The Gaggle: An Arizona politics podcast
Helping you keep up with what matters in Arizona's political news. Each week we interview politicians, public figures or journalists to break down one local issue and how it affects your life in Arizona. Coming to you every Wednesday morning, The Gaggle is hosted by The Arizona Republic's national political reporters Ron Hansen and Stephanie Murray, and is produced by Amanda Luberto.
Midterm tv ads: the good, the bad and the ugly
It's hard to ignore the nasty attack ads with accusations like "protecting pedophiles" and "choosing predators," not to mention typical policy attacks like tax cuts, immigration reform and what is best for Arizonans.
This week on The Gaggle, we go through what makes a good political advertisement, which ones they're tired of seeing and why television ads are such an important part of a campaign with two political consultants.
Email us! [email protected]
Leave us a voicemail: 602-444-0804
Follow us on â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â X,â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â Instagramâ â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â and â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â Tik Tokâ â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â
Guest: â â â â David Waid, Emily Ryan
Hosts: Stephanie Murray
Producer: â â â â â â Amanda Lubertoâ â â â â â â â
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How Trump's approval rating could affect Arizona's midterm elections
The midterm election is traditionally hard on the party in charge and this year is expected to be no different.
But with disillusionment in the White House increasing, it seems that it will be harder than usual.
This week on The Gaggle, we are joined by political pollster Spencer Kimball. He is the founding director of the nonpartisan Emerson College Polling Center.
Kimball sheds light on how Trump's approval rating will impact Republicans running in the midterm election.
Email us! [email protected]
Leave us a voicemail: 602-444-0804
Arizona's midterm propositions explained straightforwardly
Ballot measures can be long, have convoluted writing, and at times, seem purposefully difficult to figure out what your vote really does.
So ahead of the 2026 midterm, we broke them down in plain English.
This week on The Gaggle, we are joined by Arizona Republic reporter Helen Rummel to preview what propositions voters will find on their ballot, what a "yes" vote would do and who is supporting them.
Email us! [email protected]
Leave us a voicemail: 602-444-0804
Follow us on â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â X,â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â Instagramâ â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â and â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â Tik Tokâ â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â
Guest: â â â â Helen Rummel
Hosts: â â â â â Ron Hansenâ â â â â â â â â â â â â , Stephanie Murray
Producer: â â â â â â Amanda Lubertoâ â â â â â â â
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaph
Hobbs or Biggs? What's really at stake for Arizona
Accusations of protecting pedophiles and choosing predators over Arizona families are flying almost every time you turn on your TV as we get closer to Election Day from both Gov. Katie Hobbs and her opponent, Congressman Andy Biggs.
But what's really at stake for Arizonans?
This week on The Gaggle, we are joined by Republic reporter Stacey Barchenger to analyze possibly the biggest race in Arizona this year.
She talks us through their plan if elected, how having a running mate plays a role, where big money is coming in from and any wildcar...
The next attorney general could define Arizona's relationship with Trump
To incumbent Democrat Mayes, her 49 lawsuits show that she is willing to hold the White House accountable for what she says are illegal acts.
Her opponent in the 2026 attorney general race, Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen, has promised to back President Donald Trump's agenda and says he'll rein in Arizona's Attorney General's Office if elected.
But one subject that some Arizonans are tired of hearing about is the key topic that separates them: the 2020 election.
This week on The Gaggle, we are joined by Republic reporter Stacey Barchenger to talk through the ins and...
The political pendulum could swing back in Southern Arizona
Arizona's 6th Congressional District is always competitive for both parties.
Starting in 2006, voters chose a Democrat. Then in 2014, the district went to a Republican. In 2018, back to a Democrat and in 2022, back to a Republican.
This year, Republican Donald Trump is in the White House, and the party could feel voters' wrath in the midterms. Incumbent Republican Juan Ciscomani is back to defend his seat, this time against Democrat JoAnna Mendoza.
This week on The Gaggle, we are joined by the Republic's Congressional reporter to go over the competitive race and break down ho...
2020 looms over Fontes and Kolodin's secretary of state race
Whether they like it or not, Arizona voters will be asked to consider their opinion on the 2020 election yet again.
That's because the key difference in the two candidates running for Secretary of State is their stance on election integrity and safety.
Democrat Adrian Fontes was the Maricopa County recorder then and he maintains the process is fair. Republican Alex Kolodin meanwhile defended both Cyber Ninjas and the "fake electors" in court.
This week on The Gaggle, we talk through what these candidates want for the future of Arizona's elections.
Email...
Feely and Shah are fighting for more than a House seat
One of the most competitive races in the midterms is happening in one of Arizona's most independent districts, CD1. It's one that national pundits are saying could change the balance of power in the U.S. House.
Looking to take the open seat is Democrat Dr. Amish Shah and Republican Jay Feely.
This week on The Gaggle, we are joined by Republic reporter Laura Gersony.
Together, we break down where this hotly contested race stands, how the candidates are framing each other and the role Trump will play in the election.
E...
Surprise is at the center of the nation's big issues
Between the ICE detention center, Flock cameras and data centers, it seems that Surprise is right at the heart of America's conversation.
But how come? Why are the nation's hottest topics all happening in Surprise?
This week on The Gaggle,we are joined by Surprise City Councilmember Johnny Melton, a Republican, to talk through how this fast-growing city has become such a hotbed for America's big political issues.
Email us! [email protected]
Leave us a voicemail: 602-444-0804
Follow us on â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â X,â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â Instagramâ â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â and â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â Tik Tokâ â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â
Guest: â â â â Councilmember Johnny Melton
Hosts: â â â â â Ron Hansenâ â â â â â â â â â â â â , Stephanie Murray
Producer: â â â â â â Amanda Lubertoâ â â â â â â â
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What the Arizona lieutenant governor picks tell us about the race
While 45 other states already have it, the lieutenant governor is a brand-new job in Arizona, and both candidates have chosen their running mates.
Democratic incumbent Katie Hobbs chose former Mesa Mayor and former Republican, John Giles, while Republican Andy Biggs went with former state lawmaker Sine Kerr.
Both candidates' running mates shed a light on what they think they need to add to their campaign to win.
This week on The Gaggle, we are joined by two political consultants to unpack what their picks say about their chances of winning the governorship.
...
How Americaâs culture wars took over everyday life
One of the most politically volatile topics to bring up at the dinner table isn't the war in Iran, the price of gas or the immigration crackdown across the country. It's the culture war.
This week on The Gaggle, we are joined by Isaac Butler, the left-leaning author of the new book "The Perfect Moment: God, Sex, Art, and the Birth of America's Culture Wars."
As an expert on the origins of the culture war, he'll help us make sense of how we got here.
Email us! [email protected]
Could Democrats finally flip the Arizona legislature?
Arizona's politics are now reliably purple.
The top offices are held by Democrats but a wider look will show that Arizona's lawmakers are predominately red.
A few major races in the midterm election this November are close, which leads people to wonder if this is the year Democrats catch their white whale: the legislature.
Email us! [email protected]
Leave us a voicemail: 602-444-0804
Follow us on â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â X,â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â Instagramâ â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â and â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â Tik Tokâ â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â
Guest: â â â â Helen Rummel Ray Stern
Hosts: â â â â â Ron Hansenâ â â â â â â â â â â â â , Stephanie Murray
Producer: â â â â â â Amanda Lubertoâ â â â â â â â
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Politics is turning to AI and influencers for your attention
The days of television ads and fliers in the mail are going by the wayside when it comes to campaigns getting their message out.
Technology is changing fast and politicians â sitting or hopeful â are using influencers, artificial intelligence and more to try to get your attention and your vote.
This week on The Gaggle, we are joined by three experts in various fields to discuss the new frontier of technology and politics.
Email us! [email protected]
Leave us a voicemail: 602-444-0804
Follow us on â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â X,â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â ...
What happened on primary election night 2026
Early tallies for the midterm primaries show that Arizona Republicans have put their trust in MAGA-style candidates for the top three spots on the November ballot.
For the most part, the primary races were decided soon after an unexpectedly smooth election day. Voting in Maricopa County, a hotbed for election denialism and backbiting over election responsibilities, went off without any major glitches.
This week on The Gaggle, we are joined by fellow Arizona Republic politics reporters for initial thoughts on midterm primary night 2026.
Email us! [email protected]
L...
How to watch the primaries like a pro
The primary election is on July 21 and with only a few days left, there are still major questions and contentious races that political professionals are keeping an eye on.
The impact of Turning Point USA's backing, candidates aligning with artificial intelligence and major ad spending are all key factors that are leaving even the most in-tune politicos wondering.
This week on The Gaggle, we are joined by two political strategists to talk about the big storylines, the big spenders and the big unknowns heading into primary night.
Email us! [email protected]
Flock cameras: surveillance or safety?
Debates over Flock cameras, license plate readers that use artificial intelligence, are riling up citizens in Chandler and South Tucson who argue that the tech is invading their privacy.
But proponents say that Flock is helping local police, the U.S. Border Patrol and agencies like U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
This week on The Gaggle, we are joined by two reporters who have been keeping tabs on how some communities in Arizona are handling the fight over Flock.
Email us! [email protected]
Leave us a voicemail: 602-444-0804
BONUS: The Republicans running for Arizona Governor
Two longtime Congressmen want to leave Washington, D.C., to instead lead Arizona as its next governor.
Congressman Andy Biggs and Congressman David Schweikert both have decades worth of experience in politics and both want to the chance to take on incumbent Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs in November.
First they'll need to win the Republican nomination in the July 21 primary election.
In this bonus episode of The Gaggle, state politics reporter Stacey Barchenger walks you through the similarities and differences between the Republican candidates running for Arizona governor.
Ema...
How Arizonans are feeling about America
This week, Americans across the country will be celebrating the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States.
While it should be a time for reflection and patriotism, research shows that Americans have complicated feelings about the country ahead of this milestone.
This week on The Gaggle, we turn the microphone over to Arizonans to find out how they're feeling about the country as the country's 250th birthday approaches.
We asked them how the anniversary is making them feel, what they would change about America if they could and what makes them p...
Outspoken: Black people had difficult choices to make in the American Revolution
Walk into the Museum of African American History on Bostonâs Beacon Hill right now and the Revolution looks different from the one most of us learned in school.
The museumâs new exhibition, "Black Voices of the Revolution: Liberty, Emancipation, and the Struggle for Independence," asks what independence meant to people who were themselves enslaved or only tenuously free.
In this Outspoken conversation, I spoke with the museumâs president and CEO, Noelle Trent, about how that lens reshapes our understanding of 1776 and what we should be teaching the next generation as the Declaration of Inde...
How Trump's economy is affecting Arizona's tourism
It's something we can all feel right now at the gas pump, the aisles of the grocery store and just about anywhere you spend money: prices are high.
President Donald Trump's foreign tariffs and the war in Iran have put pressure on American consumers
In addition, the administration's immigration crackdown and higher fees for foreign travelers have turned off tourists from other countries.
This week on The Gaggle, we're joined by an economic expert for a state and nation wide look and the mayor of a small town near the Grand Canyon to ta...
Outspoken: Meet the Revolution's artists, spies and other unheralded patriots
As we move toward another Fourth of July, it feels especially urgent to revisit the American Revolution through the lives of people who rarely make it into our textbooks or monuments.
Art historian Zara Anishanslin does exactly that by recasting the founding era through the artists â many of them women, enslaved people, and immigrants â who used art, espionage and activism to shape a new nation from unexpected places, including London.Â
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Outspoken: This is what inspired colonists to rally for liberty
In my home, the founding era has long been a family affair â something talked through on earlyâmorning walks to school, road trips to historic sites, and debates about what the nationâs promises actually mean in practice for each new generation.
That personal history is the backdrop for this Outspoken conversation with my son, Blake Burton, a financial crimes analyst and deeply read student of history and philosophy.Â
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Outspoken: This is why education always must strive to be inclusive
As president of Arizona State University since 2002 and the architect of what he calls a New American University, President Dr. Michael Crow has spent 2 decades trying to design a public institution that aligns itself with the countryâs founding promise of government by and for the people â not by and for the alreadyâprivileged few.Â
In this Outspoken conversation, Crow argues that if America was born in conscious rejection of hereditary power, its universities should be just as intentional about breaking from the exclusionary, classâbound traditions they inherited from Britain and Europe
Learn more ab...
Trump tax cuts to data centers: Inside the $18B budget
Gov. Katie Hobbs and the Arizona Legislature worked across the aisle for an $18 billion state budget.
It includes the end of tax exemptions for data centers, nearly across the board cutbacks on state agencies, and implementing a historic tax cut that makes Arizona the first state to put President Donald Trump's tax cuts into action.
This week on The Gaggle, we are joined by two state politics reporters for the Arizona Republic to break down what's inside, the most dramatic day of the session and what parts will impact Arizonans right away.
E...
Outspoken: Why the Declaration and individual liberty remains essential
At the Goldwater Institute in Phoenix, the word "liberty" has a very specific meaning: the individualâs right to make the key choices in his or her own life without interference from the state.
Timothy Sandefur, the instituteâs vice president for legal affairs, is one of the clearest contemporary defenders of that vision.
In this Outspoken conversation, we asked him how that understanding of liberty connects back to the Declaration of Independence â and where he thinks the country has drifted away from what Jefferson and his contemporaries had in mind.Â
Learn mor...
Bonus: The Republicans running for Arizona's attorney general
Democratic incumbent Kris Mayes is seeking reelection as Arizona's attorney general this fall, but the Arizona Republican Party is searching for the right candidate to win them back the office in November.
On their primary ballot, Republican voters have their choice between two contenders: current Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen and private attorney Rodney Glassman.
In this bonus episode of The Gaggle, state politics reporter Stacey Barchenger walks you through the similarities and differences between the Republican candidates running for Arizona's attorney general for the chance to rival Mayes later this year.
L...
Outspoken: How Indigenous people influenced the Founding Fathers
In grievance 27 of the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson denounces âthe merciless Indian savages, whose known rule of warfare is the undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.â
For Native nations, those words were more than rhetoric; they helped license a policy of removal and erasure that would define the next century of U.S. expansion.
In this Outspoken conversation, we ask historian Donald Grinde Jr. how that clause shaped American attitudes toward Native peoples and what the founders also learned, and borrowed, from Indigenous governments.Â
Learn more about your ad cho...
What Mark Lamb's scandal means for the future of CD5
Former Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb is running for Congress with the coveted endorsement from President Donald Trump. Generally, this is a sure fire way to win the election.
But Lamb is facing an uphill battle after an Arizona Republic investigation found him at the center of multiple controversies.
This previously low-suspense race to replace Congressman Andy Biggs, who vacated his seat to run for governor, has turned on its head weeks before primary voting begins.
This week on The Gaggle, we are joined by the two Republic reporters who broke this story. They...
Outspoken: America's deep Latin roots are connected to Spanish support
Few of us ask what the words of the Declaration of Independence actually meant to the men who wrote them â or how much help they had from places like Havana and Madrid.Â
Renowned author and historian Felipe FernaĚndezâArmesto has spent his career studying colonialism, empire and the Hispanic roots of the Americas.
In this Outspoken conversation, he helps us see the Declaration through 18thâcentury eyes and reminds us that the United States has always been more Latin American than we tend to admit
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...
Outspoken: Why the Declaration contains the 'most important' sentence in history
Despite its contradictions, Historian and author Joseph Ellis calls the Declaration's phrase "all men are created equal" the most important sentence in American history.
In this Outspoken conversation, Ellis argues that the American Revolution really was a revolution, a âtotal reversal of the tectonic plates of Western political thought,â in which power flowed upward from the people instead of downward from God to kings.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Outspoken: In 1776, the Declaration of Independence was breaking news
Most of us picture the Declaration of Independence as a faded parchment under glass, guarded in the National Archives and summoned for big speeches every Fourth of July.
how the news of its signing actually reached the people it was meant to redefine.Â
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Don Bollesâ legacy and press violence today
50 years ago, a bomb exploded underneath the car of Arizona Republic investigative reporter Don Bolles outside the Clarendon Hotel, where he was set to meet a source.
He was mostly known during his life for exploring and excavating corruption in Arizona through his reporting on the state's ties to the mob.
This week on The Gaggle, we are joined by author and journalist Jeremy Duda and Republic reporter Richard Ruelas. Together, they share the famed story of the Bolles assassination.
Later in the show, Trevor Timm, the co-founder and the executive director of Free...
Outspoken: 'Deleted clauses' of the Declaration of Independence remain critical
The words removed from the Declaration of Independence show just as much as the ones left in.
Historian Holly Brewer argues that the deleted clauses in Thomas Jeffersonâs draft are essential to understanding how the revolutionaries thought about slavery, equality and the reach of human rights.Â
In this Outspoken conversation, we discuss how the British Empire used slavery to fund its power, and how postwar legal fights over debts and treaties helped stall efforts at gradual abolition.Â
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
BONUS: The Republicans running for Arizona's CD 1
Republican Congressman David Schweikert has held his seat in Congressional District 1 since 2010, but this year, he's leaving the seat open to run for Governor. Republicans are desperate to keep it for their party.
A few Republicans are in the running to represent the right in the 2026 CD1 election.
In this bonus episode of The Gaggle, we walk you through the similarities and differences between the people on your primary ballot.
Email us! [email protected]
Leave us a voicemail: 602-444-0804
Follow us on â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â X,â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â Instagramâ â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â and â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â Tik Tokâ â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â
Host:â Laura Gersonyâ
Producer: â â â â â â â Amanda Lubertoâ â â â â â â â
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit
Outspoken: Why the Declaration of Independence is still "radical"
For some, the words on the Declaration of Independence can only be described as "radical."
Rev. Byron Williams argues that the promise of a sovereign government is still reshaping global politics and moral imagination 250 years later.
In this Outspoken conversation, we talked about why he believes the Declaration remains a revolutionary document, what it demands of us now, and why he calls himself a âprisoner of hopeâ about its future.Â
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Why the Hobbs-Mayes feud could hurt Democrats in 2026
Gov. Katie Hobbs and Attorney General Kris Mayes are supposed to be on the same team. They're both Democrats in Arizona seeking reelection this November, trying to not only keep their seats but also keep Arizona's purple-state status alive.
But a look into Hobbs' connection to a state contractor has placed them at odds yet again.
This week on The Gaggle, we are joined by the Republic's state politics reporter to discuss what the latest beef between the governor and the attorney general is about and why it's a messy political risk to take in 2026.
BONUS: The Democrats running for Arizona's CD1
Editor's Note: Since this podcast was recorded, candidates Victor Weintraub and Mark Robert Gordon have withdrawn from the race.
Arizona Democrats have spent much of the past 16 years plotting how to oust Republican Congressman David Schweikert from Congressional District 1. 2026 is their best opportunity with Schweikert leaving to run for governor.
Six Democrats are in the running to represent the left in the 2026 CD1 election.
In this bonus episode of The Gaggle, we walk you through the similarities and differences between the people on your primary ballot.
Email us...
How the Declaration of Independence 'devastated' Native people
The first page of the Declaration of Independence gave the world a vocabulary for liberty that Americans still identify with.
Near the end, though, he denounced "merciless Indian savages" whose undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditionsâ supposedly justified colonial fears and violence.
In this Outspoken conversation, we sit down with Arizona State University Professor David MartiĚnez to ask how that language helped define U.S. policy toward Indigenous peoples, and what it would mean to face that legacy honestly on the Declarationâs 250th anniversary.Â
Learn more about your ad cho...
Mark Kellyâs future is fueling 2028 presidential buzz
Sen. Mark Kelly isn't just an Arizona name. He's a NASA astronaut, a veteran, a gun rights activist after the assassination attempt on his wife Gabrielle Giffords, and as recent as 2024, a vice presidential option.
He's always been a critic of Trump and his allies, but eye-catching fundraising and avoiding questions about his future have politicos wondering if Kelly is interested in the White House for 2028.
This week on The Gaggle, we discuss what Sen. Mark Kelly's future could hold.
Email us! [email protected]
Leave us a...
Trump eases marijuana rules as Arizona considers crackdown
More than a decade after Arizonans voted to legalize medical marijuana, the Trump administration is loosing federal rules around it.
While the final moves of rescheduling are still to come by the DEA, some Arizona Republicans are going in the opposite direction of the Trump administration by trying to put stricter rules around marijuana for the state.
This week on The Gaggle, a politics podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, we talk about why Trump reclassified marijuana now and why Arizona's GOP is considering a crackdown.
Email us! t...