‘Were we too Maga or not Maga enough?’: Republicans reckon with Arizona wipeout

When Trump was first elected, Republicans held every lever in Arizona - now they've been swept in a blue tidal wave, and the road to rebuild could be fraught

When Donald Trump was first elected to the White House in 2016, Republicans held every lever of statewide power in Arizona, from the governor's office to both US Senate seats and majorities in the legislature. Over the next decade, as Trump tightened his grip on the party, Democrats began chipping away at that dominance, gradually turning the longtime GOP stronghold into a political battleground.

Then came the November midterm elections. Democrats swept every statewide office on the ballot - from governor to the obscure post of mine inspector - and secured a lawmaking trifecta unseen since 1966.