The Gaggle: An Arizona politics podcast

Whether you turn on CNN or Comedy Central, the chances of hearing something about Arizona news on television is high. National news and comedy shows alike are covering the ongoing Maricopa County election audit, political moves from Arizona's senators and more. This week on The Gaggle: An Arizona politics podcast, hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ronald J. Hansen talk with Arizona Republic media critic Bill Goodykoontz about what this attention means for the state's national image. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The House Judiciary Committee held a hearing on Feb. 24 to hear arguments from federal judges across the country about the need to expand the bench including Diane Humetewa, a federal judge in Arizona and the former U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona. She testified about the longstanding, unmet need for more federal judges in her state. Arizona is one of the nation’s fastest-growing states, but the number of judges has been stagnant for most of the past three decades. This has caused a legal backlog. It's been more than 30 years since Congress passed a broad expansion of the judiciary. In that time, the nation’s population has grown, technology has raised an array of previously unimaginable legal concerns and globalization has upended the economy. Democrats and Republicans agreed at the February hearing that the nation is overdue for more judges. In this week's episode of The Gaggle: An Arizona politics podcast, hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ronald J. Hansen break down why and how this legal bottleneck affects Arizonans. Joining the show are Carl Tobias, a law professor at the University of Richmond, and Rep. Greg Staton, D-Ariz., a judiciary committee member. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A spending plan of over $12 billion for fiscal 2022 was introduced to the Arizona House on Monday. The plan calls for some pay raises, some money for education and calls for a controversial flat tax. Governor Doug Ducey’s proposed state flat tax of 2.5%, phased in over two years, is expected to cut state revenue by an estimated $1.9 billion each year. Taxpayers would start seeing lower tax rates as soon as next year. It’s being sold as “a tax cut for every Arizonan” but not everyone in the legislature sees it that way. This week on The Gaggle: An Arizona politics podcast, hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ronald J. Hansen, reporter Mary Jo Pitzl shares who the biggest winners and losers would be if this deal passes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Arizona is joining 20 other states and Washington, D.C., allowing legal sports betting after Gov. Doug Ducey signed Senate Bill 1797 on April 15, expanding gaming in the state. The law also allows tribes to operate more slot machines, new tables and more casinos in the state. When will you be able to place bets on your favorite sports teams? How will this impact Arizona’s economy? And who benefits from this new law? In this week's episode of The Gaggle: An Arizona politics podcast, hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ronald J. Hansen chat with business reporter Ryan Randazzo. He'll break down all there is to know about sports betting in Arizona. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It has been nearly three weeks since Maricopa County started the ballot audit on April 23, 2021. Nearly 2.1 million ballots are being hand-counted more than six months after the election in 2020. The unprecedented political spectacle is drawing attention from national media, from CNN to Comedy Central. Trevor Noah, Seth Meyers, and John Oliver commented on the audit on their shows and national news organizations such as the Guardian and the Washington Post have touched down in Phoenix to cover what’s going on in the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum. The Gaggle talked with Arizona Republic reporter Jen Fifield when the recount got started, but in this week's episode of The Gaggle: An Arizona politics podcast, hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ronald J. Hansen, and national elections law expert Rick Hasen will give a sense of what all of this means. This interview took place before Gov. Doug Ducey signed new legislation that would remove certain voters from the permanent early voting list. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., is a central figure in a 50-50 split Senate. Democrats hold control but only with Vice President Kamala Harris acting as a tiebreaker. Sinema, a centrist Democrat, holds outsize political power and has the ability to make or break President Joe Biden's legislative agenda. She ran in 2018 on the promise to work in a bipartisan manner. How is she doing that? What do we know about her long-term legislative goals? In this week's episode of The Gaggle: An Arizona politics podcast, hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ronald J. Hansen have a one-on-one conversation with Sinema. The Democratic senator, who rarely speaks with reporters at length, outlined her legislative goals on the minimum wage and border security as well as responded to criticisms of her refusal to get rid of the legislative filibuster. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Arizona Senate's audit began nearly six months after the 2020 election at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Friday April 26. Cyber Ninjas, a Florida-based company, was contracted by the state Senate to conduct the audit. Journalists had little to no access to observe the audit apart from the right-wing news outlet One America News Network. In order to observe the audit, journalists had to sign up for a six-hour volunteer shift. Arizona Republic reporter Jen Fifield was there Friday morning to work as a volunteer. She was the only journalist that day observing the election audit. She was unable to take notes while on the floor observing, but was able to do so on her phone when she stepped off the floor into a locker area. She questioned organizers about audit guidelines when she observed an issue. In this week's episode of The Gaggle: An Arizona politics podcast, Fifield joins hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ronald J. Hansen to breakdown her experience inside the coliseum and what to expect in the coming weeks. Cyber Ninjas is expected to file its report with the Senate in 60 days. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The first Federal Election Campaign finance reports of the year came out last week. These documents can show how candidates raise and spend money in federal elections and provide insight on who might be running for what offices in the 2022 and 2024 elections. With time on the clock still, the first quarter report shows how the fundraising efforts of key players in the next two elections, including Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., and Rep. Greg Stanton, D-Ariz. are starting off right out of the gate. In this week's episode of The Gaggle: An Arizona politics podcast, hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ronald J. Hansen highlight some of the standout fundraising and analyze why some candidates are already falling behind. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Now that Congress has passed the American Rescue Plan of 2021, which will help sustain people and cities financially, Congress is turning its priorities elsewhere, including to issues at the border. In February, U.S. Customs and Border Protection processed 28,328 migrants. That number more than doubled to over 68,000 in March, most of them families and children. The surge of migrants who are processed and the insufficient space to hold them in Arizona led CBP to release migrants into small communities in southern Arizona. The Biden administration has received pushback from Republicans on the rollback of former President Donald Trump's immigration policies and the handling of the current migrant situation. They are calling the issue a crisis and inhumane. How many of those statements are realist or alarmist? What does the situation look like in these camps? How have the conditions along the border changed under President Biden? In this week's episode of The Gaggle: An Arizona politics podcast, hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ronald J. Hansen are joined by immigration reporter Rafael Carranza to break down the situation at the U.S.-Mexico border. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Georgia became one of the first states to pass a voting restriction law after the 2020 election on March 25. The bill includes new changes like shortening the window to request an absentee ballot, requiring more than a signature on mail-in ballots and making it illegal to hand out water to voters in line. Arizona is considered one of the next states to possibly follow and implement similar laws. Senate Bill 1485 proposes getting rid of the permanent early voting list which is used by most voters. Senate Bill 1713 adds an identification card requirement along with a signature to verify a ballot. Both of these have the broader electorate asking if Arizona could be the next Georgia. The Arizona GOP pushed back on voting fairness after President Joe Biden won the state by the narrowest margin in the country, but now one of the state's most influential business groups, Greater Phoenix Leadership, is urging the GOP to resist changes to the election process. In this week's episode of The Gaggle: An Arizona politics podcast, hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ronald J. Hansen talk with Sonja Diaz, the Founding Director of the Latino Policy & Politics Initiative at UCLA. She is a civil rights attorney and testified before the House of Representatives on voting in America. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From 1945 to 1962, the United States conducted nuclear mining in Northern Arizona and nuclear testing in Southern Nevada. Yet the government failed to warn people in the area of the radiation risks posed by that work and the health hazards associated with it, including various forms of cancer. Then in 1990, Congress passed the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act. It established a lump sum compensation for individuals who contracted illnesses in the aftermath of the testing. The program was later expanded in 2000 and is set to close its eligibility to individuals in 2022. Rep. Greg Stanton, D-Ariz., is sponsoring a bill to extend the eligibility to include Mohave County and Nevada's Clark County in the federal fund. Last week, the House Judiciary Committee held a hearing to listen to testimony from people in the affected areas. That included Mohave County Supervisor Jean Bishop, who grew up in the affected area and developed cancer due to the nuclear testing. In this week's episode of The Gaggle: An Arizona politics podcast, hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ronald J. Hansen are joined by Bishop as she recounts her childhood in the impacted area. You'll also hear from Stanton on his outlook of the bill and why he took up the issue. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The divide between Arizona's congressional Democrats and its House Republicans is wider than ever in the aftermath of the Jan. 6 Capitol attack. Arizona Democrats said the fallout from the insurrection is testing their will to work together. “If I’m going to advocate to the federal government, to the (President Joe) Biden people, I’m not going to jump on with people that just tried to invalidate his election,” said Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz. Republicans, such as Rep. David Schweikert, also acknowledged the deeper rift and said it has been moving in that direction for years. In today's episode of The Gaggle: An Arizona politics podcast, hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ronald J. Hansen discuss the evolving dynamics of Arizona's congressional delegation and what that means for their ability to represent and advocate for Arizonans. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick has been representing Arizonans since 2005 and announced Friday that she will not be running for re-election at the end of her term. In her career, Kirkpatrick, D-Ariz, has used her history in rural Arizona to bring more representation to smaller cities and has been a key member of the House Appropriations Committee. In January of 2020, she took some time off to treat alcoholism after a fall and returned in late February of that year. In this week's episode of The Gaggle: An Arizona politics podcast, hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ronald J. Hansen talk with Kirkpatrick to discuss her career and what her absence will look like. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Four months have passed since Arizona certified its election results. In the subsequent months, the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors and the Arizona Senate have been in an ongoing legal battle over an audit of 2020 election ballots. The Arizona Senate subpoenaed the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors for access to the paper ballots and voting machines to conduct their own audit of the 2020 election results. The county argued that they legally could not handover the ballots. On Feb. 26, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Timothy Thomason ruled the Arizona Senate's subpoenas were valid. In this week's episode of The Gaggle: An Arizona politics podcast, hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ronald J. Hansen are joined by Phoenix City Hall reporter Jen Fifield to breakdown the legal battle and what potential precedent this could set moving forward. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After a year of taking heat from the political left and right, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey is answering his critics. Democrats such as Sen. Kyrsten Sinema criticized Ducey for being slow to protect Arizonans during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Republicans criticized him for certifying President Joe Biden's narrow victory in Arizona during the 2020 election. On Monday, Ducey sat down with national political reporters Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ronald J. Hansen for this week's episode of The Gaggle: An Arizona politics podcast. The interview covered everything from managing COVID-19 to expanding school choice to Ducey's political plans after serving as governor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Two years ago, Arizona voters rejected a GOP law to expand the state’s school voucher-style program. Despite that rejection, and against the backdrop of at-home learning in the era of the pandemic, Arizona’s Republicans are once again trying to dramatically expand the program. This year, the Arizona Senate voted not just to expand the voucher system. In fact, SB 1452 is even larger than the expansion that was repealed by voters. Under the proposed legislation, two thirds of Arizona’s 1.1 million public-school students would qualify for the program, which lets parents spend public money on private and religious schooling. The bill comes as many parents are frustrated following months of at-home education or hybrid learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Republicans are leveraging that frustration to advocate for private schools, many of which have re-opened for in-person learning to some degree. In this week’s episode of The Gaggle: An Arizona politics podcast, host Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ronald J. Hansen talk to education reporter Lily Altavena and data reporter Rob O’Dell about the politics of school re-opening and school vouchers. The team discusses where in-person education stands in Arizona, what Republicans are proposing and how that would shape education for students and parents alike. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Arizona has been in the national political spotlight recently. It was labeled a swing state heading into the 2020 elections and barely turned blue, handing Joe Biden his narrowest victory in November. While this was happening, the state's elected leaders were gathering national attention too. Republican Governor Doug Ducey has entered the final two years of his term. His future afterward is uncertain, but could include a return to private life, a run for Congress or even a White House bid in 2024. In this week's episode of The Gaggle: An Arizona politics podcast, hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ronald J. Hansen talk with Phil Cox, former executive director of the Republican Governor's Association where Ducey currently serves as Chairman. They'll break down where Arizona's leader could be headed next and the implications for Arizona voters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former President Donald Trump is the only president to face impeachment twice, after the House of Representatives signed a single article of impeachment on Jan. 25. The Senate began its formal trial on Tuesday, although there isn't a clear consensus on whether Trump should be held accountable for the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol and what that accountability would look like. Arizona's House representatives already split along party lines when voting to impeach, prompting questions about partisan factions within our Congressional delegation. In this week's episode of The Gaggle: An Arizona politics podcast, hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ronald J. Hansen break down how impeachment could fracture the relationships among Arizona's elected officials in Washington and what that would mean for voters. You'll also hear audio from Sens. Kyrsten Sinema and Mark Kelly about their reflections after the riots at the Capitol. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 2020 election marked the first time in modern Arizona history that Democrats had a lead in early ballots a week before election day. Republicans closed that gap, putting the percentage of ballots returned within 1% of each other. Still, it was a shock to the system for some Republicans. Now, Republican lawmakers are looking to change how Arizonans vote, as well as how their votes are counted and audited. Everything is on the table, from mail-in voting to the permanent early voting list. In this week’s episode of The Gaggle: An Arizona politics podcast, hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ronald J. Hansen break down the Republican proposals with state Legislature reporter Andrew Oxford. The conversation includes information on each proposal, how Democrats are responding to it and how it will change things for voters, if at all. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Arizona Democratic and Republican parties held elections on Jan. 23 to elect their party chair. During an in-person meeting that was largely closed to the media, the Arizona GOP narrowly re-elected the fractious Kelli Ward as its leader. Democrats opted to vote for a new chair in a virtual meeting, electing Raquel Terán overwhelmingly with 75% of the vote. Terán is the state representative for Legislative District 30 in the metro Phoenix area. And she's a self-identified progressive with roots in community organizing. As Democratic chair, Terán will oversee the state's party platform and work to gain Democratic wins up and down the ballot ahead of 2022, as well as fundraise for the party and recruit candidates. In this week's episode of The Gaggle: An Arizona politics podcast, hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ronald J. Hansen are joined by the newly-elected Terán. She will break down the future of the party in Arizona, including questions about how progressive party's agenda will be in coming years. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today is the inauguration day for President-elect Joe Biden. He becomes the 46th President of the United States of America. After the two Democratic Senate victories in Georgia, Biden has a clearer path towards setting are more liberal agenda. Biden has already released plans for his first 100 days in office, including plans for a national COVID-19 response and changes to various immigration policies. In this week's episode of The Gaggle: An Arizona politics podcast, hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ronald J. Hansen are joined by health reporter Stephanie Innes and immigration reporter Daniel Gonzalez to break down how the administration's early policy moves could affect Arizonans. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Arizona Republican leaders such as Gov. Doug Ducey and Chair Kelli Ward had opposing reactions to the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Ducey initially condemned the riots on Twitter and then again addressed it in Monday's State of the State address. "In the United States of America, violence and vandalism have no place in the people’s house. Perpetrators should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Let us condemn it and resolve that it never happens again," said Ducey. On the day of the attack, Ward attended a Protect the Vote rally, where she continued to question the validity of the election results. The riots at the U.S. Capitol highlight a growing fissure within the party. It’s at a crossroads, caught between moderate and extremists. With Ward likely to maintain power, the tone for the party is being set by the far-right. Is it possible for moderates to regain control? In this week's episode of The Gaggle: An Arizona politics podcast, hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ronald J. Hansen speak with Kirk Adams. Adams is a former Republican member of the Arizona House of Representatives. He also served as the chief of staff for Ducey from 2014 to 2018. Listen now to hear as Adams breaks down how the Arizona GOP save itself from the extremist elements. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Wednesday, during a joint session of Congress, a pro-President Donald Trump mob invaded the Capitol. The riot spilled into the Capitol as the debate over Arizona’s votes began. Republican Rep. Paul Gosar was on the microphone when debate was halted. As events developed, national political reporters Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ronald J. Hansen reached out to members of Arizona’s congressional delegation. They wanted to know where our elected officials were when the insurrection began, what they remember and how they felt. In today’s bonus episode of The Gaggle: An Arizona politics podcast, we’re bringing five of those conversations. You’ll hear from Democratic Reps. Tom O’Halleran, Ruben Gallego, Greg Stanton and Raúl Grijalva and Republican Rep. Debbie Lesko. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Following a year of turmoil, the next legislative sessions kicks off on Monday, Jan. 11. Republican Gov. Doug Ducey has faced criticism of his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic from Republicans and Democrats alike. Although Republicans held onto their majorities in the Arizona House of Representatives and Senate, there’s disunity among both parties’ caucuses. What issues will the legislature attempt to address? And how successful will leaders from both sides be in drawing support for their causes? State government and politics reporters Andrew Oxford and Maria Polletta join this week's episode of The Gaggle: An Arizona politics podcast to preview the upcoming session with hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ronald J. Hansen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As we wrap up 2020, The Gaggle: An Arizona politics podcast hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ronald J. Hansen look towards 2021. In this week's episode, they'll breakdown five stories they are keeping their eyes on throughout the upcoming year. That includes how the COVID-19 vaccine will impact the state's recovery from the pandemic. They'll also reflect on the futures of the Republican and Democratic parties in the state heading in the the next election cycle in 2022. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hey Gaggle listeners! We're taking this week off. Thanks for joining us this year as we explored Arizona's evolving politics. We've got one more episode coming this year and we'll be back in 2021 with more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has made it difficult for many to pay rent. Various government protections were put in place throughout the year to protect renters against evictions, including rental assistance and eviction moratoriums. However, reporting from The Arizona Republic found that hundreds of Arizona renters may have been wrongfully evicted. And more evictions may be on the way. Reporters Catherine Reagor and Jessica Boehm join host Yvonne Wingett Sanchez on this week's episode of The Gaggle: An Arizona politics podcast. They break down how renters and landlords were protected under the CARES Act and what could happen when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's eviction moratorium expires on Jan. 1. Listen now to hear how the coronavirus pandemic strained the relationship between landlords and renters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Season two of Rediscovering, a podcast from The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, explored the events leading up to and following the passage of Senate Bill 1070 in Arizona. The 2010 “show me your papers” law was met with pushback from Latino organizers, grassroots activists, DACA recipients and more. That pushback didn’t end after SB 1070 was signed. Latino activists continued to organize. They pushed for voter registration. They rallied around local candidates. They helped elect Democrats like Sheriff Paul Penzone and Krysten Sinema. Now, the 2020 election has come and gone. For the first time since 1996, Arizona voted for a Democrat for president. Joe Biden’s narrow victory was the work of multiple voting blocs and a confluence of events that made for an unforgettable year and an election cycle that will be looked back on for decades to come. In the immediate aftermath, we wanted to revisit some of the voices you heard in Rediscovering. In this epilogue, we’re bringing together two people from our show to discuss SB 1070’s effect on the election: Tony Valdovinos and Chuck Coughlin. Valdovinos is a Democratic organizer and DACA recipient who was called to action by SB 1070. In 2010, Chuck was an adviser to Republican Governor Jan Brewer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President-elect Joe Biden officially received Arizona's 11 electoral votes on Monday after the state certified the election results. Almost a month after the election, many are wondering how a traditionally conservative state flipped for Biden this election. In this week's episode of The Gaggle: An Arizona politics podcast, hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ronald J. Hansen sit down with Andrew Piatt, a Biden campaign senior adviser. Piatt previously worked as a campaign manager on Sen. Kyrsten Sinema's team in 2018. Listen now to hear what factors gave Biden the extra push with undecided voters to flip the state blue for the first time in 26 years. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"The media" is blanket term that covers everything from social media to 24-hour TV networks to traditional newspapers like our own. Despite the catch-all nature of the plural phrase, consumers can treat news outlets as though they're singular, particularly if they disagree with the news as it's reported. In today's episode of The Gaggle: An Arizona politics podcast, media critic Bill Goodykoontz joins hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ronald J. Hansen to discuss the changing relationship between news producers and consumers, especially during presidential elections. Unlike traditional news reporters, Goodykoontz is a columnist, meaning he's free to express opinions on election coverage that others might withhold. The trio discusses how the coverage of the election has evolved since 2016 and whether there's still room for improvement. They also discuss the rise in alternative media and what role disreputable outlets such as that could play in future elections. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When it comes to politics, Arizona is truly a purple state. For the first time in 24 years, Arizona's electoral votes went to a Democratic Presidential candidate. Arizona also elected Democrat Mark Kelly to the U.S. Senate. The state will now have a pair of Democratic senators in the upper chamber for the first time since 1953. At the same time, Arizona voters kept the state legislature in Republican control. If you've been a loyal listener to the The Gaggle: An Arizona politics podcast, these election results wouldn't have come as a huge surprise, as hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ronald J. Hansen spent the last year reporting on Arizona's changing political landscape. Take a listen to this week's episode for look back at how original reporting from The Gaggle podcast and The Arizona Republic foreshadowed the 2020 election results. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As a swing state, all eyes were going to be on Arizona this election. That was certainly the case when a conspiracy theory over Sharpies took hold on social media. The theory claimed that ballots marked with Sharpies would not be counted. Not only is this false, but the Maricopa County Elections Department said it prefers Sharpies because they are quick to dry and don't smudge. Attention has also been given to Arizona by President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly called for all votes to be counted in the state while also calling for Pennsylvania to stop counting votes. Pro-Trump supporters continue to rally for all votes to be counted outside of the Maricopa County Elections Department, where votes are being counted. Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs oversees the elections. Hobbs has been making the rounds on national media lately, responding to such critiques of Arizona's system. Hobbs joins hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ronald J. Hansen on The Gaggle: An Arizona politics podcast to respond to President Trump's efforts to undermine the election results and how her office will rebuild trust with the public moving forward. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Votes are still being counted in Arizona; 470,000 to be exact. While there are some races in the state that have yet to be called, our knowledge about the results continues to grow. The Gaggle: An Arizona politics podcast is dropping a bonus episode to chat about the evolving results and biggest headlines since Tuesday's election. Hosts of the Gaggle podcast Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ronald J. Hansen will update you on the presidential race and the Congressional District races. In this episode you'll also hear from: Lily Altavena on Proposition 208. Rachel Leingang about the Sharpie controversy. Andrew Oxford on the State Legislature races. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 2020 election cycle torpedoed through a nation upended by the COVID-19 pandemic and grappling with partisan animosity, but in Arizona the season culminated in an election day marked by high voter turnout and sparing reports of disruption at the polls. Voter turnout in Arizona surpassed 2016 numbers, but was not fully known by the end of Tuesday. Nearly 2.64 million early ballots were cast by Monday. Those votes, combined with in-person election votes, are expected to push turnout to record-breaking levels. Full results in some races were left undetermined by the end of the night, including various Congressional Districts, state House and Senate races and Prop. 208, an education funding measure. But the Associated Press called the presidential race in Arizona for former Vice President Joe Biden. It also said that Democrat Mark Kelly ousted Republican Martha McSally from her Senate seat. This week's episode of The Gaggle, an Arizona politics podcast from The Arizona and azcentral.com, breaks down what we know, what we don't know and what comes next. Here's what we know as of Tuesday night: Arizona went blue, voting for Democrats Joe Biden for president and Mark Kelly for U.S. Senate. Arizona passed Prop. 207, legalizing recreational marijuana in the state Arizona entered battleground status nationally in 2018 after constituents elected Kyrsten Sinema, a Democrat, to the U.S. Senate over Republican candidate Martha McSally. Arizona had not had a Democratic senator since 1994 prior to Sinema's victory. In 2020, pollsters and political operatives shifted Arizona to "swing state" status for the 2020 election, with Democrats betting on the population's changing demographics to elect presidential nominee and former Vice President Joe Biden. President Donald Trump and his campaign worked fiercely to get out the vote among Arizonans, visiting the state seven times in 2019. To find out more about how Arizona became a swing state, listen to our podcast, "Rediscovering: SB 1070." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In one week, people will be awaiting results from the 2020 election races. In this week's episode of The Gaggle: An Arizona politics podcast, Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ronald J. Hansen are breaking down the information you need to know before Tuesday's election. They take a look at early voting turnout and what the latest polls are saying (plus, if the polls can be trusted). Also, hear an analysis about statements made by candidates in the final stretches of the election and whether or not they're true. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The race for Maricopa County Attorney has grown heated and competitive this year. Facing off are candidates Allister Adel, a Republican, and Julie Gunnigle, a Democrat. Allister Adel, the sitting county attorney, was appointed to the office in October 2019 by the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors. This came after her predecessor, Republican Bill Montgomery, was named to the Arizona Supreme Court by Republican Governor Doug Ducey. She’s received the support of police unions and several Republican politicians. Her opponent, Julie Gunnigle, grew up in Arizona before becoming a prosecutor in Illinois and Indiana. She’s been vocal in her support for criminal justice reform and has the support of various left-leaning organizations and even received a shoutout from celebrity singer John Legend. To give you a better picture of these candidates and their philosophies, The Gaggle podcast spoke with each of them about criminal justice reform, reproductive rights and marijuana legalization. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Arizona's 1st Congressional District was designed to be competitive. The district is immense. It stretches from the Navajo Nation in the northwest corner of the state, to the Grand Canyon and Flagstaff. From there, it heads south, covering Show Low and Globe. Then it switches west to include Casa Grande and the city of Maricopa, just south of Phoenix. It's covers such an incredible land mass that it's actually larger than 26 states. In 2016, the district went to President Donald Trump by one point. That same night, it voted in Democrat Tom O'Halleran to Congress. Four years later, how do voters in the district feel? Which issues are most pressing to them? And how will they vote come November? We talked to Rep. O'Halleran and voters in the district to find out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Can a lengthy ethics investigation and a charismatic opponent mean the end for Rep. David Schweikert, a Republican from Arizona's 6th Congressional District? Schweikert's district is home to some of Arizona's wealthiest residents. It's also home to a host of working-class entrepreneurs, he said. Topping their list of important issues this election are the economy, COVID-19 response, health care, and education. Facing off against Schweikert is Dr. Hiral Tipirneni, a Democrat who's made ground appealing to voters across the aisle. This week, listeners will visit two congressional districts. Congressional District 6 and Congressional District 1. These races are expected to be the most competitive of all nine in Arizona. We hear how Republican, Independent and Democrat voters in the districts feel about the incumbent candidates and their challengers. It's part of a miniseries The Gaggle: An Arizona politics podcast launched this year. Leading up to the election, hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ronald J. Hansen introduce you to the district leaders and residents, explaining how the most pressing issues for voters could affect the 2020 election. NOTE: A previous version of this description misspelled Dr. Hiral Tipirneni's name. It has since been corrected. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The race between retired astronaut and Democrat Mark Kelly and Sen. Martha McSally (R-Ariz.) could determine the control of the Senate and makeup of the Supreme Court. On Tuesday night, voters heard from the candidates directly. In a debate hosted by The Arizona Republic, Arizona PBS, KJZZ-FM (91.5) and Arizona Public media, the candidates responded to questions about health care, guns, China and national security. The debate came after the release of a statewide Suffolk University/USA TODAY Network poll released Friday that showed Kelly led McSally 49-40 among likely Arizona voters. Will the debate impact voters choice? How did Kelly and McSally respond to topics about the COVID-19 pandemic? In this week's episode of The Gaggle: An Arizona politics podcast, Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ronald J. Hansen break down the top moments from the U.S. Senate debate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Patriot Movement AZ was once seen as a fringe group within the Republican Party. Now they are impacting local policy while garnering national attention for their public actions. Investigative reporters Rob O'Dell and Richard Ruelas spent six months diving into the history of the group and reviewing thousands of online posts to learn how the group thinks. O'Dell and Ruelas chat with Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ronald J. Hansen hosts of The Gaggle: An Arizona politics podcast, to breakdown the findings of their investigation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Once a reliably red state, Arizona has become increasingly purple over the last decade. When it comes to the 2020 election, it's districts like Arizona's 9th Congressional District that could swing outcomes on the federal level. The 9th Congressional District falls in the heart of the Valley. It includes east Phoenix, Tempe, south Scottsdale and parts of Mesa and Chandler. It's home to some of Arizona's largest employers, such as State Farm Insurance and Arizona State University. The district was originally drawn as one of three competitive House seats in Arizona. Back when it was created, Republicans had a 3 percentage point advantage. Today, Democrats have an 8-point edge. What does that shift mean for President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden? How could changing sentiments in one congressional district shape the outcome of November's election? To find out, we talked to Representative Greg Stanton (D-Ariz.), who has served the district since 2018. We also talked to three different voters — one Democrat, one Republican and one Independent — to get their pulse on 2020. We asked them about which issues matter most to them, including climate change, health care and the Supreme Court vacancy. And we found out who they'll vote for in November. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the 2020 election draws near, Republican President Donald Trump and Democratic former Vice President Joe Biden are racing to shore up support from suburban voters in the battleground state of Arizona. Analysts say suburbanites will be the decisive voting faction in this year's election, making them the most important group for each of the presidential candidates to win over. But the suburbs aren't a monolith. The residents make up diverse populations with different concerns, backgrounds and religious affiliations. So how are the Trump and Biden campaigns going after them? This week's episode of The Gaggle, an Arizona politics podcast, breaks down the two campaigns' strategies and efficacy. Plus, hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ronald J. Hansen examin how the candidates are polling among Arizonans. Audio in this episode courtesy of the azcentral.com video team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The course of the 2020 political season leading up to election day has been inexorably altered as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to render large, in-person gatherings a social taboo. Campaign events have largely been cancelled. The Democratic and Republican National Conventions were held virtually. As questions over the safety of in-person voting loom large, Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs is preparing her office, which oversees elections, for more mail-in voting this year than ever before. But President Donald Trump has made clear his discomfort with mail-in voting. In April, he claimed that it leads to widespread voter fraud. "I''m not gonna say which party does it, but thousands of votes are gathered and they come and they’re dumped in locations and all the sudden you lose elections that you think you’re gonna win," Trump said at a White House press briefing. "I won’t stand for it." exists, but that hasn’t appeased some of his supporters who are growing concerned. Then in August, Trump made comments that sparked backlash about withholding funding for the United State Postal Service in order to prevent mail-in voting. Concern over potential voter suppression arose after social media posts went viral showing mailboxes being removed and mail sorting machines at post offices being taken out of circulation. Will voting in the 2020 general election be safe and secure? What do constituents need to do to ensure that their ballot is counted? Those are the questions tackled on this week's episode of The Gaggle, an Arizona politics podcast from The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com. Hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ronald J. Hansen welcome special guest Hobbs to the show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Socialism. Guns. Water. Those are some of the top issues for voters from Arizona's 4th Congressional District. Also top of mind are keeping taxes low and ensuring the election this November is safe and accessible for all the district's voters, including Indigenous constituents. It's for those reasons that Congressional District 4 is not considered a competitive area for Republicans in the 2020 election. Represented by Republican Rep. Paul Gosar, the district covers most of Western Arizona. It also includes north central Arizona, including most of Yavapai County, and wraps itself around Phoenix from the east. In this week's episode, listeners visit Congressional District 4. It's part of a miniseries The Gaggle: An Arizona politics podcast launched this year. Leading up to the election, hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ronald J. Hansen introduce you to the district leaders and residents, explaining how the most pressing issues for voters could affect the 2020 election. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This November, Arizonans will cast their votes not just for the leaders they hope to see guiding their futures, but for the multiple voter-driven propositions that will shape their communities. What are the props on the ballot this election cycle and what do voters need to know about them? This week Arizona's politics podcast, The Gaggle, dives into four measures, two of which made it on the ballot and two that did not. Smart and Safe Arizona Act, a recreational marijuana measure (on the ballot) Prop. 208, an education funding measure (on the ballot) Second Chances, Rehabilitation and Public Safety Act (not on the ballot) Stop Surprise Billing and Protect Patients Act (not on the ballot) Joining hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ronald J. Hansen are joined by education reporter Lily Altavena, business reporter Ryan Randazzo and state legislature Andrew Oxford. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Every four years supporters of the Democratic and Republican parties pack convention centers and arenas to nominate their candidate for president. This year, that tradition is a bit different. Instead of large crowds and in-person festivities, Zoom meetings and video live streams took its place. The COVID-19 pandemic ousted the traditional convention, but the parties messaging is the same: both say it's the most important election ever. In 2020, Arizona is a battleground state. The Grand Canyon state has been a historically red state. Arizona has only gone to the Democrats once since 1952. That was in 1996 when republican presidential nominee Bob Dole lost the state to President Bill Clinton. Last week, we saw Democratic leaders speak at the virtual convention. This week, the Republican party takes center stage. In this week's episode of The Gaggle: An Arizona politics podcast, Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ronald J. Hansen break down the messaging of both political conventions and whether or not their appeals will find a home in Arizona. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mark Kelly, a retired NASA astronaut, is vying to become Arizona's second Democratic senator. Kelly ran uncontested in the Democratic Senate primary and will face off with Republican Sen. Martha McSally in November. In this week's episode of The Gaggle: An Arizona politics podcast, Kelly joins hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ronald J. Hansen to discuss how he would use his position in the senate. He also weighs in on healthcare and gun reform. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Arizona's Congressional District 2 has a history of voting for both Republicans and Democrats, but as COVID-19 upends life for residents across the state, the question of which direction the district will lean in the 2020 election is in flux. The district is located in the southeast corner of Arizona, abutting Mexico and New Mexico. It includes parts of Tucson, Willcox, Benson, Sierra Vista and Bisbee. It’s represented by Democrat Ann Kirkpatrick. In this week's episode, listeners visit Congressional District 2. It's part of a miniseries The Gaggle: An Arizona politics podcast launched this year. Leading up to the election, hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ronald J. Hansen introduce you to the district leaders and residents, explaining how the most pressing issues for voters could affect the 2020 election. This year, the district will play a large role in races like Arizona's U.S. Senate seat between Republican Martha McSally and Democrat Mark Kelly, the U.S. House seat between Democrat Ann Kirkpatrick and Republican Brandon Martin and the presidential race between President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden. In recent years, the district has swayed in favor of Democrats. In the 2016 election, when Arizona as a whole favored President Donald Trump by a margin of 3.5 points, Kirkpatrick's district had a 4.8 point margin in favor of Hillary Clinton. But factoring in the district residents' decisions this year on who to vote for are prominent issues such as access to quality and affordable health care, job security, economic prosperity, and immigration and border security. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Arizona's primary election may have lacked the gravitas of November's much-anticipated general election, but there were key races to watch. This includes races in the state Legislature, which could determine whether Democrats retake the state House of Representatives for the first time since the 1966 elections. Democrats also had to choose their opponent to run in the congressional race against the embattled, five-term Rep. David Schweikert, R-Ariz. Other big name tickets included Joe Arpaio's attempt to regain his former job as sheriff. Where did voters land? And what, if anything, could this tell us about November's election? State Legislature reporter Andrew Oxford joined hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ronald J. Hansen to break down the election results in today's episode of The Gaggle: An Arizona politics podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When it comes to negotiating the next coronavirus stimulus package, House Democrats and Senate Republicans are at odds. Again. In May, Democrats, who control the House, proposed a $3 trillion plan that extended the $600 emergency unemployment benefit until January. Their plan also included an additional $1,200 stimulus check and additional funding for COVID-19 testing and contact tracing. Republicans rejected the plan, but did not unveil their own until earlier this week. Their $1 trillion proposal also includes an additional $1,200 stimulus check for millions of Americans. It also offers legal protections for small businesses and schools against liability claims, with the hopes that such protections will encourage them to reopen. However, the proposal also caps federal unemployment assistance to 70% of a workers' pay rather than extending the $600 unemployment bonus. That program would be phased in over the next two months. While it's being rolled out, unemployed Americans would only receive a $200 boost to their unemployment claims. Democrats were challenging the Republican proposal even before it was officially fleshed out publicly. With markers laid down on both partisan sides, only one thing appears imminent: gridlock. And it comes at a time when many Americans are being pushed to the financial edge. In this week's episode of The Gaggle: An Arizona politics podcasts, hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ronald J. Hansen talk to business reporter Ryan Randazzo about the effects a delayed stimulus bill could have on the state of Arizona. They also discuss whether or not the state has the financial ability to step in and help those are unemployed while Congress stalls. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices