Maricopa County is the economic driver of Arizona and at least politically, largely shapes the state's identity.

During the 2024 election, the county went through a political overhaul. There are a lot of new faces dealing with a lot of familiar issues. Illegal immigration, sports venues and a jail tax are all on the county's list to tackle in the months to come. But how will new blood approach old business?

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 county politics reporter Sasha Hupka. Together, they break down the big changes at the state's biggest county.

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President Donald Trump's "Day 1" has come and gone and so far, he has kept most of his promises.

The president signed an abundance of executive orders in the hours following his inauguration, some directly impacting Arizonans, with more to come in the first few days of his new administration. But is this the beginning of a MAGA marathon or an early sprint before the chance of a changing tide in the 2026 midterm elections?

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 national politics reporters Stephanie Murray and Laura Gersony. Together they go through what Trump’s second time in office may mean for Arizonans and the future.

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President-elect Donald Trump is gearing up for his inauguration on Jan. 20 and the start of the new administration holds significance for Arizona. Trump has promised to start mass deportations on "day one" and to quickly tighten border protections.

As for now, the border seems calm. But "day one" is coming soon.

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 southern Arizona reporter Sarah Lapidus. She has been at the border with The Republic's immigration reporter Rafael Romero Ruiz, talking with people who call the borderlands home.

This week, The Republic is launching a newsletter to keep you up to date on changing immigration developments and border policies. Subscribe to the American Border newsletter here.

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t's been four years since the riot at the U.S. Capitol shook the country. It was the first time in history there wasn't a peaceful transfer of power as the electoral votes were finalized. This week's presidential certification was notably without the violence and chaos that defined January 6, 2021.

This week on The Gaggle, a politics podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, hosts Ron Hansen and Mary Jo Pitzl take a look back at 2021 and how the aftermath of the Capitol attack is still playing out today.

In this episode, you'll hear interviews from 2021 with Senator Ruben Gallego and Maricopa County Supervisor Debbie Lesko, who were representatives at the time and in the Capitol building that day. They share their firsthand account with The Gaggle.

Then, an interview with reporter Richard Ruelas from 2022 as the investigation into the attack was beginning and Arizona names were coming to light.

Listen to the full interviews from 2021 here.

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2025 isn't an election year, but that doesn't mean that Arizona politics will be boring.

Newly elected Democratic Senator Ruben Gallego is preparing his move to Washington DC. Heading to the National's capitol as well, are seemingly diametrically opposed members of Congress that Arizonans voted in for the first time this year. Democrat Yassamin Ansari and Republican Abe Hamadeh are among a new batch of freshman in Congress.

Meanwhile, Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs didn’t flip the Legislature like she wanted and is actually facing an even more conservative group of state lawmakers. In the background, she is also preparing her run for re-election in 2026.

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 Republic politics reporters to give a sense of what they're looking at for the year ahead.

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We hope you have a safe and enjoyable holiday, listeners. We're taking the week off to be with our families. See you in 2025!

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Arizona had yet another noteworthy year in politics.

All eyes were on the swing state for the 2024 general election. With a Senate race involving Democrat Ruben Gallego and Republican Kari Lake, as well as how voters would respond to constitutionalizing reproductive rights following the repeal of a 19th-century abortion law, Arizona stayed in the national spotlight.

But that wasn't everything that happened. From using taxpayer's money on Norwegian pop stars to indicting President Trump's formal personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, hosts Ron Hansen and Mary Jo Pitzl go through five moments that defined 2024 for Arizona politics.

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Trump is targeting Mexico and Canada for his tariffs, as well, and that could directly impact Arizona as a border state as well as those who make their living off the international supply chain.

But will they help or hurt Arizonans? 

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 two guests to discuss what impact Trump's proposed tariffs on Mexico will have on Arizonans.

Economist at the University of Arizona George Hammond and Arizona Republic reporter Laura Gersony join the show.

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With former President Donald Trump's re-election win this November, his aggressive plans — positive to some, negative to others — on the border and immigration seemingly won him the nomination. He promised mass deportations on day one of his White House return, saying he would declare a national emergency to make it happen.

Trump's proposal would impact a quarter-million people in Arizona, according to the Pew Research Center.

But how possible are Trump's plans? Logistical and legal questions have already been raised about how he'll succeed in enacting mass deportations, from both adversaries and members of his own party.

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 Jennie Murray, the CEO and president of the National Immigration Forum. It's an immigration advocacy non-profit based in Washington D.C. 

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Despite the anticipation for another long election season extending into the new year, Arizona's election season went pretty smoothly. In stark contrast of 2022 and 2020, the 2024 election was calm and professional.

But that doesn't mean that it's over.

There are still a few recounts to complete before the season can really come to an end — both on the county and statewide level. And certain hiccups have politicos questioning if the next election will be as smooth, or if Arizona will find its way back into election chaos.

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 break down what the final steps are to wrap up election season, how denialism seems to be on hiatus and how it will impact Arizonans in the new year.

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Arizona and other key swing states all went red in 2024, helping Donald Trump secure the U.S. presidency. This year, he won Arizona by a bigger margin than the 2016 election.

Weeks after the election, how Trump gained more votes is now being analyzed.

With Trump heading back to Washington in January, this data might shed light on what might happen to the governor's seat in 2026, when Gov. Katie Hobbs' seat is open again.

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 Stephanie Murray to break down the data of the 2024 election.

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