CITY OF PHOENIX
Phoenix moved from a Democratic stronghold in the 1930s to a Republican bastion by the 1950s. The Democrats lost the 5 to 1 advantage in voter registration they held at war’s end to one of equal stance in the 50s. The field workers and crop pickers were being forced out by business and residential construction. The new industries moving to Arizona were based on high technology. They attracted engineers and technicians from the east who voted Republican and showed little interest in labor unions, as opposed to the previously Democratic skilled workers. The retirees moving to Scottsdale and Phoenix were mostly Republican as well. There was also a favorable media climate for the Republicans with The Arizona Republic and Phoenix Gazette newspapers.
The Arizona RepublicPhoenix
