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.
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! thegaggle@arizonarepublic.com
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Hosts: Stephanie Murray
Producer: Amanda Luberto
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Congressman Andy Biggs says Congress is "broken" and now one of Trump’s biggest Arizona allies is ready to come home and give Arizona a new direction.
This week on The Gaggle, we sit down with gubernatorial candidate Andy Biggs to discuss his thoughts on taxes, immigration, water rights and more.
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Guest: Congressman Andy Biggs
Hosts: Ron Hansen, Stephanie Murray
Producer: Amanda Luberto
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Maricopa County is one of the closest watched parts of the nation heading into the 2026 midterm election. It's one of the largest swing counties in America, in one of the most crucial states for both parties.
Democrats are hoping to capitalized on Trump's current low approval rate, but they have their work cut out for them. Republicans are winning the voter registration game and Democrats are still trying to find a way to appeal to voters, especially in a county with a growing population of independent voters.
This week on The Gaggle, we're joined by the chair of the Maricopa County Democratic Party to discuss what her party is doing to win back voters ahead of a high-stakes midterm election in November.
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Guest: Patti O'Neil
Hosts: Ron Hansen, Stephanie Murray
Producer: Amanda Luberto
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Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos is quickly becoming more well-known after facing national scrutiny for how his department has handled the unsolved disappearance of Nancy Guthrie.
In light of that, The Arizona Republic uncovered that Nanos has had a habit of misrepresenting his work history, had lied under oath in 2025, been accused of using his office for political gain and lied about a recommendation from a previous employer.
With Nanos, an elected official who won his position by fewer than 500 votes in 2024, in scalding hot water, citizens are wondering what can be done about it.
This week on The Gaggle, we go through the story that Stephanie broke and why complex county politics means Nanos could stay in office.
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Guest: Stephanie Murray
Hosts: Ron Hansen
Producer: Amanda Luberto
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President Donald Trump is set to be the main speaker at Turning Point's "Build the Red Wall" event on April 17.
Trump's appearance will kick off the midterm election season in Arizona, a battleground state that has candidates associated with Turning Point on the July ticket.
It's still early in the election cycle for the president's visit, but can Trump help Turning Point build a "red wall" in a midterm cycle that's shaping up to be pretty good for Democrats?
A Republican political strategist joins The Gaggle this week to discuss the President's visit.
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Guest: Jesse Hunt
Hosts: Ron Hansen, Stephanie Murray
Producer: Amanda Luberto
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As we approach the 2026 midterms, the next big fight in the election process is already brewing. Trump rolled out an executive order intended to limit mail-in voting to people screened by the Postal Service and the Department of Homeland Security as U.S. citizens.
Mail-in voting is something Arizona has done since 1991 and it's become one of the most popular ways to cast a ballot in the state, peacefully electing both Republicans and Democrats to office.
This week on The Gaggle, a politics podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, hosts Ron Hansen and Stephanie Murray are joined by Secretary of State Adrian Fontes.
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Guest: Secretary of State Adrian Fontes
Hosts: Ron Hansen, Stephanie Murray
Producer: Amanda Luberto
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The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors and County Recorder Justin Heap have been in a bitter legal battle for months on who is in charge of what parts of the election process.
They continue to fight over minute details that could have a major impact come November. The 2026 election in Maricopa County will help decide control of Congress, the state Legislature and the outcome of a very competitive governor's race.
This week on The Gaggle, we discussed the county's readiness for the elections with Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Chairperson Kate Brophy McGee, a Republican.
Email us! thegaggle@arizonarepublic.com
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Guest: Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Chairperson Kate Brophy McGee
Hosts: Ron Hansen, Stephanie Murray
Producer: Amanda Luberto
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The polarization over data center expansion is one of the best examples of the new business climate in Arizona. Some want the state to be on the forefront of the "AI revolution" while others aren't sold on it's economic benefits.
Arizona is one of the fastest growing hubs for data centers, with more on the way.
This has people questioning what it means for not only the state's resources, but also its tax dollars and impact on its job market.
This week on The Gaggle, we're joined by two experts to discuss how the Valley and the country are being economically impacted by the growth of data centers.
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Guest: Corina Vanek, Michael Hicks
Hosts: Ron Hansen, Stephanie Murray
Producer: Amanda Luberto
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These days you can bet on just about anything from the palm of your hand: pocket cash on the outcome of an Arizona Diamondbacks game or the Super Bowl. But now, you can also win money betting on politics.
Gamblers can wager the outcome of the war with Iran, the winner of the Arizona governor's race and how long Karoline Leavitt's White House press conferences will last.
The new gambling landscape has created a regulatory headache for Arizona, the federal government and the fast-growing prediction market companies fueling all these wagers.
This week on The Gaggle, we talk with a gaming law and sports betting attorney who is tracking prediction market legal battles across the country.
Email us! thegaggle@arizonarepublic.com
Leave us a voicemail: 602-444-0804
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Guest: Daniel Wallach
Hosts: Ron Hansen, Stephanie Murray
Producer: Amanda Luberto
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The 2020 election is apparently still not over.
President Donald Trump has two states that he hasn't gotten over losing, Arizona and Georgia, under his conspiratorial microscope again. Tusli Gabbard, the FBI and the US Justice Department are hunting for proof the 2020 election was stolen.
And Arizona's Senate President, Warren Petersen, gave the FBI full access to voting records.
This week on The Gaggle, we talk about the political fallout of the situation and why the Trump administration is dipping back into this well.
Email us: thegaggle@arizonarepublic.com
Leave us a voicemail: 602-444-0804
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Guest: Stacey Barchenger
Hosts: Ron Hansen, Stephanie Murray
Producer: Amanda Luberto
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