Arizona Democrats are in crisis

Arizona Democrats are in crisis

Author: The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com July 23, 2025 Duration: 30:50
Arizona Democrats have held the spotlight this month with two very different votes. One elected legacy politician Adelita Grijalva for the party's representation in the CD 7 race to fill her late father's seat in Congress. The other was to oust their state party chair, Robert Branscomb II. Arizona Democrats are riddled with political infighting after losing the presidential election in 2024, and soon the party will need to come together for midterm campaigns, including the re-election of Gov. Katie Hobbs. This week on The Gaggle, we joined by Stacy Pearson, a Democratic political strategist and co-founder of Lumen Strategies. Pearson joins the show to give a status update on the party, what these two votes indicate for the future and what she thinks the Democrats need in order to get it together. Email us! thegaggle@arizonarepublic.com Leave us a voicemail: 602-444-0804 Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Tik Tok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Guest: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Stacy Pearson, political strategist⁠⁠⁠⁠ Hosts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ron Hansen⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Mary Jo Pitzl⁠⁠⁠ Producer: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amanda Luberto⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Every Wednesday morning, The Gaggle: An Arizona politics podcast cuts through the noise to focus on a single issue shaping life in the state. Hosted by The Arizona Republic’s national political reporters Ron Hansen and Stephanie Murray, and produced by Amanda Luberto, this isn't just a recap of headlines. Instead, the conversation goes deeper with a guest-a politician, a journalist, or another key public figure-to unpack the real-world implications of a policy, a vote, or a debate. You’ll hear how decisions made at the capitol or in city halls ripple out to affect communities, schools, and wallets. The discussion is grounded in the expertise of the Republic’s newsroom, offering clarity and context that’s often missing from the daily churn. For anyone trying to understand the forces directing Arizona’s future, this weekly podcast provides an essential, focused look at the mechanics of state politics and government, making the complex both accessible and relevant. It’s a straightforward guide to what’s happening, who’s involved, and why it all matters for your day-to-day.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

The Gaggle: An Arizona politics podcast
Podcast Episodes
How Trump's Big Beautiful Bill will change Arizona [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:32
President Donald Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act into law in a Fourth of July ceremony, making tax cuts he passed during his first term permanent. It offsets those revenue losses to the government with steep…
The Arizona Republic reads the Declaration of Independence [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:55
On July 4th, 1776, 56 men signed a document declaring the newly formed 13 colonies as one United States of America. By this charter, they formed a new country, one free from Britain's rule. The Declaration of Independenc…
The Arizona Budget Battle [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:42
This week on The Gaggle, a politics podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, hosts Ron Hansen and Mary Jo Pitzl speak with Republic reporters Stacey Barchenger and Ray Stern to explore the politics of this unus…
Meet the candidates looking to replace Rep. Raúl Grijalva [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:25
Early voting begins June 18 in the only federal race this year in Arizona. An election to fill the seat of the late U.S. Rep. Raúl Grijalva is underway in Arizona's Congressional District 7. The race in southern Arizona…
Same-sex marriage in AZ: The road to legalization and what’s next [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:09
June 2025 marks a decade since the U.S. Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage. The landmark 5-4 ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges resolved a long-standing national debate and brought together a conflicting patchwork of…
Inside Arizona's standoff: Hobbs vs. Hoffman over director nominees [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:31
Gov. Katie Hobbs announced in May that she would not submit any more agency director nominations to the state Senate for confirmation, blaming what she called the "circus" environment for vetting her nominees. Hobbs has…
What happens now in Arizona's fake electors case [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:14
The state's Democratic Attorney General Kris Mayes is focused on the Republicans who tried to help sidestep Arizona's certified election results. A Maricopa County Superior Court judge recently ordered Mayes to take her…
Immigration since Trump regained office [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:32
The Trump administration has only been in office for a few months, but the early days seem to make good on a promise of stricter immigration reform and border security. But an intimidating defense along the border is not…
What is next for teacher pay in Arizona [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:24
As lawmakers are on break, work is going on behind the scenes on an education-related bill that would raise teacher pay and maybe provide constitutional protections for Arizona’s private-school voucher program. Despite w…