Joe Ferguson | Tucson Agenda

Joe Ferguson

Joe Ferguson

Joe Ferguson got his first big break covering the Arizona Legislature as the Don Bolles Fellow for the University of Arizona School of Journalism. From there, he spent seven years at the Arizona Daily Sun before returning to Tucson to cover politics and local government for the Arizona Daily Star for another seven years. He joined the Tucson Agenda in 2025, where — surprise — he covers politics and local government. Along the way, Joe has picked up numerous awards from the Arizona Press Club and Arizona Newspapers Association, including the Press Club’s Sledgehammer Award in 2019. A lifelong Trekkie, Joe spends his free time with his family and remains disappointed that the 21st century has produced neither transporters nor replicators. [email protected]

A border wall brouhaha

Oct 13, 2026

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7 min read

A border wall brouhaha

Everybody’s all riled up ... Hindsight is 20/20 ... And we’ll remember this campaign sign.

Curt Prendergast, +1

South Tucson’s messy housing headaches

Oct 9, 2026

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5 min read

South Tucson’s messy housing headaches

A tiny town with big problems and an election on the horizon.

Earning $1,027 a day

Oct 8, 2026

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6 min read

Earning $1,027 a day

That includes weekends ... Check your (other) mailbox ... And who wants to buy a lifetime of burritos?

Joe Ferguson, +1

Border Patrol loses its cool

Oct 6, 2026

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6 min read

Border Patrol loses its cool

Who do you trust? ... Betting on the Space Force ... And we should’ve been city managers.

Curt Prendergast, +1

Mike Johnson protects his gavel

Oct 1, 2026

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6 min read

Mike Johnson protects his gavel

VIPs, deleted tweets and more ads ... Just what Marana needs ... And Tucson’s the new Minneapolis.

Joe Ferguson, +1

Paid for by TEP for Tucson

Sep 30, 2026

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6 min read

Paid for by TEP for Tucson

Politicians let TEP pick up the tab ... Border walking is not a crime ... And we paid for our own argument, thank you.

Joe Ferguson, +1

Out of the frying pan, and into the fire

Sep 29, 2026

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6 min read

Out of the frying pan, and into the fire

It’s like Flock for newspapers ... Questions abound ... And it's a conspiracy!

Curt Prendergast, +1

A moratorium for no one

Sep 24, 2026

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5 min read

A moratorium for no one

No more data centers (except those) ... Substitute teachers are teachers too ... And AI can’t give you a job.

Joe Ferguson, +1

Pima College makes its case

Sep 23, 2026

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6 min read

Pima College makes its case

What’s inside PCC’s $250M bond request ... The public enters the chat ... And keep an eye out for that billboard.

Joe Ferguson, +1

Don’t talk about Donald

Sep 22, 2026

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6 min read

Don’t talk about Donald

Ciscomani’s campaign avoids POTUS ... School’s out (not in a good way) ... And proclaiming a proclamations policy.

Joe Ferguson, +1

What is Project Gravel?

Sep 21, 2026

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5 min read

What is Project Gravel?

What public records tell us about the other data center proposal in Pima County

Reckoning with the past

Sep 17, 2026

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5 min read

Reckoning with the past

Council stops renaming parks (for now) ... Kerfuffle in Sahuarita ... And she might have a point.

Joe Ferguson, +1

Where did everyone go?

Sep 16, 2026

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6 min read

Where did everyone go?

Volunteering is the new protesting ... Romero v. Ciscomani ... And “animals” fight the border wall.

Curt Prendergast, +1

Christians are winning the voucher game

Sep 14, 2026

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5 min read

Christians are winning the voucher game

They’re trouncing secular schools ... Everyone still hates data centers ... And he-who-shall-not-be-named vibes.

Curt Prendergast, +1

Live-Slacking the debate

Sep 11, 2026

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9 min read

Live-Slacking the debate

Our commentary from the cheap seats ... The Chamber <3s Prop 421 ... And Doom enters the chat.

Joe Ferguson, +1

TEP tests its political power

Sep 10, 2026

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7 min read

TEP tests its political power

The electric company makes its case (again) ... Hobbs v. Mayes, data center edition ... And the guy behind Evil Torta.

Joe Ferguson, +1

The questions we’d ask in CD6

Sep 9, 2026

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6 min read

The questions we’d ask in CD6

Tomorrow's debate has our attention ... The LD18 debate was spicy ... And did Elon forget to add a zero?

Joe Ferguson, +1

Jan Lesher’s secret notebook

Sep 8, 2026

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7 min read

Jan Lesher’s secret notebook

She’s writing it for her successor ... It’s just paper cuts ... And the name’s Hoffmann, David Hoffmann.

Joe Ferguson, +1

Another secret data center

Sep 4, 2026

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5 min read

Another secret data center

Can you un-sign an NDA? ... Sending someone else’s kid to Salpointe ... And wait, Trump is campaigning in Tucson?

Joe Ferguson, +1

A golden goose and a gold rush

Sep 1, 2026

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7 min read

A golden goose and a gold rush

Data centers are bad (for you) ... Questions for voters, but not by voters ... And a bonkers cautionary tale.

Joe Ferguson, +1

Stahl Hamilton speaks up

Aug 31, 2026

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6 min read

Stahl Hamilton speaks up

She lost her primary, but not her ambition ... What’s a “good” industry? ... And a match made in heaven (or hell).

Joe Ferguson, +1

Big Brother waits at city hall

Aug 21, 2026

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6 min read

Big Brother waits at city hall

Council wary of surveillance agreement ... Lee rules out a third term ... And a very Tucson political sign.

Tucson’s three-decade-old Raytheon promise

Aug 20, 2026

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6 min read

Tucson’s three-decade-old Raytheon promise

The Council inherited a deal that they may not love, but don’t dare break.

Inside Tucson’s camping crackdown

Aug 19, 2026

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6 min read

Inside Tucson’s camping crackdown

Criminalizing homelessness is helping? ... You should just get vaxxed ... And guess we’re visiting the ranch.

George Headley, +2

Mudslinging gets everybody dirty

Aug 18, 2026

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7 min read

Mudslinging gets everybody dirty

Romero gets roped into CD6 race ... Saying no to non-disclosure ... And we’re not listening, but the bots are.

Joe Ferguson, +1