U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly, followed his wife Gabrielle Giffords in prime time at the Democratic National Convention.

Mayor Regina Romero served as co-chair of the platform committee with former New Orleans mayor and senior White House staffer Mitch Landrieu. 

She briefly addressed the convention saying: “Vice President Harris is now carrying the torch, and she and Gov. Walz are committed to delivering results for the American people.”

Former top Donald Trump spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham — she used to live here, yes — gave the Republican case for moving Vice President Kamala Harris up a rung and keeping her former boss out of power.

Even Opie got into the mix. Former University of Arizona point guard Steve Kerr stepped back onstage in Chicago, this time to wish Trump’s presidential hopes a “night, night.” All I was thinking was to cut loose with a “Steeevee Kerrrrr!” See kids, that’s what the McKale crowd did when No. 25 lofted a successful three-point shot.

I suppose we can call Kerr “Coach Opie” or “Mister Opie, sir” now that he’s coached the Golden State Warriors to four titles and won five more with the Chicago Bulls and San Antonio Spurs. Whatever he’s called, don’t call him a supporter of Donald Trump. He has about as much use for the 45th president as he did for his nickname.

Convention organizers even let Phoenix into the act as U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego, also running for U.S. Senate, spoke to a prime-time audience on night four. Mesa Mayor John Giles, a Republican, gave his speech endorsing Harris. 

There were more Arizonans in the United Center spotlight than Bulls or Blackhawks because our 11 electoral votes loom large now that they are up for grabs.

Folks, this is what it’s like to be a swing state.

Arizona has always punched up a couple of weight classes.

The state gave Washington Carl Hayden, Barry Goldwater, Morris Udall, and John McCain. Tragedy lifted Gabby Giffords to global prominence, but she was on her way to big things before a bullet slowed her down. John J. Rhodes and Jon Kyl were both lesser names but served in party leadership.

Hell, even our goofballs like Paul Gosar and Evan Mecham have garnered national reputations. Kari Lake, anybody? No thank you? About right. Globally.

The meat of the speeches weren’t terribly memorable. I though the coolest part of any of our speakers’ turns was when Giffords giddily lip-synced the chant “Gab-by! Gab-by!”

She said “Everyone called me a rising star,” and described what could have been without much in the way of professional regret. Then came Jan. 8, 2011. She deadpanned how Jared Lee Loughner “shot 19 people. Killed six. A terrible, terrible day.”

She described how she had a cheerleader during her recovery.

“A decent man from Delaware called to check in,” Giffords said, referring to President Joe Biden. “He still does.”

Standing under a stage with the words  “Freedom from gun violence,” she said “Kamala can beat the gun lobby.”

Moments later, Kelly took the stage alone and the senator who was vetted to be Harris’ running mate stuck mainly to national security. He flew combat missions in Operation Desert Storm long before he flew into space.

He warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin is testing American resolve. Putin has a partner in undoing NATO in Trump, Kelly said.

“(Trump)” invited Russia – and these are his words – to do whatever hell they want to our allies,” Kelly invoked a Trump line that threatened European allies who “don’t pay” to withhold U.S. protection.

NATO countries, of course, don’t pay the United States. But Trump carries on like the alliance is a Mafia-style protection racket.

Gallego gave a pretty good speech too, from what I hear. He’s from Phoenix, so I was paying limited attention. I only have so much attention span. When I couldn’t find my dog for a second, I feared he might be getting limo service from O’Hare. He doesn’t do well with crowds.

Arizona’s new (cha-ching) normal

I remember taking my first poli-sci class back in the days when Kerr led the Wildcats to the Final Four. The professor teaching the lecture in front of more than 500 students at the Social Science auditorium, Clifford Lytle, would explain to us with hyperbole that the only time an Arizonan would see a presidential candidate is if his arm got caught in the window of a passing airplane, perhaps waving, on the way to California.

No way, no how, would Arizona be worth contesting in a presidential race.

As recently as 2016, yours truly didn’t see it happening either. Then came Donald John Trump and his takeover of the Republican Party. McCain Republicans were not amused.

The ghost of McCain is still haunting Trump.

Don’t be too surprised that at some point after 9 p.m. Arizona time on November 5, this state gets called for Harris, putting her over the top as Wisconsin is still counting up ballots coming in from Wausau and Baraboo.

And what does this mean for Arizona? Cold. Hard. Cash.

Cash for roads.

Cash for bridges.

Cash for transit.

Cash for our national parks.

Cash for the University of Arizona, Arizona State University and, yes, even Northern Arizona University.

Cash for the border. More cash for the border. More cash for the border, still.

Anyone think there’s a chance Tucson is losing Davis-Monthan Air Force Base now? Hellz to the NFW.

We’re all going to get pretty ponies because, yes, historically, voters can be bought. Arizona is in a particular position to cash in on electoral suitors.

Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania and even Ohio didn’t have the federal nexuses that Arizona has. Without the federal government, Arizona is a sandy North Dakota. We’ve got military bases, research grants, defense contractors, national parks and none of it works without federal water projects like the Central Arizona Project.

That was when the state’s electoral votes didn’t matter. Today, Arizona is the bluest of the red states.

Not too long ago, there were a lot more swing states. Barack Obama won Indiana, for God sakes. Clinton won Missouri and Kentucky twice. To find electoral maps this rigid, we gotta go back to the 19th century when Indiana and New York were the only two states that moved in three election cycles between 1880 and 1888.

We’re one of the favored few, so prepare to be plied with attention. If Iowa having the first in the nation caucus can secure billions in corn subsidies, Arizona should at the very least get jet-pack service between Tucson, Phoenix and the Grand Canyon. Though jet packs will need a service ceiling of 7,000 feet to get up to the South Rim. The U.S. Department of Transportation needs to get cracking.

Phoenix is already seeing the fruits of the federal legislation aimed at returning the semi-conductor industry to the U.S. The Valley of the Sun is looking to break Silicon Valley’s chokehold on the tech economy.

Tucson is getting a $30 million federally funded Internet upgrade providing “middle-mile connections” to outlying areas. Romero has been a champ at landing smaller-bore federal grants for Tucson projects. 

The ability of longtime U.S. Rep. Raul Grijalva and even freshman Rep. Raúl Ciscomani to pull pork to Southern Arizona has been meaningful. Especially in an election year like this, the Biden administration has kept a steady rotation of Cabinet secretaries, deputy secretaries and under secretaries of this, that and the other spending a night in our town as they hold roundtable discussions and talk up the latest federal grants.

Romero and City Manager Tim Thomure pulled aboard former legislator and experienced county staffer Andrés Cano to be another top lobbyist for the city, advocating for more grants for more programs.

It’s safe to say more is coming. We’d better get something to make up for all the attack ads we now have to endure.

It’s not like they’re actually going to provide comprehensive immigration reform any decade soon.