Arizona GOP puts forth plan to break up Maricopa County

Arizona GOP state Rep. Jake Hoffman has introduced a bill that would divide Maricopa County into four counties – three that favored President Trump during the 2020 election and one solidly blue county that would encapsulate Democrat voters in and around Phoenix.

Republicans in Arizona have been battling officials in Maricopa County (some of them Republicans themselves) since the 2020 election, and more recently the audit of the county's vote totals. 

A spokesperson for the Arizona state House Republican Caucus, members of which are supporting the proposal, calls the bill a "legislative proposal with bipartisan support designed to ensure that Arizona governments remain accountable and representative to the community for generations to come."

The bill was introduced on the last day of the year in which legislators could submit proposals. It is also one of 10 introduced this year in an effort to reform Arizona's election practices.

Voters in and around Phoenix backed President Biden in 2020 by 30 points last election. He became the first Democrat since Bill Clinton in 1996 to win the state in a presidential contest.

The current version of Maricopa County is home to about 60% of Arizona's registered voters – Biden won the country by about 45,000 votes.