In the past few years, Arizona has gained a new title: "purple state."
The political makeup of the state has veered from being predominantly red to being somewhat of a mix of Republican, Democrat and Independent, especially when looking at voter registration. By looking at just the top offices, it's easy to assume that Arizona might be trending more blue than red. Both of Arizona's senators are Democrats, as well as the governor, secretary of state and attorney general.
A wider view of the state will show that some Arizona institutions are holding onto the red state status. The Legislature has been controlled by Republicans for nearly 35 straight years, and within that, they've had the majority in the Arizona House since 1964.
Each year, Arizona
Democrats set out on a mission to flip the Capitol and 2026 is no different. Democrats only need a few seats in each chamber to make it happen, and a few contests are interestingly close.
This week on The Gaggle, a politics podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, hosts Ron Hansen and Stephanie Murray are joined by Republic reporters Helen Rummel and Ray Stern, who cover the Arizona state capitol.
They break down the big races you should be watching for the Arizona Legislature and why Democrats believe this is their year to capture their white whale.
Listen to the episode
The best way to listen is to subscribe to The Gaggle in your favorite podcast app, but you can also stream the full episode below.
Note: The Gaggle is intended to be heard. But we also offer an AI transcript of the episode. There may be slight deviations from the podcast audio.
Have a question or comment about Arizona politics?
You can share your thoughts with us by calling 602-444-0804 or emailing us.
Reach producer Amanda Luberto at amanda.luberto@arizonarepublic.com. Follow her on X @amandaluberto.
Catch up on previous Gaggle episodes here:
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: These races might help Democrats finally flip the Arizona Legislature
