Four factions that helped turn Arizona blue

The Grand Canyon state turning blue for the first time since 1996 was years in the making. And here are some of the groups that played roles in expanding the former vice president's lead over President Donald Trump, who most Arizona voters supported in 2016.

- Latino activists

The state's Latino political community has been working for years to increase turnout among its members - especially after the recent elections of hard-liners on immigration, including former governor Jan Brewer, a vocal supporter of Trump. State laws such as the infamous S.B. 1070 drew national attention to Arizona as a place that would be tough on undocumented immigrants. But Latino activists who viewed their contributions to the state's economy and culture as fundamental to what made Arizona - and America - great began to register younger voters at higher rates than normal, with the goal of sending more liberal politicians to the state legislature, Congress and ultimately the White House.

Ian Danley, executive director of Arizona Wins, an advocacy organization that coordinates with various political groups, told The Washington Post's Jose Del Real and Hannah Knowles:

"I think the Republican rule over the last decade in Arizona has done deep damage with them among Latino voters. It has undoubtedly politicized the Arizona Latino community in a way that I don't think you've seen anywhere else in the country. That piece of this is hard to overstate. It was such an important part of our political reality, narrative and culture over the last decade. The movement they have led over a decade is real."

- White college-grad women

The late senator John McCain, R-Ariz., spent his final days in office being one of the few Republican lawmakers willing to hold the president accountable. Having little to no tolerance for pushback, Trump mocked McCain's status as a former prisoner of war and chose not to attend the former GOP presidential nominee's funeral, allegedly calling him a "loser." So when the lawmaker's grieving widow, Cindy McCain, a business executive and a former educator, endorsed Biden, she did so with the goal of hoping to connect with Arizona's women voters.

"I decided to take a stand, and hopefully other people will see the same thing," Cindy McCain said in September of her endorsement of Biden. "Other women particularly." 

"You may have to step out of your comfort zone a little bit, but Biden is by far the best candidate in the race," McCain added.

The state's college-educated white women appeared to have heeded McCain's challenge. In 2016, most of Arizona's white women with college degrees gave their support to Trump over Hillary Clinton, the first woman to be a major party nominee. But that was not the case in 2020. Nearly six in 10 - 57 percent - of white women with college degrees in Arizona supported Biden. And the percentage who backed Trump also decreased.

- Independent voters

Arizona has always had a large percentage of independent voters who are not deeply partisan and therefore can swing elections either way based on their support or their sitting out a contest. Nearly a third - 31 percent - of Arizona's registered voters are independent. And while these voters are not allowed to cast ballots in the primary elections, they made a big dent in the general. Independent voters showed up for Trump in the state in 2016, but more than half swung to Biden this year, reminding Americans that not all former Trump voters are Trump loyalists.

- Changing demographics

Arizona's popularity as a destination for retirees gives it relatively high number of senior citizens compared with other states. Seniors are one of the most consistent voting blocs and largely lean right, making it easier for GOP candidates to win elections. But the state's growing Latino population is younger on average, as are the young adults and families moving to Arizona from other states. And these demographics - millennials and Generation Z - overwhelmingly lean left. With millennials being the largest age voting bloc this year - and largely disapproving of Trump - Biden had quite the advantage.