Heading into November’s election, the Democratic Party felt good. They thought they had the presidency locked up. And here locally, they were convinced that they would gain control of Arizona’s legislature after outspending Republicans in every single race.
Then, a massacre happened. President Trump was handed a mandate by the American people, and Democrats actually lost ground in our state legislature. That had to feel like rock bottom for the Left, and yet, as we’ve seen so far in 2025, it wasn’t.
On the heels of their historic defeat, the Arizona Democratic Party (ADP) faced accusations of financial wrongdoing from one of its leaders, just days before its convention and officer elections in January. Then, in April, the ADP saw even more infighting between party leadership and the state’s top Democratic elected officials: Governor Katie Hobbs, Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, Attorney General Kris Mayes, U.S. Senator Mark Kelly, and U.S. Senator Ruben Gallego. Now, the latest news shows that, according to its own leadership, the Arizona Democratic Party will actually go broke by the end of this year.
That’s a lot of dysfunction in just a few short months, which is usually the domain for Republicans. But now it appears the Dems have become the standard bearer of political chaos.
In the midst of all this infighting and disarray has been more bad news for Democrats. Voter registration numbers in April showed that the gap between registered Republicans and Democrats in Maricopa County has increased from 85,000 in April 2020 to 191,000 in April 2025. But that’s not even the worst part for the Left. According to the numbers, there are now fewer registered Democrats in Maricopa County than there were five years ago despite the fact that Maricopa County has grown by over 150,000 residents!
It’s tempting to want to grab a bowl of popcorn, sit back, and enjoy the show. Heck, it’s better than just about anything Hollywood has put out in years. But the conservative movement can’t afford to take its foot off the gas. Right now, it is critical to keep the momentum going after a successful 2024 in two important ways.
First, conservatives need to unite around winning issues such as border security, school choice, and putting more money back into the bank accounts of Arizona’s families with lower taxes and utility bills. After the Biden administration’s disastrous handling of the border, illegal immigration ranked as one of the top concerns for voters this past November. And there isn’t a person in this state who wouldn’t like to have more money back in their wallets.
On top of that, teachers’ unions made it no secret that their top priority was to roll back and eliminate the Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program in Arizona. They spent millions to push candidates with a long track record of being anti-school choice in this past election. And they lost big. Now, more families are recognizing the tremendous benefits of school choice in our state as enrollment in the ESA program continues to grow.
These are winning issues, and Republicans must unite around them to build on this success. But standing on the right side of key issues is only one part of keeping the momentum going.
Leading up to the 2024 election, a strong coalition of conservative groups got proactive. They excelled at registering thousands of new voters and converted countless disaffected Hispanic and young voters into pro-freedom Republicans.
But we can’t be satisfied or rest on our laurels.
Outreach and engagement with families, business owners, and voters all throughout the state of Arizona must be a priority. And if the conservative movement continues to build on these pillars—and the Dems continue to self-immolate—the winning won’t stop heading into 2026.
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