Tucson’s Conservative Talk

On today’s edition of Winn Tucson, host Kathleen Winn welcomed Neal Cornett, Director of State Litigation for the Oversight Project, to discuss pressing issues surrounding Arizona's newly adopted 2025 Elections Procedures Manual (EPM). The conversation centered on a letter sent by the Oversight Project and the Pima County Republican Party to Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes and Attorney General Kris Mayes, demanding they disavow or clarify certain provisions that the groups argue infringe on First Amendment rights and invite potential abuse.

Winn and guest Dave Smith critiqued recent comments by Rep. Adelita Grijalva following her visit to an ICE detention facility in Eloy. Grijalva described meeting elderly detainees, including a 79-year-old Cuban asylum seeker with advancing dementia and a Phoenix resident with leukemia.

Host Kathleen Winn opened the broadcast by shifting the usual China Watch Wednesday schedule to accommodate guests and pressing local issues dominating Pima County.

Dave Smith joined Winn to recap two dramatic public meetings held the previous day: one at the Pima County Board of Supervisors and another at the Marana Town Council.

Congressman Juan Ciscomani (CD6) joined the program fresh off receiving an endorsement from Turning Point USA. He described his district as one-third Republican, one-third Democrat, one-third independent—making it the nation's most competitive congressional seat after recent redistricting.

Ava Chen, representing the New Federal State of China, analyzed Xi Jinping's recent purge of top PLA leadership—including childhood friend General Zhang Youxia (former procurement chief) and the joint staff/intelligence director.

On a rainy Tuesday in mid-February 2026, Winn Tucson dove deep into the hot-button issues shaping southern Arizona: the future of regional transportation funding, ongoing battles over election observation and security, and the frustrations many residents feel toward local governance.

Host Kathleen Winn led spirited, no-holds-barred conversations with three key guests: Ted Maxwell, RTA Board member and Chair of the Arizona State Transportation Board; Alex Kolodin, Arizona State Representative (LD 3) and candidate for Secretary of State; and Betsy Brantner Smith, retired police sergeant and vocal Pima County Republican activist.

Two weeks into the disappearance of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie from her Catalina Foothills home, frustration is mounting—not just over the lack of progress, but over an apparent breakdown in coordination between the Pima County Sheriff's Office and the FBI. Betsy Brantner Smith, spokesperson for the National Police Association and a retired sergeant with deep ties to the community, joined Kathleen Winn to discuss the latest developments.

Relationship expert and behaviorist Dr. Gilda Carle joined Winn to discuss the new documentary about Melania Trump—and why it has struck such a nerve.

Longtime activists Dave Smith and Laurie Moore joined Winn to preview next Tuesday's Pima County Board of Supervisors meeting and broader local concerns.

In Pima County, Arizona, the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie has dominated headlines for nearly two weeks, exposing deep frustrations with Sheriff Chris Nanos’s leadership and sparking intense public debate. As of February 12, 2026—11 days into the investigation—the case remains unsolved, with FBI agents working alongside sheriff’s investigators to chase thousands of tips and pieces of evidence.

Retired Brigadier General Steven Munt, joining from Virginia, offered a blunt assessment of how Pima County appears on national television.

Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne discussed efforts to refocus education on academics and eliminate divisive initiatives.

In a detailed discussion on the pervasive reach of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), Ava Chen from the New Federal State of China highlighted the strategic acquisition of Syngenta, a major agro-technology company.

Shifting to local elections, Joel Strabala from the Pima County GOP joined to discuss observer roles in the mail-in ballot process. "We're going to have observers in the recorder's office," Strabala said. He suggested recognizing an "observer of the week" to encourage participation.

On a today’s edition of Winn Tucson, host Kathleen Winn tackled pressing concerns facing Arizona and the nation, from border security and election integrity to a high-profile missing persons case gripping the Tucson community. The program featured in-depth conversations with retired Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb, now running for Congress in Arizona's CD5; retired police lieutenant and Wounded Blue founder Randy Sutton; and Dr. Steve Bonta, publisher of The New American magazine from the John Birch Society.

On a today’s edition of Winn Tucson, host Kathleen Winn tackled the high-profile disappearance of Nancy Guthrie — the 84-year-old mother of NBC "Today" show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie — alongside broader concerns about crime, law enforcement leadership, immigration enforcement, and regional transportation funding in Pima County, Arizona.

The program featured in-depth conversations with crime expert and private detective Nils Grevillius (author of The Last Lawman: True Stories of a Private Detective), former sheriff and president of the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association Richard Mack, Pima County Supervisor Steve Christie, and caller Laurie Moore, a frequent vocal participant at county meetings.

Kathleen Winn hosted a lively and in-depth discussion on the future of transportation infrastructure in Pima County, focusing on Propositions 418 and 419—the renewal of the Regional Transportation Authority’s half-cent sales tax for another 20 years. Her primary guest, Ted Maxwell, president and CEO of the Southern Arizona Leadership Council and a member of the RTA board, made a strong case for passage. The conversation tackled voter concerns head-on: trust, accountability, project delivery, and what happens if the measures fail.

Patriotic rock artist Andy Ross joined to discuss his multifaceted career and his brand, American Rebel.

Josh Jacobson, founder of the Tucson Crime Free Coalition, now in its third year, joined Winn to discuss the organization’s street-level work and the flood of messages from families seeking help for unsolved cases.

The show took a somber turn with news of an overnight crash of an Arizona Department of Public Safety Ranger helicopter in Flagstaff. Both pilots were killed while responding to an active shooter incident. Retired DPS Lieutenant Dave Smith joined Winn to mourn the loss.

Pamela Neal brought a message of hope. As honorary chair of the upcoming Southern Arizona Heart Ball—“Rubies and Boots”—she is raising funds to equip schools with CPR kits and AED machines.