Is Arizona heading in wrong or right direction? Here’s what voters think

PHOENIX — A majority of Arizona Republicans and independents think the state is heading in the wrong direction, but Democrats have a more favorable view, according to recent polling.

Overall, 60% of those surveyed said Arizona is going the wrong way, while 40% said the state is on the right track, according to findings released Friday by Noble Predictive Insights (NPI).

That was slightly more optimistic than when the Phoenix-based research firm conducted public opinion polling on the same issue in May, when the results were 62%-38%.

NPI has been tracking the issue for years, with the latest findings coming from an Aug. 12–16 survey of 1,003 registered Arizona voters. The results have a margin of error of plus or minus 3.09%.

Why do Arizonans think state is going in wrong direction?

It’s been three years since the last time “right track” responders were in the majority.

“It’s not hard to see why pessimism increased in this period. In early 2022, a COVID-19 survey hit the state. And since then, Arizonans have told us that inflation has become more and more of a pain point,” David Byler, NPI chief of research, said in a press release.

Byler said partisanship is also factor, as Democrats have been able to win most of the statewide races in recent elections.

“Longtime Republican Arizonans are watching the state turn purple – and they blame newcomers from Oregon, Washington, California and other blue states. Democrats – whether longtime residents or new arrivals – are greeting this political change with more warmth,” he said.

The numbers bear that out. Republicans answered “wrong direction” 77% percent of the time, while 63% of Democrats said “right track.” Independents, meanwhile, tended toward the GOP view, with 64% holding a negative outlook.

Which party would do a better job of running Arizona?

A related question resulted in a more balanced result: Which political party would do a better job of running the state?

Republicans edged out Democrats on that issue 45%-42%, with 13% saying neither. Of note there, independents gave Democrats a slight 36%-34% advantage.

Bipartisan effort wants Arizonans to put political differences aside

Local leaders have noticed the polarization, and some are taking action.

Tempe Mayor Corey Woods, a Democrat, and Mesa Mayor John Giles, a Republican, recently launched a new program called Disagree Better Arizona.

The purpose is to stop political disagreements from becoming polarizing. It offers techniques for productive civil conversations that bring people closer together, rather than leading them to drift apart.

Follow @kstonezone