Arizona is the 2nd fastest growing state in the U.S. It was the 48th state admitted to the United States, on February 14, 1912. Located in the Southwest, it is bordered by New Mexico, Utah, Nevada, California, and Colorado. It has an international border with the Mexican states of Sonora and Baja California. It also borders California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico - the last three making up the popular "Four Corners".

The ballot in November will be a long and important one for Arizonans. Besides the entire House of Representatives delegation - with several races that will be hotly contested - Sen. John McCain is up for re-election (for his 4th term). At the state level, Gov. Jan Brewer is running for her own term and faces significant opposition from both sides of the aisle. Other statewide offices will be on the ballot, and there will likely be a few ballot initiatives for voters to ponder.

April 12: U.S. Senate: This could be one interesting Republican primary. McCain's campaign released an internet-only ad - with the announcer pretending to be Hayworth ('til the end) - in their press release, they (jokingly) claimed that it is an unreleased Hayworth ad. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xULUb98TNwk&feature=player_embedded (To express your opinion of the ad, visit: http://www.phoenix-answers.com/phoenix-news/what-do-you-think-of-john-mccain-s-ad-spoofing-some-of-j-d-hayworth-s-goofier-comments-birtherism-man-horse-unions-dracula)

Arizona has been the home of several elected officials who have become known nationally or internationally. Sen. Barry Goldwater was the Republican nominee for President in 1964. Rep. Morris Udall mounted a serious campaign for the Democratic nomination in 1976, and Gov. Bruce Babbitt did so in 1988. Most recently, Sen. John McCain was the Republicans' candidate for the White House in 2008. Perhaps Udall was correct when he joked that mothers in Arizona could not tell their children that they could grow up to be the President.

Other Arizonans have been high-ranking members of Congress (Ernest McFarlane, John Rhodes, Jon Kyl, Dennis DeConcini) or in the Executive Branch (Stewart Udall - Interior, Janet Napolitano - Homeland Security), or on the U.S. Supreme Court (William Rehnquist, Sandra O'Connor).

U.S. Senate:

--Senior Senator: Sen. John McCain

--Junior Senator: Sen. Jon Kyl

U.S. House of Representatives: --CD1 Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick (Dem.)

--CD2 Rep. Trent Franks (Repub.) News item: Rep. Franks made national news for his comment calling Pres. Barack Obama an "enemy of humanity" who does "insane things". His staff indicates that because he was discussing the President's pro-choice positions, he should have called him an enemy of "UNBORN humanity." http://www.azcentral.com/news/election/azelections/articles/2009/09/30/20090930franks0930.html

--CD3 Rep. John Shadegg (Repub.) September 30, 2009Video and transcript with context at http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/rep-trent-franks-declares-president-obama-enemy-humanity

--CD4 Rep. Ed Pastor (Dem.)

--CD5 Rep. Harry Mitchell (Dem.)

--CD6 Rep. Jeff Flake (Repub.)

--CD7 Rep. Raul Grijalva (Dem.)

--CD8 Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (Dem.)

Northeast Arizona contains the Grand Canyon, the largest natural gorge in North America. The Barringer Meteorite Crater, often simply called Meteor Crater and one of the largest and best-preserved impact basins in the world, is located on the North-central Colorado Plateau.

The Navajo Nation, the largest area of land in the United States under Native American jurisdiction, covers portions of three states. Most of Northeastern Arizona falls within the Navajo Nation. If the Navajo Nation were a state, it would be 10th largest, with a population of approximately 175,000 (on NN lands, as of 2004) http://www.navajo.org/history.htm

The Navajo Nation features some of the most spectacular and recognizable geographical features of the western United States, including Monument Valley, Rainbow Bridge, and Canyon de Chelly. (The latter two are designated as National Monuments.)

Arizona is home or partial home to 22 federally-recognized Native American tribes, and has the 3rd largest Native American population in the United States. http://www.azcia.gov/tribes_of_arizona.asp; http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/ACSSAFFFacts?_event=Search&_lang=en&_sse=on&geo_id=04000US04&_state=04000US04

4/13/10: The Phoenix Coyotes drop the puck on their first appearance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 8 years this coming Wednesday. The Detroit Red Wings will be in town.

3/22/10: The University of Arizona announces that Greg Byrne will be the new Athletic Director, filling the vacancy left a few months ago when Jim Livengood moved to UNLV. Byrne was the AD at Mississippi State, and is a graduate of Arizona State. http://azstarnet.com/sports/article_3cabe2c2-35c5-11df-8196-001cc4c002e0.html

• • Mahalo's Guide to a Phoenix Vacation
• Official Tourism Site: Arizona Travel and Vacation Guide
• Frommer's: Arizona Travel Guide
• State Travel Magazine: Arizona Highways
• Grand Canyon National Park: Nps.gov - Wikitravel entry
• Zoo, Museum, & Botanical Garden: Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
• State Fair: Arizona Exposition & State Fair (Oct 12 - Nov 4, 2007)
• Super Bowl XLII: Visitor Information (February 3, 2008)