Arizona — the state that elected Gov. Jan Brewer (R), tried to enshrine the country's strongest anti-immigrant laws, and passed a bill allowing businesses to refuse service to gays and lesbians (which Brewer then vetoed) — is no longer majority-Republican. On Monday, Arizona Secretary of State Ken Bennett said that 35 percent of Arizona voters are now registered independents, narrowly beating out Republicans for the first time and pretty solidly trouncing registered Democrats, at 29 percent.
The uptick in registered independents follows a national trend. "I don't think that today's announcement comes as a surprise to most people," said Bennett, a Republican who's vying to replace Brewer when her term ends in the fall. A generation ago, only about 12 percent of Arizonans were independents, versus 45 percent Republican and 42 percent Democrats. Republican and Democratic political consultants each told The Associated Press that the embrace of the independent label will be good for their party. But it sounds more like an invitation to a third-party candidate.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Today's political cartoons - November 24, 2024Cartoons Sunday's cartoons - taped bananas, flying monkeys, and more
-
The Spanish cop, 20 million euros and 13 tonnes of cocaineIn the Spotlight Óscar Sánchez Gil, Chief Inspector of Spain's Economic and Tax Crimes Unit, has been arrested for drug trafficking
-
5 hilarious cartoons about the rise and fall of Matt GaetzCartoons Artists take on age brackets, backbiting, and more
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstancesSpeed Read
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2Speed Read
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governorSpeed Read
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditionsSpeed Read
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billionSpeed Read
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on recordSpeed Read
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homesSpeed Read
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creatureSpeed Read
