in issues involving police-citizen interactions.
Precinct committee members used ranked-choice voting to narrow the field of nine candidates to three finalists. The process calls for the voters to list the candidates in their order of preference.
District officials did not detail the order in which the three candidates finished, instead displaying them as each having an equal share of the votes cast.
Reach the reporter at maryjo.pitzl@arizonarepublic.com or at 602-228-7566 and follow her on Threads as well as on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter @maryjpitzl.
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PHOENIX — The number of legal challenges to detentions in Arizona and nationwide has grown to record highs.
Immigration Attorney Hugo Balderas Ibarra said when someone is picked up by ICE, typical bond hearings are “pretty much out the window.”
“These policies that the administration is implementing violate the due process, violate fifth amendment,” Balderas Ibarra said.
This has led attorneys representing detained individuals to file what’s known as a habeas corpus petition.
“A habeas corpus petition is something in federal court that says the federal government is detaining me or confining me somewhere without basis in law,” New Frontier Immigration Law founder Hillary Walsh said.
Walsh said she filed three petitions on Friday alone.
“One of these is for an 18-year-old kid who has no criminal history,” Walsh said. “He came here to seek asylum a few years ago, and went through the whole process legally, asked at the border, did everything right, and now he’s detained.”
Data by TRAC shows the surge in the federal filings alleging illegal detention over the past year.
From 105 nationally in March 2025, to 9,059 the same month this year.
In Arizona, more than 1,100 cases have been filed between October and March, according to TRAC.
“A lot more people who are being detained, but we also have a whole other layer to the process for getting them out if they’re eligible for bond, and so that clogs up the whole federal court system,” Walsh said.
As the Iowa State Cyclones continue to reflect on what was a strong season, one of their top players from last year is in the portal and is the best player available.
After deciding to come back to college a couple of days ago, Milan Momcilovic is now the best player in the portal and has a number of suitors looking to bring him in. Due to the large amount of money that he is expected to get, it would be a complete shock if he came back to Iowa State at this point. However, where he goes could have an impact on the program.
Last season, the junior had a breakout year and emerged as one of the best shooters in the country. While there is still work to be done to translate his game to the next level, he is an impact player in college basketball.
However, where he might go is the big decision everyone is waiting to see. Currently, it appears to be a three-horse race between the Arizona Wildcats, Kentucky Wildcats, and the Louisville Cardinals. Of the three, the Cyclones certainly don’t want to see him go to one of those schools.
Momcilovic Choosing Arizona Would Be a Tough Blow
If the star shooter for the Cyclones were to choose the Wildcats, it would be a tough blow for Iowa State. While the Cyclones had a great season this year, it was Arizona that was a thorn in their side.
The Wildcats were able to beat them both in their regular-season matchup and then again in the Big 12 tournament. The game in the Big 12 was an absolute thriller and went right down to the wire.
While Iowa State might have lost, it was Momcilovic who had a fantastic game in the showdown. Now, as the talented sharpshooter mulls his decision on where to play next year, seeing him go to Arizona would be a tough blow for the Cyclones.
This was a team that beat them twice last year, and taking one of their best players would likely result in the Wildcats being considered a better team heading into next season as well.
While Iowa State did a great job in the transfer portal and has some young talent coming back, losing the best three-point shooter in the country is a big blow. Furthermore, since Kentucky and Louisville aren’t in the Big 12, seeing Momcilovic join one of those squads wouldn’t sting or have an impact on the Cyclones nearly as much.
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