Today U.S. Rep. Harry Mitchell (D-5) became Sen. Barack Obama's 275th superdelegate, according to the Obama campaign. Mitchell had, like fellow freshman Democrat Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, refrained from backing either Obama or Sen. Hillary Clinton, but today came down in favor of the Illinois senator, who is looking increasingly likely to win the Democratic nomination for president.

Anyone expecting a repeat of Nevada's Republican Party Convention today was sorely mistaken. Despite an effort to secure the election of supporters of Rep. Ron Paul as delegates to the Republican National Convention in September, the "Unity Slate," crafted by the party to ensure that only delegates who fully support the state's favorite son would be represent Arizona in Minneapolis this September, was elected with almost no changes.

Last night's CD5 Republican candidate forum offered a different take on the contenders from last month's event in Scottsdale. While the candidates fielded questions on earmark spending, border security and cuts in government programs, what emerged spoke less to individual policies as the sense that whoever emerges as the nominee will shoulder a heavy burden for the Party.

The field acknowledged a profound dissatisfaction with the Republican Party among voters and a need to reconnect with conservative principles in action, not just as a campaign ploy. They also pledged not to let the primary get so heated as to destroy the victor's chances of beating Rep. Harry Mitchell, and that, once the ticket was set, the others would unite behind the effort of unseating Mitchell in the general.

Although locked in an oft-rancorous primary contest, either Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) or Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) would best Sen. John McCain in the national popular vote, according to a new L.A. Times poll out today.

While neither Clinton nor Obama enjoy an insurmountable lead by any means, both Democrats have improved their position over McCain since polls taken in the last two months.

While Arizona's congressional delegation may often split along ideological divides, yesterday marked a rare occasion in which Democrats and Republicans united behind a common cause.

In a letter sent to President George W. Bush, four Republican and two Democratic members of Congress from Arizona urged the federal government to renew Operation Jump Start, the 2006 initiative to place National Guard troops along the U.S.-Mexico border. The mandate is set to expire in just over two months, which, the legislators argue, would severely compromise anti-illegal immigration efforts.

For the first time ever we have someone make both the winners and losers of the week list at the same time.  Read why Harry Mitchell is a winner and a loser of the week.

Ed Hermes may have only had his bachelor's degree for two years, but he's been an up-and-comer on the political scene since before he graduated ASU. Already he's jumping into his first electoral bid, targeting Fulton Brock, Chairman of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors.

Brock, who owns an asset management firm, is a former representative in the Arizona House and has sat on the Board for 12 years, will doubtless prove a formidable opponent. Still, Hermes is set on making sure he goes.

U.S. Rep. John ShadeggAs Congress passed several bills this week in an attempt to deal with the worsening home foreclosure crisis, U.S. Rep. John Shadegg (R-3) offered a motion on one of the bills to bar sex offenders, drug dealers and those who've committed mortgage fraud from eligibility in a proposed state-based loan program, while giving preference to disabled veterans.

Shadegg painted his motion to recommit on a bill that would use government funds to buy, rehabilitate and sell foreclosed houses as "an attempt to improve" the legislation by giving disabled veterans more consideration as buyers of the rehabilitated homes, while eliminating from eligibility those he said have "preyed on the innocent."

Mesa Mayoral candidate Scott Smith has announced his latest fundraising numbers. The Mesa businessman revealed that he has raised nearly $27,000 over 5 weeks.

Full release

Rep. Harry Mitchell (D-5) is playing up the drama of his re-election fight. Though he enjoys a commanding money lead over the field of Republicans vying to face him in November, his razor-thin margin of victory in 2006 and the vulnerability inherent to most freshmen in Congress is seen as a cause for concern.

He and Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-8) are assessed to be early favorites to retain their seats, but there's a lot of time left in an election season that has yet to kick off in earnest.