Guests - State Rep. Alexander Kolodin, Mo Asnani
Arizona's Political Landscape: A Red State with Blue Cities
The recent rainfall in Arizona brought more than just relief from the desert heat – it highlighted the natural beauty that makes the state unique. But beneath this picturesque surface, political tensions are brewing as the 2026 election cycle approaches.
"Arizona, I still believe, is a red state," notes Kathleen Winn, host of Win Tucson. "Tucson may be a blue city, but I believe that Arizona is a red state."
With crucial positions like governor, secretary of state, and attorney general on the ballot, who fills these roles will significantly impact Arizona's future. The secretary of state position, in particular, has become a focal point of controversy under current officeholder Adrian Fontes.
Representative Alex Kolodin: Challenging the Status Quo
Representative Alexander Kolodin from District 3, currently running for secretary of state, joined Win Tucson to discuss his campaign and concerns about the current administration of election law in Arizona.
The conversation quickly turned to a recent controversy involving Fontes, who allegedly referred to law enforcement agents as "hooded thugs" during a radio interview with Senator John Kavanaugh. When called out, Fontes reportedly denied using the word "thug" despite it being recorded.
"He is firmly opposed to law enforcement because he is firmly opposed to the law," Kolodin asserted. "Which might be a problem if you're supposed to do election law, and that's your job."
Federal-Only Voters and Election Integrity
A significant portion of the discussion focused on "federal-only" ballots and voter registration requirements in Arizona. Kolodin explained that federal registration forms allow individuals to vote in federal races (President, Senate, US Congress) without providing documented proof of citizenship.
"Adrian Fontes went way beyond what even his leftist pals at the federal level authorized and said, 'Well, you can actually just use your social security number to register federal-only and that will be your proof of citizenship,'" Kolodin explained. "Of course, the problem being that you don't have to be a citizen to have a social security number."
Winn expressed concern that some non-citizens may have been on voter rolls during previous election cycles. Kolodin confirmed this issue, noting: "There are a lot of those people have been on our voter rolls and it's a number that keeps increasing."
The SAVE Act and Immigration Connections
The conversation highlighted the connection between immigration policies and election integrity. The SAVE Act, which would require citizenship verification for voting, passed the House but stalled in the Senate.
"The SAVE Act is definitely the best way, because federal legislation is the best way to fix the problem caused by federal legislation," Kolodin noted.
Both Winn and Kolodin expressed frustration that extreme liberals are "fighting to preserve their right to vote" for individuals who are not citizens and legally ineligible to vote.
Mexican Voter Registration Allegations
In a startling claim, Kolodin alleged that the current secretary of state's office may be attempting to register voters in Mexico who have one U.S. citizen parent, even if those individuals never lived in Arizona.
"I have heard reports... that he's taken a mile with this and actually gone well, then we need to go find all of the people in Mexico with one U.S. parent who was registered to vote in Arizona at some point in the past, even if that person never lived in Arizona," Kolodin stated.
Winn responded with disbelief: "That is so, it violates so many laws. Like it just, it's, it's so many laws are being broken and how brazen."
Credibility and Transparency Concerns
Kolodin raised serious concerns about Fontes' credibility, claiming that even federal judges appointed by Democratic presidents have questioned his truthfulness.
"His reputation for lying is so extreme that even federal judges who were appointed by Democratic presidents, but who served with him when Adrian Fontes was on the federal defense panel defending the drug cartels, even those judges... have been very blatant on the record, both in federal and state court, in terms of calling him a liar," Kolodin alleged.
The discussion also touched on Fontes' legal background defending alleged cartel members, with Winn expressing concern about the partisan nature of the secretary of state's office under his leadership.
Election Procedures Manual Controversy
As an election lawyer, Kolodin described challenging both Fontes and former Secretary of State Katie Hobbs in court over violations of Arizona election law. He characterized Fontes as "brazen and arrogant" in his approach to interpreting election laws.
Kolodin criticized the Elections Procedures Manual (EPM), calling it "the most stupid idea in the history of law" for effectively allowing the secretary of state to create election laws outside the legislature's authority.
"It basically says, 'Oh, forget about that silly little Constitution. Legislature makes the laws.' Whatever. We're going to let the Secretary of State get in on the fun and make some election laws too," Kolodin said.
He mentioned running a bill to eliminate the EPM or at least require legislative approval rather than just approval from the governor and attorney general.
Kolodin's Reform Vision
If elected, Kolodin outlined several priorities:
Eliminate the acceptance of federal-only registration forms with just a Social Security number
Clean voter rolls across all counties, particularly in Pima County
Implement a "Florida-style ballot measure" that Governor-candidate Andy Biggs has promised to sign
Require voters who receive mail-in ballots to confirm their address every election cycle
"Just by that one simple measure, they've managed to remove the vast majority of folks who are, well, not removed, but they've managed to avoid sending out ballots to the vast majority of folks who are no longer registered at the address that the election's official has on file," Kolodin explained about Florida's system.
Pima County Election Concerns
The conversation turned to specific concerns about Pima County's election integrity. Kolodin noted that election integrity issues in Pima County have become serious enough that "even the Democrats are complaining."
He referenced Democratic House member Alma Hernandez publicly complaining about "unlawful ballot harvesting going on unchecked by any of the elections officials down in Pima County" during her brother Daniel Hernandez's primary campaign.
"I think everybody down in Pima County, Democrat and Republican would have some relief in terms of having a secretary of state in there who's going to make sure that their county is following the law," Kolodin said.
Legislative Improvements
Kolodin highlighted a bill he passed in 2024 that will allow counties, starting in the 2026 election, to streamline the processing of mail-in ballots dropped off on Election Day. If voters show ID when dropping off these ballots, they can be stamped as "ID verified" and bypass the time-consuming signature verification process.
Both Winn and Colliden expressed a preference for a shorter voting period, with Winn stating, "Christmas is on one day. Your birthday is on one day. Voting should be one day."
Medical Marijuana and D2 Dispensaries
In a shift of topic, the program welcomed Mo Asnani, founder and partner of D2 Dispensaries, to discuss recent developments in the marijuana industry.
The conversation centered on the potential rescheduling of marijuana from Schedule I (defined as having "no medical value" and being "ripe for abuse") to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act.
"The whole argument that it has no medical value is being defeated by science," Asnani explained, noting the benefits many people experience for pain management, PTSD, and cancer treatment side effects.
Currently, 40 out of 50 states have some form of medical marijuana program, with approximately 20-21 states also permitting recreational use.
Regulation and Enforcement Challenges
A significant portion of the discussion focused on the challenge of unlicensed retailers selling THC products. Arizona Attorney General Chris Mays recently issued a statement instructing unlicensed retailers to cease sales of THC-infused products.
Asnani explained the dangers of unregulated products: "They are converting using a chemical process, another chemical called CBD into THC, and there's byproducts that are left over that can be harmful to people. And I think, and then kids are getting their hands on this stuff too."
He estimated hundreds of unlicensed stores in Arizona are selling marijuana products without proper regulation, creating safety risks and undermining legitimate businesses.
Quality Control and Testing
Asnani emphasized the rigorous testing licensed dispensaries undertake: "Every month, we spend about $20,000 on third party testing." Products are tested at multiple stages of production to ensure safety and quality.
"If you compare the level of testing we do compared to something at the grocery store or the tobacco industry, we test way more," Asnani noted.
Licensed dispensaries also contribute significantly to state revenue through taxes. "If you come in and buy $100 worth of product at one of our locations, about a little under $25 gets collected for excise, state and local," which helps fund community colleges, police departments, and highway infrastructure.
Innovative Products for Pain Management
Asnani shared his personal motivation for creating effective medical products. His wife suffered from neuropathic pain from a spinal cord injury, prompting him to develop a topical gel combining THC with a blend of essential oils.
"This blend that we made includes Corsican Helicurus from the South of France, Blue Tansy, Blue Cypress, Ginger. So, 11 essential oils. Then we combined that with THC and CBD, and then also DMSO to help penetrate the skin layer," Asnani explained.
The product has become one of the best-selling topicals in Arizona's cannabis space and is made locally in Tucson.
Foreign Influence and Chinese Operations
The conversation took an unexpected turn when Sonny revealed concerns about foreign influence in the cannabis industry. He described reports of Chinese cultivation operations in several states including Maine, Oklahoma, and California.
"It seems that what's really happened is that there's large operations in Maine, of all places, some in Oklahoma, and I believe in California too, which was actually the subject of an ICE raid, where a lot of folks are growing marijuana/hemp illegally," Sonny explained.
He suggested this might be part of a strategy to undermine legitimate businesses and state tax revenues, potentially as part of the Chinese Communist Party's "Death by a Thousand Cuts" approach.
Pharmaceutical Industry Comparisons
Asnani contrasted the cannabis industry's approach with that of pharmaceutical companies: "When the pharmaceutical companies try to get somebody onto a drug, they look at that individual as a subscription for life."
He noted that states that legalize marijuana see approximately a 25% reduction in opioid prescriptions within the first couple of years, suggesting cannabis can be an alternative to more addictive pain management options.
"I think that we really need to think about it from the perspective of our opioids solution," Asnani concluded.
Looking forward, Asnani expressed cautious optimism about hardware manufacturing moving from China to the United States, with one vendor planning to open a facility in Texas by the end of the year.