Stay ConnectedHelping 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.
It goes without saying: You must be a U.S. citizen to vote in U.S. elections. Even so, the idea of proving your citizenship has been hotly contested.
Proponents say it's crucial to prevent non-citizens from voting in U.S. elections. Opponents say that this creates roadblocks that disenfranchise voters.
In Arizona, the Legislature sought to reinstate a state law requiring residents to provide proof of citizenship to register to vote. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of the state Republicans' request on Aug. 22. The request is also backed by the Republican National Committee.
However, the court turned down a request to reinstate the portion of the same law that would bar federal-only voters from participating in federal elections.
So what does this all mean?
In this episode of The Gaggle's monthly series, Election Dissection, hosts Mary Jo Pitzl and Sasha Hupka explain the law and explain who's effected by it.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The general election is less than seven weeks away on Nov. 5, and the presidential race is gaining the most attention. However, for Arizonans, there are some really important races down your ballot that you don't want to skip over.
In Maricopa County in particular, there are four races worth your attention: county recorder, sheriff, board of supervisors, and superintendent.
In this episode of The Gaggle, hosts Ron Hansen and Mary Jo Pitzl sit down with the Republic's county watchdog reporter, and co-host of The Gaggle's Election Dissection series, Sasha Hupka.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
For the first time in 10 years, Mesa has to choose a new mayor.
Politically, Mesa is a study in contrasts. The current mayor, Republican John Giles, is known for his relatively moderate views and willingness to cross party lines, as he has again in the presidential election this year. But it’s also the political base of U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs, a MAGA conservative.
Mayoral candidates Scott Smith and Mark Freeman will be on the ballot for voters in November in a runoff election after what started as a five-way race.
This week on The Gaggle, a politics podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, hosts Ron Hansen and Mary Jo Pitzl are joined by reporter Maritza Dominguez, who covers Mesa and other East Valley cities. They compare the two candidates, get a sense of where Mesa is headed politically and hear about what current Mayor Giles thinks of his two possible replacements.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Slow job growth could be one reason why markets worldwide took a nosedive on Monday. At the beginning of August, the U.S. jobs report showed sluggish growth in July.
However, the stock market has been stabilizing. And for those of us in Arizona, things are looking up. At least a little. Inflation is cooling - though that doesn't mean prices are going down, except for gas prices. Those have dropped almost 40 cents. For more than a year wages have outpaced inflation.
So why do Arizonans, and most Americans, still feel a pinch in their pocketbooks? Groceries, housing, childcare, health care, everything feels so much more expensive. Why doesn't the good news feel like it's good?
In this episode of The Gaggle, hosts Ron Hansen and Mary Jo Pitzl sat down with Jared Bernstein, the chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, on Friday, August 2, to discuss the state of the U.S. economy, how it's affecting Arizonans, what special challenges are state is facing, and what the Biden Administration is trying to do about.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Voters across Arizona headed to the polls Tuesday to cast their vote in the 2024 primary election.
A low voter turnout resulted in few complications on primary election day. There were no noteworthy technology glitches or long lines deferring voters from participating.
But that doesn't mean that everything will be smooth sailing on the big day in November.
This week on The Gaggle, a politics podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, hosts Ron Hansen and Mary Jo Pitzl are joined by reporters from the Republic's politics team to dissect who the big winners were, how election day went, and what that could mean for November.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The election process is being carefully watched. From security cameras at county offices to candidates monitoring polling places, there are eyes and ears on alert to ensure the safety of the voting process.
But another group plays a key role in ensuring the integrity of the vote: election observers.
With less than a week before the 2024 primary election in Arizona, these observers are already at work. They're watching as early ballots are being processed at county election offices.
These volunteers are often overlooked on election day, but they are an important part of the voting process.
This week on Election Dissection, an elections series of The Gaggle podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, hosts Mary Jo Pitzl and Sasha Hupka talk with some people who watch democracy in process.
Jeff and Robin Greeson have been observers with the Maricopa County Democratic Party since 2018. They tell Election Dissection how the job really works and lessons they've learned over the past few years.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Republican National Convention is underway in Milwaukee, Wisconsin this week, and Donald Trump is the GOP's official pick for president. But Trump's bombastic attitude and brash words aren't new to American politics.
Sixty years ago, another grandiloquent and explicitly extreme presidential candidate appeared on the scene: Barry M. Goldwater.
For longtime Arizonans and political historians, the name Goldwater is synonymous with "extremism" and the man who voted against the 1964 Civil Rights Act. For conservatives, he was a leader they could rally behind during a time of immense change.
Just who was Goldwater and was he really as extreme as history says he is?
In this episode, we look back at that historic campaign between Goldwater and Lindon B. Johnson.
Want to learn more about Arizona's unique brand of extremism? Subscribe to Rediscovering. Season 4 "The Roots of Radicalism" drops Monday, July 22.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On Saturday, former President Donald Trump was shot at during his campaign stop in Butler, Pennsylvania. Three people were injured including the presidential nominee, who suffered an injury to his ear as a bullet skimmed the side of his head.
One man died while shielding his family from the gunshots.
The assassination attempt is still under investigation, but the gunman has been identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks, a 20-year-old from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, just outside of Pittsburgh.
Meanwhile, the Republican National Convention starts today in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Along with his newly announced running mate J.D. Vance, the Senator from Ohio, delegates voted today that Trump will lead the GOP on the 2024 Presidential ballot.
On this bonus episode of The Gaggle, a politics podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, hosts Ron Hansen and Mary Jo Pitzl are joined by political consultants from both sides of the aisle to examine the potential political fallout from the shooting at Trump’s rally, and how it could affect the November general election.
Joining the show are Constantin Querard, a GOP political consultant and the founder and president of Grassroots Partners, a consulting and public affairs firm, and Alfredo Gutierrez, former state senator and a longtime force in Arizona Democratic politics.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
At the end of July, Arizonans will vote in the primary election to say who will represent them for the Republican and Democratic parties. But the work is already underway on the ballot for the November general election.
A legislative panel signed off on the language that describes what ballot propositions would do, and last week, supporters of three citizen initiatives brought in petitions with a combined 1.8 million voter signatures.
Arizonans decided that abortion access, a minimum wage increase and the opportunity to create open primaries were topics they wanted to vote on in November.
All three are currently under review to ensure there were enough valid signatures to make the ballot in November.
This week on The Gaggle, a politics podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, host Mary Jo Pitzl is joined by state politics reporters Stacey Barchenger and Ray Stern to discuss the citizen initiatives that collected enough signatures and the likelihood you'll see them on the November ballot.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This year, Americans will choose their next president and many other lawmakers, and decide which initiatives to enshrine in local law. It's a practice made possible by rebels of the British Crown more than two centuries ago. Since then, America has evolved dramatically, and the stage is set for history to be made once more this November.
However, instead of looking ahead, we are looking back at the start of it all.
On July 4, 1776, 56 men signed a document declaring 13 British colonies as one United States of America.
By this charter, they formed a new country - one free from a distant king's rule. The Declaration of Independence showcased the rights and beliefs of the new country. It was a written record of what America would stand for and was signed by the nation’s founding fathers.
To honor the country’s 248th birthday, The Gaggle presents a reading of the Declaration of Independence.
Here to read the country’s founding document are reporters and other staff members at The Arizona Republic.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Our TOPPODCAST Picks 
