Arizona's Big Vote in 2020!

Arizona, a state historically leaning Republican, became a critical battleground in the 2020 United States presidential election due to significant demographic and demographic shifts. Rapid population growth, particularly in Maricopa County, the state's most populous area, brought a more diverse electorate. This growth challenged traditional Republican dominance.

The election saw incumbent Republican President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence face off against Democratic challenger Joe Biden and Senator Kamala Harris. Arizona's 11 electoral votes were highly coveted, and the state's outcome was closely watched nationally. Polls throughout the campaign generally indicated a narrow Biden lead, with many news organizations predicting a Biden win or a toss-up scenario, underscoring the state's competitive nature.

Joe Biden's victory in Arizona marked a significant political realignment, making him the first Democratic presidential candidate to win the state since Bill Clinton in 1996, and only the second since Harry S. Truman in 1948. This win was particularly notable as Biden also secured Maricopa County, a traditional Republican stronghold, by a margin of 2.2%.

This success was attributed in large part to increased voter turnout among Hispanic/Latino and Native American populations, communities that have historically faced barriers to participation. The election also represented the first time since 1932 that a non-incumbent Democrat carried Arizona, or that an incumbent Republican lost the state, signaling a potential long-term shift in the state's political leanings.

The 2020 presidential election in Arizona was the closest in the state's history, surpassing the 1964 election where Barry Goldwater won by less than one percent. Arizona's narrow margin of victory for Biden made it the second-closest state in the nation, only behind Georgia. This outcome, coupled with Biden winning both Sun Belt states, was a historic achievement not seen since 1948.

Arizona's results were 4.15 percentage points more Republican than the national average, yet it still swung Democratic, highlighting the unique political dynamics at play. Arizona was one of only two states that voted for Biden but had not supported Barack Obama in either of his presidential runs, further emphasizing its evolving political identity.

In the wake of the election, allegations of widespread fraud, amplified by President Trump and his supporters, prompted the Republican-majority Arizona Senate to launch a publicly funded investigation and audit in Maricopa County. Completed in September 2021, this controversial audit found no evidence to substantiate claims of significant election irregularities. Astonishingly, the audit revealed a slightly larger vote margin for Biden than the certified results.

The legal ramifications continued, with the Arizona Attorney General announcing in April 2024 that a grand jury had indicted eleven fake electors and seven Trump allies, including Rudy Giuliani and Mark Meadows, for their alleged roles in attempting to subvert the election's outcome.