On November 6, and the days after, Arizonans elected many more Democrats than others thought would happen. The AP even reported Steve Gaynor, a Republican running for Secretary of State, the winner in that race, but about a week later, when all the votes had been counted, Democrat Katie Hobbs came out as the victor. Other races such as the one for Senate which saw Kyrsten Sinema come out on top, or the race for Superintendent of Public Instruction, the Democrat Kathy Hoffman, bested newcomer Frank Riggs for the position.

This all points toward a realignment for Arizona. Republicans lost some key statewide races that were originally thought to have gone their way. The last Democratic Senator from Arizona was Dennis DeConcini who was elected back in 1976. The last Democratic Secretary of State was back in 1991 when Richard Mahoney held that office. And a Democratic Superintendent of Public Instruction hasn't been elected since 1987. Arizona is a little more purple than people might have thought. Mitt Romney won the state by 9 points back in 2012, but Trump only won it by 3 points. This shows a shift in Arizona politics. Arizona voters are very civically engaged, and independent when it comes to voting.

Independents make up a large share of the electorate here in the Grand Canyon State. The actually surpassed Democrats and Republicans in registering to vote. This group of voters is going to be key to winning an election. Not only do candidates have to win their base, but they also have to go out and appeal to a large majority that swings one way or another. Independents often split their votes down the ballot, voting for a Republican here and a Democrat there. They are the "silent majority" that can't vote in presidential primaries but can prove essential to choosing a winner in the general election. In 2020, we will probably see Arizona as a battleground and much more hotly contested.