Trump accelerates Arizona's swing state evolution

In the end, Arizona’s outcome is going to come down to one place: Phoenix’s Maricopa County.

By Election Day, the Phoenix media market alone is expected to be inundated with tens of millions of dollars in presidential campaign ads. Democratic nominee Joe Biden has more than $17 million currently reserved on the airwaves between now and Nov. 3, and President Donald Trump’s campaign has more than $6 million reserved in the state, according to tracker Medium Buying.

Maricopa, which encompasses Phoenix and it’s predominantly white suburbs, including Scottsdale, Chandler, and Glendale, represents about 60 percent of likely voters. Its changing demographics are the reason Arizona — which hasn’t been won by a Democratic presidential nominee since 1996 — is in play.

Migration from California, a growing Latino population, and shifting attitudes among white college-educated voters are reshaping the state’s political landscape, giving it a new status as a true battleground. And Trump’s term in the White House, both Arizona Republicans and Democrats say, is serving as an accelerant.



https://www.politico.com/news/2020/09/08/swing-states-arizona-409046