AZ Political Podcast: Top 50 most powerful people in Arizona politics ahead of 2026 midterm election

2026 could see Arizona go against the grain of midterm-election conventional wisdom — creating a very unhappy year for Democrats. So says my guest on the AZ Political Podcast (AZPP) this week.

Six months out from a statewide primary and nine months away from the general election, Mike Noble shares Noble Predictive Insights’ Arizona Power Rankings: a 50-name list of the state’s top political figures, stacked in order of electability.

Think of it as Arizona’s political version of a preseason coaches poll.

Mike’s opinion on how Democrats could “get in their own way” of winning big in November, despite low approval numbers for President Trump, isn’t the only surprise he delivers on the AZPP. There are also plenty of curveballs regarding the (high and low) places where many names land on this year’s Power Rankings (determined by using metrics like name recognition, voter favorability, experience and demographics).

We drill down on this year’s races for governor and in Arizona’s 1st Congressional District (CD-1). Those are the elections where President Trump has delivered dual Republican endorsements: to Andy Biggs and Karrin Taylor Robson in the gubernatorial contest**, and** to Jay Feely and Gina Swoboda in CD-1.

Noble Predictive Insights’ Power Rankings are accurate enough that the people who topped his last three lists went on to win their elections.

And accurate enough that I think you should plan to watch the AZ Political Podcast from start to end — so you can learn the list from top to bottom.

The AZ Political Podcast is available at KTAR.com, the KTAR News app and everywhere you get your podcasts.

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