Axios Phoenix rewind: 2024's biggest moments
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Ruben Gallego and Donald Trump were the biggest winners in the 2024 election in Arizona. Photos: Rebecca Noble/AFP via Getty Images and Brandon Bell/Getty Images
It's hard to believe so much happened in just one year. From a historic election to an excessively hot summer to the surprising Sun Devils, we took a look back at the biggest stories of the year.
🗳Arizona goes (mostly) red: Arizona was again a swing state in the 2024 election, but this time we swung back toward familiar territory by voting Republican in the presidential election, giving our electoral votes to Donald Trump.
- The GOP won most contested races here, holding both congressional swing districts, adding seats in both legislative chambers and maintaining its hold on Maricopa County government.
- Yes, but: Ruben Gallego was a big bright spot for the Democrats, defeating Kari Lake in the U.S. Senate race and holding the seat vacated by Democrat-turned-independent Kyrsten Sinema for his party.
👀 Focus on abortion: The Arizona Supreme Court dropped a bombshell when it reinstated the state's pre-Roe ban on nearly all abortions, dating back to 1864.
- A handful of Republican lawmakers joined Democrats to repeal the territorial-era law, which allowed the 15-week ban passed in 2022 to go back into effect.
- It became a moot point in November when voters overwhelmingly approved an amendment to the Arizona Constitution guaranteeing abortion rights through fetal viability, usually considered around 24 weeks.
🧑🚀 Mark Kelly's 15 minutes of fame: Arizona U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly made Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris' shortlist of vice presidential candidates and spent the end of summer on national television jockeying for the job.
- He was ultimately passed over for Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, but the experience raised his profile and could position him for a future presidential run.
🚔 DOJ slams PPD: In a long-awaited report stemming from a three-year investigation, the U.S. Department of Justice found routine civil rights violations by the Phoenix Police Department in the form of excessive force, racial and ethnic discrimination, and other issues.
🚨 Gilbert Goons: East Valley cities grappled with teen violence as accounts of a gang dubbed the "Gilbert Goons" exposed a surge in coordinated attacks against young people.
🏗️ TSMC expands: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company announced it will build a third factory in north Phoenix to produce the world's most advanced semiconductors in the Valley by the decade's end.
🔥 Relentless heat: This summer was the hottest on record, and the Valley got hit with a second wave of summer after an "unprecedented" heatwave kept temperatures above 110 degrees into October.
🏒 Buh-bye Yotes: After years of will-they-or-won't-they-stay, Arizona Coyotes owner Alex Muruelo sold the team to Utah Jazz owners Ashley and Ryan Smith, who moved the franchise to Salt Lake City.
😈 Delightful Devils: ASU shocked the college football world with a Big 12 Championship win and a ticket to the Peach Bowl on New Year's Day.