The Gaggle: An Arizona politics podcast

Early voting is underway for the midterm elections. And every race matters, from the governor to the U.S. Senate, the Legislature and on down to school boards. The Gaggle and The Arizona Republic’s political team are connecting with candidates so you can hear them make their case to voters in their words. This is part of a series of special bonus episodes of The Gaggle throughout the voting period. I’m Amanda Luberto, one of the producers for The Gaggle. In this bonus episode we’ll hear from Democratic candidate Greg Stanton who is running for the 4th Congressional District. This district covers Tempe, parts of Mesa, Phoenix and Chandler. It’s been referred to as the “big purple corridor” because of its independent-leaning nature.The Arizona Republic reached out to Republican candidate for this race, Kelly Cooper, but he didn’t respond to our request to participate. You will hear Tara Kavaler, a politics reporter for the Arizona Republic, ask the questions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Votes are pouring in across the state and the candidates are making their closing arguments for every race, from governor to Congress to the state Legislature. The ads on your screens, the flyers in your mailbox, the signs on seemingly every open corner are targeting the most coveted bloc of voters in Arizona: those who refuse to be beholden to either camp. Independents.In today's episode of The Gaggle, we hand over the mic to them. We hear how some plan to vote, why they choose to be independent, and their concerns for our state and nation.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Early voting is underway for the midterm elections. And every race matters, from the governor to the U.S. Senate, the Legislature and on down to school boards. The Gaggle and The Arizona Republic’s political team are connecting with candidates so you can hear them make their case to voters in their words. This is part of a series of special bonus episodes of The Gaggle throughout the voting period. In this bonus episode we’ll hear from the two candidates running for the 1st Congressional District, which spans the northeast valley and reaches into parts of north-central Phoenix. It is a newly created district, which was mostly the 6th Congressional District before.Incumbent Republican David Schweikert is facing Democrat Jevin Hodge to represent one of Arizona’s wealthiest districts.You will hear Tara Kavaler, a politics reporter for the Arizona Republic, ask the questions to each of the candidates. First you will hear from David Schewikert, followed by Jevin Hodge. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ten years ago, Mexican teenager José Antonio Elena Rodríguez was shot through the border fence by a U.S. Border Patrol agent. The agent believed the teen, standing in Nogales, Sonora, was throwing rocks at him and that he was in danger.The death launched a historic cross-border investigation that ultimately changed how the Border Patrol functions.But José Antonio isn’t the only person to have been killed across the border between Mexico and the United States. His story became an example of those families who are still fighting for justice.This week on The Gaggle, a podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, host Ron Hansen is joined by Arizona Republic reporters Rafael Carranza and Maritza Dominguez. Alongside producer Amanda Luberto, they told José Antonio's story in season three of the Republic's investigation podcast, Rediscovering. After visiting Ambos Nogales for the 10-year memorial celebration, Rafael and Maritza share how José Antonio's case is still impacting the family and our legal system. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Early voting is underway for the midterm elections. And every race matters, from the governor to the U.S. Senate, the Legislature and on down to school boards. The Gaggle and The Arizona Republic’s political team are connecting with candidates so you can hear them make their case to voters in their words. This is part of a series of special bonus episodes of The Gaggle throughout the voting period. In this bonus episode we’ll hear from the two candidates running for the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the state’s top education boss. Incumbent Democrat Kathy Hoffman is facing Tom Horne, the Republican former attorney general and former superintendent from 2003 -2011, where he served two terms. You will also hear from Yana Kunichoff, our K-12 reporter, who spoke with each candidate.You will hear Yana ask the questions first, with incumbent Kathy Hoffman answering first followed by Tom Horne.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The midterm election is less than a month away. And while many voters may have decided which candidates they are supporting, there is much more on the ballot this year. Ballot measures play a big role in deciding how Arizonans want their state run, but it can be confusing to sort through what each really stands for and if you want to vote yes or no.This week on The Gaggle, a podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, host Ron Hansen is joined by Arizona Republic reporters Mary Jo Pitzl and Ryan Randazzo, who have written about the different measures now before voters.They discuss the key initiatives, how they got to be on the ballot, who supports them, and who opposes them.Follow The Gaggle and all azcentral.com podcasts on Twitter here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The midterm elections are about a month away and both political parties are furiously trying to make their cases to the electorate. In a year marked by historic inflation and a seismic Supreme Court ruling on abortion, many political experts are expecting unusually heavy turnout. If that happens, America’s young adults could play a big role.But what do they want, or care about? Are they Democrats? Republicans? Or independents?In this episode of The Gaggle, we’re talking to some young adults to find out what’s on their minds.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Late on September 23rd, a Pima County Superior Court judge effectively allowed Arizona’s 19th Century ban on nearly all abortions to go back into effect. That is at odds with a 2022 law that bans most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy.Just this week, Maricopa County’s top prosecutor reversed herself and said she wouldn’t prosecute women for getting an abortion. Facing a charged political environment, Arizona officials have struggled to clarify what is legal and what is now forbidden after the U.S. Supreme Court in June erased federal abortion rights.The Pima County ruling sparked another round of anger and anguish from Democrats. Most Republicans preferred to let the latest development pass quietly.In this episode of The Gaggle, Brookings senior fellow and founding director Center for Effective Public ManagementElaine Kamarck (@EKamarck) joins our host, Ron Hansen to discuss how abortion restrictions may impact midterm elections. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On election night in 2020, Fox News made the first formal projection suggesting that Joe Biden could win the presidency by saying Biden had won Arizona.Almost immediately, that projection set off a firestorm in the White House, capped by then-President Donald Trump suggesting that the election was stolen. The backlash in Arizona came swiftly.Protesters gathered at the state Capitol, claiming a stolen election even as the votes were still being counted. Maricopa County became the national epicenter of the so-called “big lie” that widespread fraud allowed Biden to claim victory.By the end of 2020, the Arizona Republican Party assembled “alternate electors” to justify setting aside election results in Washington, D.C. About the same time, Arizona state Senate President Karen Fann, a Republican, set her chamber on a fateful path as well. She launched an unprecedented review of Maricopa County’s ballots in search of the fraud so many had claimed in Arizona.This week on The Gaggle, a podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, host Ron Hansen is joined by Arizona Republic reporters Mary Jo Pitzl and Robert Anglen, who helped cover the ballot review and the fallout since then.They discuss the year since the ballot review concluded, what it accomplished, and how it will affect the 2022 elections come November. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Few things are a safe bet when the Arizona Legislature reconvenes in January, including who will be sitting in the seats.What can be expected is that there will be a representative for the whole spectrum of opinions: from election deniers to abortion rights supporters.This is the expected outgrowth of a newly drawn political map where most races are not competitive in general elections. But what about the 11 state house races around Arizona where there is a little suspense over who will sit in the state Legislature for the next two years?This week on The Gaggle, a podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, host Ron Hansen is joined by state politics and issues reporter Ray Stern to make sense of the many Legislative races that will be on your ballot come November. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices