Term-limited Arizona Republican Gov. Doug Ducey leaves office this year after a six-year run during which he balanced the state budget, shrunk the state government, cut taxes, and deregulated the economy, becoming a favorite of fiscal conservatives. But, like many governors, his last several years in office have been rocked by the COVID-19 pandemic. Ducey was rumored to be considering a 2022 Senate run but recently announced he will not pursue the office. He sat down with the Washington Examiner to discuss his time in office, navigating the pandemic, and his political future. The following transcript has been lightly edited and condensed. Washington Examiner: Economic analysis has shown that Arizona is one of 10 states that has now recovered all the jobs lost since the pandemic downturn. What do you credit for that turnaround and success? Gov. Doug Ducey: Well, first, I want to say we were booming before the pandemic. In my first year, I came into office, and we had a billion-dollar deficit and a sluggish economy. So, the first thing we did was make difficult decisions and tighten our belts. And we actually shrank the size of our government in terms of spending, which very rarely happens at any level in government. We focused on economic development. I ran on kick-starting an economy. I came from the private sector, Cold Stone Creamery was my business. So, from 2015 until 2020, our economy...