Alfredo Gutierrez, a nationally known migrants-rights activist and prominent politician, has died. At 79 years old, he succumbed to esophageal cancer on Tuesday, July 29.

Through his long service in the state, Gutierrez exhibited an activist's DNA despite his role inside the government. He sought social justice with his dual passions of civil rights and educational access, especially for immigrants.

This week on a special episode of The Gaggle, an Arizona political podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, host Mary Jo Pitzl takes you through the notable life of Alfredo Gutierrez.

Rather than us talking about Gutierrez, you'll hear from the man himself along with former state House minority leader Art Hamilton, former Phoenix mayor Terry Goddard, former state Senate President Pete Rios and notable friends.

Read Alfredo Gutierrez's obituary.

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Hosts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mary Jo Pitzl⁠⁠⁠⁠

Producer: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amanda Luberto⁠

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Arizona Democrats have held the spotlight this month with two very different votes.

One elected legacy politician Adelita Grijalva for the party's representation in the CD 7 race to fill her late father's seat in Congress.

The other was to oust their state party chair, Robert Branscomb II.

Arizona Democrats are riddled with political infighting after losing the presidential election in 2024, and soon the party will need to come together for midterm campaigns, including the re-election of Gov. Katie Hobbs.

This week on The Gaggle, we joined by Stacy Pearson, a Democratic political strategist and co-founder of Lumen Strategies. Pearson joins the show to give a status update on the party, what these two votes indicate for the future and what she thinks the Democrats need in order to get it together.

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Guest: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Stacy Pearson, political strategist⁠⁠⁠⁠

Hosts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ron Hansen⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Mary Jo Pitzl⁠⁠⁠

Producer: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amanda Luberto⁠

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While the rest of the U.S. Senate will go on its annual break in August, Arizona freshman Ruben Gallego is heading to Des Moines to meet with middle America to potentially gauge his chances in what is expected to be a crowded field of Democratic contenders.

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 Des Moines Register politics reporter Brianne Pfannensteil.

She joins the podcast to talk through what this trip means, if stopping at the Iowa State Fair is still a strong indicator of who is interested in the White House spot and how voters outside of Arizona view the senator.

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Guest: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Brianne Pfannensteil⁠

Hosts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ron Hansen⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Mary Jo Pitzl⁠⁠

Producer: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amanda Luberto⁠

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President Donald Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act into law in a Fourth of July ceremony, making tax cuts he passed during his first term permanent.

It offsets those revenue losses to the government with steep cuts to services like the Medicaid program, requiring states to be responsible for funding food stamp programs and delivering tax cuts to the wealthiest taxpayers.

This week on The Gaggle, a politics podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, our hosts are joined by Republic reporter Stephanie Murray. Together they discuss the key points out of the Big Beautiful Bill, how Arizona politicians showed up and how the new law will impact Arizonans daily.

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Guest: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Stephanie Murray

Hosts: ⁠⁠⁠Ron Hansen⁠, ⁠Mary Jo Pitzl⁠

Producer: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Amanda Luberto⁠

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When Hobbs was elected in 2022, she pledged to bring sanity over chaos. But the Democratic governor has tried to navigate working opposite a Republican-controlled Legislature over the last three years.

This year's session was no exception. Hobbs vetoed 174 bills this year, a new single-year record that surpasses her 143 vetoes in 2023.

But her vetoes aren't the full story, even if they are record-breaking. She also signed 265 bills into law this year.

This week on The Gaggle, a weekly politics podcast, host Mary Jo Pitzl and guest host Stacey Barchenger are joined by Gov. Hobbs in-studio for a sit-down interview.

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Guests: ⁠⁠ Governor Katie Hobbs

Host: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Mary Jo Pitzl⁠⁠⁠⁠, Stacey Barchenger⁠

Producer: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Amanda Luberto⁠

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On July 4th, 1776, 56 men signed a document declaring the newly formed 13 colonies as one United States of America. By this charter, they formed a new country, one free from Britain's rule.

The Declaration of Independence showcased the rights and beliefs of the new country. It was a written record of what America would stand for, and it was signed by the nation's founding fathers.

Today, to honor the country's sovereignty, the gaggle presents a reading of the Declaration of independence. Here to read the country founding document are reporters and staff of the Arizona Republic.

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This week on The Gaggle, a politics podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, hosts Ron Hansen and Mary Jo Pitzl speak with Republic reporters Stacey Barchenger and Ray Stern to explore the politics of this unusual Arizona Legislature budget cycle.

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Guests: ⁠⁠⁠ Ray Stern, Stacey Barchenger

Host: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Mary Jo Pitzl⁠⁠⁠⁠, Ronald J. Hansen

Producers: Abby Bessinger, Maritza Dominguez

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Early voting begins June 18 in the only federal race this year in Arizona. An election to fill the seat of the late U.S. Rep. Raúl Grijalva is underway in Arizona's Congressional District 7.

The race in southern Arizona has produced competitive primaries on both the Republican and Democratic sides, but most of the attention has been focused on three of the five Democrats seeking their party’s nod.

This week on The Gaggle, a weekly politics podcast, we break down the pros and cons of all the candidates on the ballot and explore how the race is shaping up so far.

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Guests: ⁠⁠Laura Gersony

Host: ⁠⁠⁠Mary Jo Pitzl⁠⁠⁠

Producer: ⁠⁠⁠Amanda Luberto⁠

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June 2025 marks a decade since the U.S. Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage. The landmark 5-4 ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges resolved a long-standing national debate and brought together a conflicting patchwork of state laws.

Eight months before the SCOTUS decision, the Republican-dominated state of Arizona legalized same sex marriages, though the road to get there was rocky.

This week on The Gaggle, a politics podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, host Mary Jo Pitzl is joined by Republic editor Shaun McKinnon and LGBTQ+ rights advocate Sheila Kloefkorn to look back at the events that led to Arizona in 2014 joining the states that legally recognize gay marriage, and cast forward on what challenges remain.

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Gov. Katie Hobbs announced in May that she would not submit any more agency director nominations to the state Senate for confirmation, blaming what she called the "circus" environment for vetting her nominees.

Hobbs has been battling the state Senate since she took office for her director nominees, who have gone through a rigorous and unprecedented vetting process.

State Sen. Jake Hoffman heads the Committee on Direction Nominations, which recommends whether a nominee should get a vote of the full Senate. He self-identified on The Gaggle as "one of the most conservative members of the Legislature."

This week on The Gaggle, we are joined by Sen. Hoffman to discuss why he thinks the stiff scrutiny on the governor's picks is justified.

Later in the episode, Doug Cole, a Republican veteran of state government, joins to explore this unheard-of situation between the sitting governor and the leader of the Senate committee.

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Guests: ⁠⁠Sen. Jake Hoffman, Doug Cole

Hosts: ⁠⁠Ron Hansen⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Mary Jo Pitzl⁠⁠

Producer: ⁠⁠Amanda Luberto, Abby Bessinger

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