Arizona Politics
Arizona Guide
Arizona Politics
| Arizona Political History | The Voting Status of Arizona |
| Governors of the Territory of Arizona | Other High Offices Held |
| Governors of the State of Arizona | Living Former Governors |
Arizona Political History
Arizona has a political history dating back to the second fifty years of the nineteenth century, when the state had not entered into the statehood of United States of America. On observing the history of the political rule in Arizona, we can find that the state of Arizona have been ruled by the Democratic party right from the time it joined the statehood (in the year 1912) of the United States until the later part of the 1940's with the few exceptions which came during the election in the years 1920, 1924 and 1928 when it was the Republican Party which carried the government. Almost seventy five years before the statehood, the state of Arizona was mainly under the Republican rule except during 1885 to 1889 and 1894 to 1897 when the state came under the Democratic Government.
The political parties in Arizona
There are a number of political parties in Arizona, but only two parties can be considered as the major party which does have a role in the Arizona politics and government. These major two parties are the Democratic Party and the Arizona Republican Party.
The Democratic Party
According to the Agenda of the Democratic Party, emphasis is laid certain features which include the economic growth of the country, providing affordable health care for every Americans, retirement security for the aged and the most important of all, a government that protects the civil rights and the liberty of the people through the honest and accountable government.
The Arizona Republican Party
The Arizonan Republican Party is the majority party in the state legislature of Arizona and currently controls both of the chambers. This dominant party in Arizona currently holds the offices of Governor (Jan Brewer), Secretary of State (Ken Benette), State Treasurer (Dean Martin), Superintendent of Public Instruction (Tom Horne) and State mine Inspector (Joe Hart).
The other parties in Arizona includes the American Reform Party, the Confederate Party of Arizona, the Constitution Party of Arizona, The Green party, The Independent American Party, The Libertarian Party, The Natural Law Party, The Reform Party, The Socialist Party and The Southern Parties of the Southwest all of which do play a vital role in shaping the political structure of the state.
The Voting Status of Arizona
The political status of the State of Arizona is decided mainly by the two counties; the Maricopa County and the Pima County. Almost 75 percentages of the total state population and around eighty percent of the total votes of Arizona are from this region which also homes the two metropolitan cities of Arizona, Tucson and Phoenix.
Maricopa County which has around 60 percent of the total population of Arizona plays an important role in deciding the political future of the state in each election and homes almost all of the states elected officials from Arizona. The people from this county have been shown to favor the Republicans in every presidential election from the election starting from the year 1948. Barry Gold water, who won the 1964 election have been leading with a very high majority; about 20 thousand vote margin due to the votes contributed by the people of the Maricopa county. In contrast to this, the Pima County which also has a considerable percentage of the voting community is more favorable towards the Democratic Party, but Tucson which is inside the Pima county shows a lean towards the Republican Party. Many southern counties also follow this likeness towards the Democratic Party and favor the party in national and state level election.
Favoring the Republicans in the state after the 1950's
After the election in the year 1952, when the 34th president of the United States Dwight David Ike Eisenhower was elected, the state of Arizona has consistently voted for Republican Party in the national politics. But in 1996, this republican favor was changed for the one and only time to elect Bill Clinton who was the Democratic candidate. The political status of the state in general has also been dominated by the Republican Party in the few recent years. The major city of Arizona, Phoenix and Tucson also started favoring the Republican Party from the 1950's onwards. At this time period a lot of pinto democrats or the conservative democrats from local areas were also showing their complete support to the Republican Party at the state and national level making it the majority party.
The United state presidential election was held in the state of Arizona and took place in the month of November 2008 and in this election. The Republican nominee John Mc Cain won with a marginal vote victory over Barack Obama who was the Democratic Party representative. In this 2008 election, John Mc Cain got the Republican nomination to become the first presidential nominee from the state of Arizona after Barry Goldwater from the same state who was nominated in 1964.
Governors of the Territory of Arizona
| Governor | Took Office | Left Office | Appointed by |
|---|---|---|---|
| John Noble Goodwin | December 29, 1863 | March 4, 1865 | Abraham Lincoln |
| Richard Cunningham McCormick | July 9, 1866 | March 4, 1869 | Andrew Johnson |
| Anson P.K. Safford | July 9, 1869 | April 5, 1877 | Ulysses S. Grant |
| John Philo Hoyt | May 30, 1877 | June 12, 1878 | .Rutherford B. Hayes |
| .John C. Frémont | October 6, 1878 | October 11, 1881 | .Rutherford B. Hayes |
| Frederick Augustus Tritle | March 8, 1882 | October 7, 1885 | Chester A. Arthur |
| C. Meyer Zulick | November 2, 1885 | March 28, 1889 | Grover Cleveland |
| Lewis Wolfley | April 8, 1889 | August 20, 1890 | Benjamin Harrison |
| John N. Irwin | January 21, 1891 | April 20, 1892 | Benjamin Harrison |
| Nathan Oakes Murphy | May 11, 1892 | April 5, 1893 | Benjamin Harrison |
| L. C. Hughes | April 12, 1893 | April 1, 1896 | Grover Cleveland |
| Benjamin Joseph Franklin | April 18, 1896 | July 29, 1897 | Grover Cleveland |
| Myron H. McCord | July 29, 1897 | August 1, 1898 | William McKinley |
| Nathan Oakes Murphy | August 1, 1898 | June 30, 1902 | William McKinley |
| Alexander Oswald Brodie | July 1, 1902 | December 14, 1905 | Theodore Roosevelt |
| Joseph Henry Kibbey | March 7, 1905 | May 1, 1909 | Theodore Roosevelt |
| Richard Elihu Sloan | May 1, 1909 | February 14, 1912 | William Howard Taft |
Governors of the State of Arizona
| S.No. | Governor | Term Start | Term End | Party | Terms |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | George W. P. Hunt | February 14, 1912 | January 1, 1917 | Democratic | 2.02 |
| 2 | Thomas Edward Campbell | January 1, 1917 | December 25, 1917 | Republican | 0.5½ |
| 1 | George W. P. Hunt | December 25, 1917 | January 6, 1919 | Democratic | 0.5½ |
| 2 | Thomas Edward Campbell | January 6, 1919 | January 1, 1923 | Republican | 2.02 |
| 1 | .George W. P. Hunt | January 1, 1923 | January 7, 1929 | Democratic | 3.03 |
| 3 | John Calhoun Phillips | January 7, 1929 | January 5, 1931 | Republican | 1.01 |
| 1 | George W. P. Hunt | January 5, 1931 | January 2, 1933 | Democratic | 1.01 |
| 4 | Benjamin Baker Moeur | January 2, 1933 | January 4, 1937 | Democratic | 2.02 |
| 5 | Rawghlie Clement Stanford | January 4, 1937 | January 2, 1939 | Democratic | 1.01 |
| 6 | Robert Taylor Jones | January 2, 1939 | January 6, 1941 | Democratic | 1.01 |
| 7 | Sidney Preston Osborn | January 6, 1941 | May 25, 1948 | Democratic | 3.53½ |
| 8 | Dan Edward Garvey | May 25, 1948 | January 1, 1951 | Democratic | 1.51½ |
| 9 | John Howard Pyle | January 1, 1951 | January 3, 1955 | Republican | 2.02 |
| 10 | Ernest McFarland | January 3, 1955 | January 5, 1959 | Democratic | 2.02 |
| 11 | Paul Fannin | January 5, 1959 | January 4, 1965 | Republican | 3.03 |
| 12 | Samuel Pearson Goddard, Jr. | January 4, 1965 | January 2, 1967 | Democratic | 1.01 |
| 13 | Jack Richard Williams | January 2, 1967 | January 6, 1975 | Republican | 3.03 |
| 14 | Raul Hector Castro | January 6, 1975 | October 20, 1977 | Democratic | 0.3⅓ |
| 15 | Wesley Bolin | October 20, 1977 | March 4, 1978 | Democratic | 0.3⅓ |
| 16 | Bruce Babbitt | March 4, 1978 | January 5, 1987 | Democratic | 2.32⅓ |
| 17 | Evan Mecham | January 5, 1987 | April 4, 1988 | Republican | 0.5½ |
| 18 | Rose Mofford | April 4, 1988 | March 6, 1991 | Democratic | 0.5½ |
| 19 | Fife Symington III | March 6, 1991 | September 5, 1997 | Republican | 1.51½ |
| 20 | Jane Dee Hull | September 5, 1997 | January 6, 2003 | Republican | 1.51½ |
| 21 | Janet Napolitano | January 6, 2003 | January 21, 2009 | Democratic | 1.51½ |
| 22 | Jan Brewer | January 21, 2009 | incumbent | Republican | 0.5½ |
Other High Offices Held
| Governor | Gubernatorial Term | Other Offices Held |
|---|---|---|
| John Noble Goodwin | 1863–1866 (territorial) | Territorial Delegate*, U.S. Representative from Maine |
| Richard Cunningham McCormick | 1866–1868 (territorial) | Territorial Delegate*, U.S. Representative from New York |
| John Philo Hoyt | 1877–1878 (territorial) | Governor of Idaho Territory |
| John C. Frémont | 1878–1881 (territorial) | U.S. Senator from California, Military Governor of California |
| John N. Irwin | 1890–1892 (territorial) | Governor of Idaho Territory, U.S. Minister to Portugal |
| Nathan Oakes Murphy | 1892–1893, 1898–1902 (territorial) | Territorial Delegate |
| Benjamin Joseph Franklin | 1896–1897 (territorial) | U.S. Representative from Missouri |
| Myron H. McCord | 1897–1898 (territorial) | U.S. Representative from Wisconsin |
| George W. P. Hunt | 1912–1917, 1917–1919, 1923–1929, 1931–1933 | U.S. Minister to Siam |
| Ernest McFarland | 1955–1959 | U.S. Senator (including as majority leader) |
| Paul Fannin | 1959–1965 | U.S. Senator |
| Raul Hector Castro | 1975–1977 | Ambassador to El Salvador, Ambassador to Bolivia, Ambassador to Argentina* |
| Bruce Babbitt | 1978–1987 | U.S. Secretary of the Interior |
| Janet Napolitano | 2003–2009 | U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security* |
Living Former Governors
| Governor | Gubernatorial term | Date of birth |
|---|---|---|
| Raul Hector Castro | 1975–1977 | June 12, 1916 (1916-06-12) (age 94) |
| Bruce Babbitt | 1978–1987 | June 26, 1938 (1938-06-26) (age 72) |
| Rose Mofford | 1988–1991 | June 10, 1922 (1922-06-10) (age 88) |
| Fife Symington III | 1991–1997 | August 12, 1945 (1945-08-12) (age 64) |
| Jane Dee Hull | 1997–2003 | August 8, 1935 (1935-08-08) (age 74) |
| Janet Napolitano | 2003–2009 | November 29, 1957 (1957-11-29) (age 52) |
List of United States Senators from Arizona
Class 1
| # | Senator | Party | Took office | Left office | Other offices/Notes | Term | Electoral history |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Henry F. Ashurst | Democratic | March 27, 1912 | January 3, 1941 | Speaker of the Arizona Territory House of Representatives (1899) |
1 | Elected in 1912 |
| 2 | Re-elected in 1916 | ||||||
| 3 | Re-elected in 1922 | ||||||
| 4 | Re-elected in 1928 | ||||||
| 5 | Re-elected in 1934 Lost renomination in 1940 |
||||||
| 2 | Ernest McFarland | Democratic | January 3, 1941 | January 3, 1953 | Senate Majority Leader (1951–1953) Governor of Arizona (1955–1959) Chief Justice of the Arizona Supreme Court (1968–1970) |
6 | Elected in 1940 |
| 7 | Re-elected in 1946 Lost re-election in 1952 |
||||||
| 3 | Barry Goldwater | Republican | January 3, 1953 | January 3, 1965 | Republican nominee for President (1964) Later served in Arizona's Class 3 seat (1969-1987) |
8 | Elected in 1952 |
| 9 | Re-elected in 1958 Retired to run for President |
||||||
| 4 | Paul Fannin | Republican | January 3, 1965 | January 3, 1977 | Governor of Arizona (1959–1965) |
10 | Elected in 1964 |
| 11 | Re-elected in 1970 Retired |
||||||
| 5 | Dennis DeConcini | Democratic | January 3, 1977 | January 3, 1995 | 12 | Elected in 1976 | |
| 13 | Re-elected in 1982 | ||||||
| 14 | Re-elected in 1988 Retired |
||||||
| 6 | Jon Kyl | Republican | January 4, 1995 | Incumbent | U.S. Representative (1987–1995) Senate Republican Whip (2007—present) |
15 | Elected in 1994 |
| 16 | Re-elected in 2000 | ||||||
| 17 | Re-elected in 2006 |
Class 3
| # | Senator | Party | Took office | Left office | Other offices/Notes | Term | Electoral history |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marcus A. Smith | Democratic | March 27, 1912 | March 4, 1921 | Arizona's Territorial Delegate (1887–1895; 1897–1899; 1901–1903; 1905–1909) |
1 | Elected 1912 |
| 2 | Re-elected in 1914 Lost re-election in 1920 |
||||||
| 2 | Ralph H. Cameron | Republican | March 4, 1921 | March 4, 1927 | Arizona's Territorial Delegate (1909–1912) |
3 | Elected in 1920 Lost re-election in 1926 |
| 3 | Carl Hayden | Democratic | March 4, 1927 | January 3, 1969 | Member of the U.S. House (1912–1927) President pro tempore (1957–1969) |
4 | Elected in 1926 |
| 5 | Re-elected in 1932 | ||||||
| 6 | Re-elected in 1938 | ||||||
| 7 | Re-elected in 1944 | ||||||
| 8 | Re-elected in 1950 | ||||||
| 9 | Re-elected in 1956 | ||||||
| 10 | Re-elected in 1962 Retired |
||||||
| 4 | Barry Goldwater | Republican | January 3, 1969 | January 3, 1987 | Previously served Arizona's Class 1 seat (1953-1965) Republican nominee for President (1964) |
11 | Elected in 1968 |
| 12 | Re-elected in 1974 | ||||||
| 13 | Re-elected in 1980 Retired |
||||||
| 5 | John McCain | Republican | January 3, 1987 | Incumbent | Member of the U.S. House (1983–1987) Republican nominee for President (2008) |
14 | Elected in 1986 |
| 15 | Re-elected in 1992 | ||||||
| 16 | Re-elected in 1998 | ||||||
| 17 | Re-elected in 2004 |
