Emails reveal political infighting among Arizona districts

Most basic acts of government are supposed to be pretty straightforward. But in Arizona, nothing can be that simple, of course.

In this state, the act of counting ballots, electing a governor without pushback on the process, and even following City Council regulations have been shrouded in controversy and drama. 

The newest seemingly rudimentary task to join the ranks of contentious practices is appointing precinct committeemen when there are openings. These members play key roles in organizing grassroots political efforts. 

They are elected officials who help their communities register to vote, canvass for candidates and lead movements to get out the vote. And generally, they are appointed by a county’s Board of Supervisors based on a list of names given to them by the county party’s chairperson.

Some legislative district chairs say the Maricopa County Republican Committee is pitching precinct committeemen to county supervisors without their signoff. And it turns out this isn’t the first time, and it's not the only issue.

This week on The Gaggle, a podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, host Ron Hansen is joined by Arizona Republic county reporter Sasha Hupka to discuss the drama behind these appointments and a new policy to help discern what supervisors legally can do.

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