Wednesday on Winn Tucson moved across three very different worlds — the geopolitical chessboard between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party, the fiscal ambush playing out in a Pima County meeting room, and the collapse of personal character among the men who purport to lead the nation. Three guests. One through-line: the cost of not paying attention until it's almost too late.
Ninety days from the primary. A Board of Supervisors meeting underway downtown with a billion-dollar spending maneuver on the agenda. A city burning through money it claims it doesn't have while considering shutting down fire stations. And a growing list of people who've seen enough and decided to do something about it.
That was the backdrop for a Tuesday on Winn Tucson — three guests, three very different battlegrounds, and one common thread: the question of who shows up to serve when institutions start to fail the people they're supposed to protect.
Guest host Dave Smith, who had kept the show running during Winn's trip while his wife Betsy traveled with the Winn Tucson team, joined Kathleen for the opening segment to debrief on the week's news and set the political context. The two opened with what Smith called the "non-personing" of Eric Swalwell — a tactic he had discussed at length on Thursday and Friday's shows.
Brenda Marts, precinct committeeman in LD-18 and a relentless tracker of Pima County's board of supervisors agendas, joined alongside Jay Tolkoff of LD-21 to break down what she had found buried in the Tuesday meeting's 45-item agenda.
ew moments at the weekend's Turning Point USA event in Tucson generated more surprise than when President Trump called out Representative Alex Kolodin of LD-3 by name from the stage. "It was kind of an out-of-body experience," Kolodin told Winn.
Merissa Caldwell — longtime election integrity activist, formerly Merissa Hamilton — called in to detail the weekend's SAVE Act events and the larger battle being waged over the question of who is actually casting ballots in American elections.
Janet Neustedter, president of the Pima County Republican Women's Club, joined for the final segment to discuss an upcoming event featuring election analyst and author Seth Keschel — and to make the broader case for why joining a local political organization matters more than most people realize.
The Strait of Hormuz is open. Oil prices have dropped from over $100 a barrel to around $83. The stock market is surging — the NASDAQ is dramatically up. Iran has signaled a desire for peace, a development the press was certain would never come. "The world's not ending," said guest host Dave Smith, filling in for Kathleen Winn on Winn Tucson.
The second hour brought in the show's guest: Master Sergeant Bob Dohse (U.S. Air Force, retired), who is currently running for the Arizona State Legislature in LD-18.
Dohse's biography is not that of a typical politician. He enlisted in the Air Force in 1976, trained as an aircraft mechanic, and quickly distinguished himself in logistics — helping engineer what he described as the best operational readiness inspection in the history of Tactical Air Command. His method involved an unconventional approach to an IBM 370 mainframe.
Substitute host Dave Smith opened the program by noting Kathleen Winn and co-host Betsy were en route to the National Rifle Association conference in Houston. Smith traced the city’s crime and disorder problems back to deeper philosophical failures. Drawing on his background in criminology, political science, and sociology, he contrasted the classical school of criminology—which holds that crime is an individual choice driven by emotional rewards—with the leftist social-conflict theory that dominates law schools and Democratic thinking.
Longtime activist Laurie Moore called in to share her front-line efforts at Pima County Board of Supervisors meetings. She described herself as a “party of one” who uses sarcasm, truth, and optics to reach people.
Mark Griffith, owner of Griffith Automotive and a longtime Tucson resident, joined the program to announce his candidacy for mayor. Born in Tucson and raised in Nogales, Griffith has operated in the automotive field for nearly 28 years.
Ava Chen joins for China Watch Wednesday, diving into the rapid developments around the Strait of Hormuz. She highlights U.S. naval actions securing the waterway after Iran's blockade attempts, noting the strategic pressure on the regime.
Paul Sheldon, president of the Arizona State Fraternal Order of Police, addresses the case of retired Tucson Police Officer Konto. Years after retirement, Konto was diagnosed with a specific cancer listed under ARS 23-901, the statute presuming such cancers work-related for qualifying officers and firefighters. Despite this clear legal protection, the City of Tucson denied his claim. "The city of Tucson said no." Konto prevailed before the Industrial Commission and again at the Arizona Court of Appeals. "The Arizona Court of Appeals ruled 100 percent in favor of Officer Konto again." Yet the city continues fighting, with two weeks remaining to appeal to the Supreme Court.
Kathleen Winn pays tribute to Chris Sheaf and his wife Jackie, who were killed in a plane crash in Marana while returning from the Final Four. Grant Krueger joins to share memories of Chris Sheaf, highlighting his decades of service to Tucson.
Arizona State Representative Lydia Hernandez discusses House Bill 4109, which requires every school district to adopt a clear, enforceable public safety policy. The bill mandates immediate notification to parents and law enforcement in cases of life-threatening violence or credible threats, along with confiscation of weapons and whistleblower protections.
International bestselling author Jared Knott analyzes President Trump’s handling of Iran. He praises the U.S. Navy’s blockade of Iranian oil exports and the deployment of advanced minesweeping technology in the Strait of Hormuz.
Tara Oster joins to discuss the Pima County GOP booth at the upcoming Pima County Fair, running Thursday, April 16 through Sunday, April 26 in Thurber Hall. The booth will register voters, distribute candidate materials and palm cards with election dates, sell patriotic merchandise, and feature a spin wheel for prizes.
Dave Smith discusses the evolving Iran situation, praising President Trump’s approach to negotiations. “Trump acted first and the experts are furious because it’s working.”
Bill Walton analyzes President Trump’s foreign policy approach, emphasizing his comfort with risk and improvisation honed in New York real estate. “He’s built for negotiation. He’s built for combat.”
Gary Benoit, editor-in-chief of The New American and longtime John Birch Society member, asserts that the Constitution does not grant automatic birthright citizenship.
Mark Lewis reports on the Salt River Project (SRP) board election held the previous day, describing a mixed outcome for Republican conservatives. Chris Dobson was elected president and Barry Paisley vice president, both in strong two-to-one victories, giving Republicans control of the top leadership positions that set the agenda and can break ties.
Ava Chen congratulates the current administration for creating an environment conducive to regime change that benefits the Iranian people themselves. She explains that the United States has applied maximum pressure while leaving the door open for a new, democratic-leaning government open to business and Western engagement.
Neal Cornett joins to discuss the Mass Deportation Coalition’s playbook and the urgent need for systematic, large-scale removal of illegal immigrants. He challenges official estimates, citing Pew’s 14 million figure from 2023 as far too low. He references 2006 discussions of nearly 12 million and Yale’s 2018 research suggesting closer to 22 million—before Biden-era border policies added untold millions more.
