Podcast
The Gaggle: An Arizona politics podcast
Hosted by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com · EN
Helping 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.
32episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Trump eases marijuana rules as Arizona considers crackdown
2d ago00:21:04Tap to summarizeMore 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 Leave us a voicemail: 602-444-0804 Follow us on X, Instagram and Tik Tok Guest: Ray Stern Hosts: Stephanie Murray Producer: Amanda Luberto Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Why Andy Biggs wants to be Arizona's next Governor
1w ago00:29:58Tap to summarizeCongressman 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. Email us! thegaggle@arizonarepublic.com Leave us a voicemail: 602-444-0804 Follow us on X, Instagram and Tik Tok Guest: Congressman Andy Biggs Hosts: Ron Hansen, Stephanie Murray Producer: Amanda Luberto Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Democrats want Maricopa County. Here's their challenge.
2w ago00:22:28Tap to summarizeMaricopa 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. Email us! thegaggle@arizonarepublic.com Leave us a voicemail: 602-444-0804 Follow us on X, Instagram and Tik Tok Guest: Patti O'Neil Hosts: Ron Hansen, Stephanie Murray Producer: Amanda Luberto Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos' web of half-truths
3w ago00:26:25Tap to summarizePima 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. Email us! thegaggle@arizonarepublic.com Leave us a voicemail: 602-444-0804 Follow us on X, Instagram and Tik Tok Guest: Stephanie Murray Hosts: Ron Hansen Producer: Amanda Luberto Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Why Trump is visiting Phoenix so early in the 2026 midterm cycle
Apr 1500:27:31Tap to summarizePresident 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. Email us! thegaggle@arizonarepublic.com Leave us a voicemail: 602-444-0804 Follow us on X, Instagram and Tik Tok Guest: Jesse Hunt Hosts: Ron Hansen, Stephanie Murray Producer: Amanda Luberto Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Adrian Fontes wants you to know your mail-in ballot is safe
Apr 800:36:57Tap to summarizeAs 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. Email us! thegaggle@arizonarepublic.com Leave us a voicemail: 602-444-0804 Follow us on X, Instagram and Tik Tok Guest: Secretary of State Adrian Fontes Hosts: Ron Hansen, Stephanie Murray Producer: Amanda Luberto Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Inside Maricopa County's elections feud
Apr 100:33:28Tap to summarizeThe 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 Leave us a voicemail: 602-444-0804 Follow us on X, Instagram and Tik Tok Guest: Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Chairperson Kate Brophy McGee Hosts: Ron Hansen, Stephanie Murray Producer: Amanda Luberto Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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The reality of data centers on Arizona's economy
Mar 2500:37:27Tap to summarizeThe 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. Email us! thegaggle@arizonarepublic.com Leave us a voicemail: 602-444-0804 Follow us on X, Instagram and Tik Tok Guest: Corina Vanek, Michael Hicks Hosts: Ron Hansen, Stephanie Murray Producer: Amanda Luberto Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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You can now bet on politics, but is it legal?
Mar 1800:28:56Tap to summarizeThese 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 Follow us on X, Instagram and Tik Tok Guest: Daniel Wallach Hosts: Ron Hansen, Stephanie Murray Producer: Amanda Luberto Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Why Trump is dipping back into 2020 ballots
Mar 1100:16:12Tap to summarizeThe 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 Subscribe to the Arizona Election's Memo, our Tuesday elections newsletter Follow us on X, Instagram and Tik Tok Guest: Stacey Barchenger Hosts: Ron Hansen, Stephanie Murray Producer: Amanda Luberto Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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