The Republican crusade to reclaim control of Arizona has come to a head this year amid the cul-de-sac sidewalks, manicured lawns and steepled churches of the East Valley.
Set in a suburban landscape surrounded by serrated desert peaks and stately saguaro cacti, the hubs of Gilbert and Mesa have traditionally been conservative enclaves.
In the 2026 race for governor, they have emerged as a microcosm of the ideological realignment that has reshaped Copper State politics over the past decade…