Axios Phoenix rewind: 2024's biggest moments
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.

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.

