Politics in Arizona is a constant national focus with the state Senate election audit, politicians making headlines and President Joe Biden winning the traditionally red state in 2020.

Examining voter registration from the Secretary of State's Office shows some interesting trends. In the years between the 2016 and 2020 general elections, Democrats saw the biggest growth in registered voters, followed closely by Republicans. Independents also saw growth due in part to the Green Party losing recognition in Arizona.

In the six months following the general election, Democrats and Republicans both lost registered voters while Independents grew by tens of thousands.

Voter registration in Arizona is split three ways with Republicans holding a slight advantage which means attracting Independents is imperative for a candidate to win. Bentz says the GOP could have problems in next year's election if the party only appeals to their base. "Midterms in Arizona are heavily Republican, but they are going to be swimming upstream with Independents. When you look at things like the flat tax, the audit, and the behavior of some of our elected Republicans, those are not the type of issues that bring independents home," says Bentz.