PRESCOTT, AZ — When walking around downtown Prescott, visitors can certainly feel a rich history around them. Prescott was founded when Arizona was still a territory in 1864.
The city ended up being the second capitol for Arizona and was designated the capitol twice before it landed in Phoenix.
Many who live in Prescott embrace the historical events and past of the city of nearly 50,000 people.
This story is part of ABC15's Voice of the Voter series, where we're highlighting voter perspectives from communities all across Arizona. To see more Voice of the Voter coverage, click here.
In the downtown square, there’s a Whiskey Row. Sitting in that block of businesses is The Palace Saloon and Restaurant, one of Arizona’s oldest saloons.
“I absolutely love this place with all my heart. I love history. So, walking in here was a no-brainer,” said Scott Stanford, the owner and operator of the Palace Saloon and Restaurant. He and his wife fully took over the restaurant several years ago.
Before Stanford’s restaurant opens at 11 a.m. on weekdays, people often wait outside to get in. Their employees are dressed up in 1800s clothes and garb, ready to serve their regulars and visitors.
Stanford says The Palace is a destination and is a big part of the history of Prescott. The business proudly displays all that history on its walls dating back to the late 1870s. Stanford said the business burned down several times, including during the most famous fire in 1900. Patrons back then were able to carry the original Brunswick Bar to a new location and it is still in use today.
“The fact that it’s still here and survived a couple fires is amazing,” Stanford said.
The city is also known for its rich Wild West history, from well-known names like Doc Holliday, Wyatt Earp, Virgil Earp and more.
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“All your old famous western people who went to Tombstone were all in Prescott first,” Stanford said.
With the old also comes the new.
There are several new restaurants in Prescott as well. There’s one called the County Seat, which is a stark difference from some places downtown.
“It’s a little more sleek, a little more modern than some of the other places, which I thought was a nice juxtaposition because there's already a lot of other incredible restaurants like the Palace that have been around for a really long time,” said Skyler Reeves, the owner of the County Seat.
Reeves’ restaurant still pays homage with its name. Prescott was designated as the county seat of Yavapai County. His restaurant overlooks the courthouse square.
“I just wanted a place where everyone can come together and enjoy this beautiful space together,” Reeves said.
Prescott has grown exponentially - its population has nearly doubled since 1990. With that growth comes a need for housing, and it’s gotten more expensive.
“I think the average price of a house is... I want to say it is in the neighborhood of $600,000,” said Tim Wiederaenders, the editor of the Daily Courier.
The issues the city faces have remained the same for decades, Wiederaenders said, adding that it includes transportation, water, and health care.
Those who live in Prescott also take their civic duties seriously. The average age skews older as it is seen as a retirement community.
Many politicians have also come through to campaign over the years including the late Senator John McCain and more recently, former president Donald Trump.
“Prescott in particular, but Yavapai County is arguably the most conservative area of Arizona,” Wiederaenders said.
The city has also seen tragedy. There’s now a new monument in the downtown square in honor of the 19 Granite Mountain Hot Shots who died in the Yarnell Hill Fire in 2013, along with banners hanging in some restaurants to remember the fallen heroes.
“If you want to define Prescott, it's how the community came together after that,” Wiederaenders said.
The city came together in mourning in that tragedy, but it also comes together in many celebrations every year. One is known as the World’s Oldest Rodeo, dating back to 1888. Wiederaenders mentions that Prescott is also known as a Christmas City in Arizona.
When asked about what comes to mind about Prescott, Reeves also mentioned the rodeo and the Fourth of July celebrations.
“This is like a picture of Americana,” he said. “It’s kids playing in the streets, craft fair on the square, and the rodeo at night. Everyone’s just out enjoying the town. The weather’s incredible.”
VOTV Prescott Political Demographic Breakdown
Prescott is considered the heart of the Republican party in Arizona, with the city and the surrounding regions supporting Republicans by 30 points more than the rest of the state, according to data from the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office.
Prescott and Prescott Valley are in solidly Republican U.S. House and legislative districts. Eli Crane represents U.S. House District Two, and all three legislative district seats being held by Republicans.
While in Prescott, ABC15 spoke to many voters about the issues most important to them in the upcoming election. Of those willing to go on record with ABC15, many people said they would vote for former President Donald Trump.
Michael Lawrence, a self-proclaimed conservative voter with “conservative values,” was one of those voters.
“I believe in conservative principles, and I just think the Republican Party is going to push those principles more than the Democratic Party,” Lawrence said. “Trump has his flaws and plenty of them, but I would still prefer to vote for him because he is conservative and I think he's going to be better ultimately, for the economy and for world politics and global issues that we're dealing with.”
Nick Hobbs, a registered Independent, also said he will be voting for Trump in November, albeit reluctantly.
“I was going to vote [for] RFK Jr., but now he has sort of stepped down and endorsed Donald Trump. Now I must endorse Donald Trump, though I did not want to,” Hobbs said.
Hobbs said he “would have been a traditional Democrat from 40 years ago,” but also can’t call himself a Republican, either.
“I am forced to be an independent, and I want that party to be recognized,” Hobbs said. “I want it to be taken seriously, and I want both candidates to listen to what they have to say.”
Even in the ruby-red region of Yavapai County, Democratic voters exist and are eager to have their voices heard and votes count.
John Lutes is the co-owner of Van Gogh’s Ear Art Gallery on Whiskey Row and ran as a Democratic candidate for the Yavapai County Board of Supervisors in 2020.
Lutes has been a business owner in Prescott for 43 years and said the economy is one of the most important issues he cares about in the upcoming election.
“One thing that I think is going to be the future driver of our overall economy, and the most important factor is the way that we've denied and avoided facing climate change,” Lutes said.
Lutes studied forestry at Northern Arizona University in the mid-70s. According to Lutes, he was taught the “causes” and “consequences” of climate change 50 years ago.
“And none of that's changed, except we haven't done anything about it, so the problem keeps getting worse, and we're only now starting to feel that in our economy,” Lutes said. “And that's probably, I guess, what it's going to take for people to take notice after 50 years of being told what was going to happen.”
Judy Stahl, another Democrat in the Prescott area, ran for the Arizona House of Representatives in District 1 in 2020. According to Stahl, she wants to see a political environment “that is safe for anyone.”
“So first and foremost, that we treat each other with respect and realize that politics is the place where you do have those conversations so that you don't go to fisticuffs,” Stahl said. “Everyone can have whatever opinions that they want. That's America. I appreciate that, but it's really important that we do it in a way where we treat each other with courtesy and have some sort of civil discourse.”
Amber Faith, Stahl’s campaign manager in 2020, agreed that it’s important to have civil conversations surrounding politics, especially as a Democrat in an area that votes predominately for Republicans. But to Faith, affordable housing is one of her top priorities in the upcoming election and one of the reasons she is voting for Vice President Kamala Harris.
The lack of affordable housing and vacation rentals driving up prices in Prescott concerns Faith, she said.
“[In Prescott] we're kind of overrun with vacation rentals, which are artificially driving prices up to the point that we can't attract good public safety officers and teachers because it's so unaffordable to live here,” she said. “And you know, as somebody who's young and looking to invest in my future, the fact that it's cheaper to rent than it is to own a home is really distressing to me.”
While not all voters ABC15 spoke with agreed on who they were voting for, or what was a top-of-the-ballot issue for them, many pointed to the need for more civility in today’s political climate.
“I think a lot of people are really frustrated by the fact that we can't talk about issues anymore,” Faith told ABC15. “And I think if there's one thing I can agree with the vast majority of people, regardless of party, is that we should be able to discuss problems and [be] looking towards solutions.”
