What's going on in Arizona? Podcast explores state's brushes with extremism

When the Arizona Supreme Court upheld a Civil War-era near-total ban on abortion this spring, many were stunned that the 19th century still cast a shadow over everyday life here.

But in some ways, Arizona has always kept that hard-edged social and political bent.

The former territory was once a hotbed for Confederate sympathizers, and many southern veterans settled in Arizona when the Civil War ended. They helped enforce the laws of the territory and set the tone for a place where political and social extremism could flourish – and occasionally still does.

In May, U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake held a campaign event with a Confederate battle flag behind her in a moment that made international news but generated no complaints from her fellow Arizona Republicans.

In a four-part podcast series published in its entirety July 22, The Arizona Republic traces the history of the state’s brushes with outlier efforts, from the violent skirmishes once targeting Latter-day Saints to an outsized presence in the U.S. Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021.

“The Roots of Radicalism” is the fourth season of The Republic and azcentral.com’s Rediscovering podcast franchise .

What is it about Arizona that breeds extremism?

Arizona isn’t the only state breeding extremism; but it contributes its share and has throughout U.S. history.

Located in harsh conditions far from the nation’s capital, it initially drew those wanting to get away from government or dense cities and willing to take risks. As technology made life in the desert more hospitable, Arizona’s mythology as a haven for individuality and year-round sunshine drew new generations.

Grady Gammage Jr., an attorney, historian and Arizona native, said the state’s magnetism has had different impacts.

“They come here and they view the state as kind of an interesting experiment for ideas that they’ve heard about but would never have been able to implement somewhere else,” he said.

“It is a good thing that eccentricity often germinates interesting ideas. … But it also means that there isn’t a lot of glue holding this place together.”

David Berman, a retired Arizona State University political science professor, said the state’s individualism is “in the blood” and contributes to an a “strong anti-government streak.”

“A little of the culture is mythical and manufactured, but the idea was we came on the frontier stages by ourselves,” he said. “They want to feel that way about themselves. And they were terribly dependent on the federal government. In fact, I mean, the indigenous people were subdued with federal troops and the money came in for infrastructure from the federal government.”

Drawing on historical records, vintage news accounts and experts on the state and extremism, the series leads listeners through events and eras that many have forgotten or never knew.

The Ku Klux Klan briefly held forth in the Valley. Militias of different sorts have as well.

The national interest in securing the southern border found early advocacy in Arizona militias that included people that in some cases were dangerous. Former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio helped amplify the issue nationally.

Rachel Goldwasser, a senior research analyst with the Southern Poverty Law Center, said Arizona’s proximity to Mexico invites confrontation.

“There’s a lot of tension related to that,” she said. “There’s a lot of room for opinions, but also actions. Some actions are in the political stage, but there is also room for extremists to take action as well, which really is not as regulated as it could be.”

Politically, the state swung from solidly Democratic for decades to reliably Republican beginning in 1952 with the election of U.S. Sen. Barry Goldwater, R-Ariz.

Goldwater helped push the Republican Party in a new, more conservative direction. But he was also an ally of U.S. Sen. Joseph McCarthy, R-Wis., who led the infamous Red Scare. Goldwater also tried to finesse the support of the fringe John Birch Society.

Former Arizona Gov. Evan Mecham scarcely hid his interest in the group, among other outlier views.

Today, Arizona has entered a new era as a political battleground that could hold outsized influence on which party will control the White House and Congress.

Listen to the complete series

What is going on in Arizona? Why does this state seem to have people willing to push the political envelope further than almost anyone else?

As it does, the state is often defined as much by polarizing figures such as Republican U.S. Reps. Andy Biggs and Paul Gosar, who played key roles trying to overturn the 2020 election, than for its relative centrists like U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz.

Matt Browning was a longtime undercover Mesa police officer who now runs the Supremacist Intelligence Network. He said extremists have for decades seen Arizona as a haven for their interests.

“I think Arizona has always been a hub for hate, for anti-government, anti-anything,” he said. “Arizona for some reason … has always been there. It’s always been the top, and one of the main reasons why is the border.”

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: What's going on in Arizona? Podcast explores state's brushes with extremism