Arizona went red.The pivotal swing state ended up not being so pivotal, after all — or, at least, not nearly as pivotal as it was in the 2020 election.Though results are still being tabulated, it appears that Donald Trump will win the state he narrowly lost four years ago.And while Democrat Ruben Gallego is likely to win the U.S. Senate seat, Republicans had strong showings further down the ballot, clinching every Arizona Corporation Commission seat and most of the jobs in Maricopa County.What does this rightward shift mean for our nation and Arizona?Our opinions team explains the likely impact.Trump led a red wave nationwideDonald Trump defied political gravity by once again winning the White House even after he lost in 2020, was twice impeached and criminally convicted.It was probably the most remarkable comeback in American political history, as he became only the second U.S. president to win nonconsecutive White House terms.The red wave that Republicans anticipated in 2022 but did not achieve came sweeping across America as Trump won the popular vote and Electoral College handily.Republicans took back the U.S. Senate and are on track to narrowly hold on to the U.S. House. That now puts the GOP firmly in control of the federal government and adds to its dominance of state government, where the party controls 27 governor’s seats to Democrats’ 23. Republicans also control 46% of state legislatures to Democrats’ 32%, with the rest under divided government, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.— Phil BoasGallego is on track to make historyDemocratic U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego would make history if he becomes the first Hispanic from Arizona to serve in the U.S. Senate.That’s huge because Hispanics represent a third of Arizona’s population, a territory that once belonged to Mexico.Gallego effectively declared victory on election night, but that was a bit premature since the vote tally has been shrinking since then.Still, as of Friday he remained in the lead against Republican Kari Lake, one of Trump’s biggest fans.A Gallego victory would mean Arizona once again would have two Democratic senators. U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly has been helping him to defeat Lake and replace outgoing U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, a Democrat turned independent.His victory would be a flash of light amid so much darkness.— Elvia DíazWill the U.S. House stop Trump’s agenda?With Republicans retaking the U.S. Senate, Democrats’ only hope to keep him and his agenda in check is regaining control of the U.S. House.That prospect looks grim. Republicans had already secured 210 seats on Friday. Either party needs 218 for full control.Arizona’s two competitive congressional districts remained undecided as we headed into the weekend.But Republican U.S. Reps. David Schweikert and Juan Ciscomani were ahead of Democratic rivals Amish Shah and Kirsten Engel, respectively.A trifecta — meaning control of the White House and both chambers of Congress — is dangerous because it’d give Trump almost unchecked freedom to do what he wants.The former president seeks to consolidate federal power, for instance, which could mean dismantling a bunch of federal agencies, creating new ones and slashing federal programs by “at least $2 trillion,” according to Elon Musk, who would lead that effort.That’s just the beginning of an aggressive agenda that includes nixing the CHIPS Act, which funds microchip production in America, including the massive TSMC plant under construction in Phoenix.That could mean fewer jobs locally in multiple sectors, from construction to engineering.— Elvia DíazExpect gridlock in Arizona House, SenateDemocrats had hoped for a widespread flip of power in the Arizona Legislature, but that’s not looking likely.Not in the House, where Republicans appear poised to maintain or even strengthen their advantage. And in the Senate, their best-case scenario now may be a 15-15 split.That would require a …
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