The governor beamed as the excavator smashed through the windows of the old office building.
During his last public appearance in December, the outgoing Republican governor watched the physical embodiment of a project that has defined his eight-year tenure: tearing down state government.
In defiance of a Democratic president, Ducey cut taxes, expanded school choice, restricted abortion, and built a makeshift wall on the U.S.-Mexico border.
At a time when the conservative movement is mostly focused on owning the libs, Ducey spent his two terms outmaneuvering Democrats to advance Republican priorities.
He leaves office with a limited national profile and the enmity of GOP foot soldiers less interested in the pile of things he accomplished than the one thing he would not do: overturn President Donald Trump's defeat in the state's 2020 election.
"Ducey gave the road map of how to govern, how to stay relatively popular and get things done," said Mike Noble, a Phoenix-based pollster who used to work for Republicans.
The Republican-controlled Legislature will limit her ability to change what was done. The GOP primary was won by a former television anchor who was a fierce advocate of Trump's election lies.
The entire Republican slate was endorsed by Ducey but he did not campaign with Lake who lost narrowly to Hobbs. On her way to winning the GOP nomination, she attacked Ducey a lot.
The governor and Ward were enemies. He plays down the significance of Lake and Ward.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Ducey said that they were inconsequential and powerless.
After leaving the governor's office, he didn't say much. If the GOP is interested in his brand of limited-government conservatism, he may be a candidate for president or vice president.
Establishment Republicans tried to recruit him to run against Mark Kelly. The social media taunting that helped Republicans build a national profile has largely been avoided by Ducey.
The Ronald Reagan President Library and Museum was where Ducey gave his most candid assessment of the modern GOP. The governor warned that a dangerous strain of big government activism has taken hold of the party and that a segment of the conservative movement is driven by anger.
Candidates are more defined by their attitudes than the policies they propose, according to Ducey. Many small-government conservatives have become bullies because they are comfortable using government power to tell companies how to live their lives.
During Trump's presidency, he forged a strong alliance with him and never issued public criticism, even though his border policies could be problematic for Arizona.
Their relationship fell apart when the governor signed the paperwork certifying Democrat Joe Biden's narrow presidential victory in Arizona. One of the worst governors in America was called out by Trump.
The Democrats say that Ducey could have done more to stop the Republican Party from taking root in the state.
The partisan review of the 2020 election conducted by Trump supporters on behalf of Senate Republicans was a widely mocked spectacle. Some of the most extreme voices in the Legislature were raised millions of dollars by him.
He could have been a leader and said that the elections are safe and people can trust the system. He really missed that chance.
As the state rebounded from the Great Recession, Democrats blame Ducey for being slow in restoring money for schools. Meager funding and stagnant wages led to a teacher strike in Arizona that resulted in a 20% raise. In the summer of 2020 there was a surge of deaths after he lifted his COVID-19 restrictions.
There are good people who have been misled and that's why he wants to address election denialism with facts.
He said that sometimes a clean up on aisle nine is needed. The ones that had great success were the ones who were focused on the future and not on the past.
Before Trump's victory, the GOP's tone and focus had been changed by the conservative coalition, but that was only one part of the story.
Two years after voters resoundingly rejected a less ambitious measure, he signed a first-in- the-nation universal school voucher law.
He supported a ban on abortions after 15 weeks of age. The law takes precedence over the abortion ban that was in place during the Civil War.
He added conservatives to the Supreme Court and created a legacy that will last long after he leaves office. He says that the Arizona high court was always expected to grow with the state.
He gave tax breaks to technology companies and gave the government a hands-off approach to manufacturing. He left with a record surplus after inheriting a huge budget deficit.
Cold Stone Creamery was founded by a native of Toledo, Ohio, who went on to run the national brand after graduating from Arizona State University.
He turned to politics after selling the business and was elected state treasurer in 2010.
If he runs for another office, the relationships he built as head of the Republican Governors Association could be useful.
"I do think I have another act or two in me, and I'm still thinking about my next move," he said.
Being a part of the conservative cause has been great for me. I am open minded to what the future holds.
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