Democratic primary in Arizona’s 3rd District enters recount range as count continues

Associated Press

PHOENIX (AP) — The Democratic primary in Arizona’s 3rd Congressional District narrowed to a margin of just 0.21 percentage points Friday, within the range of an automatic recount.

Former Phoenix City Council member Yassamin Ansari led former state lawmaker Raquel Terán by 89 votes, with 42,523 votes tallied and just a few hundred votes left to count.

The seat is open due to Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego’s run for U.S. Senate. The winner of the Democratic primary will be the favorite in the November election against Republican Jeff Zink to represent the district, which leans Democratic and covers central and southwest Phoenix.

Arizona law calls for a recount if the margin is 0.5 percentage points or less.

One other key congressional primary was decided Thursday when former Arizona state Rep. Amish Shah prevailed in the Democratic primary for a district covering parts of northeastern Phoenix and three affluent suburbs. That sets up a competitive November election against seven-term incumbent Republican David Schweikert.

Voters delivered victories to some front-runners in Tuesday’s primary election, namely former Phoenix television news anchor and gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake. She defeated Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb in a Republican U.S. Senate primary that headlined the election statewide and will face Democrat Ruben Gallego in November.

Here’s a look at some key races:

Maricopa County

State Rep. Justin Heap of Mesa seized on the first opportunity to unseat election officials who knocked down false claims about the 2020 and 2022 elections. He defeated both Stephen Richer, the incumbent, and information technology professor Donald Hiatt in the GOP primary for Maricopa County recorder.

Richer accepted defeat in a social media post Wednesday morning and congratulated Heap.

“Elections have winners and, sadly, losers,” Richer wrote on X. “And in this one, it looks like I’m going to end up on the losing side of the column. But that’s the name of the game. Accept it. Move on.”

Richer took office in early 2021 after unseating a Democratic incumbent. He drew criticism in some conservative circles for calling out Trump and others for falsehoods about the 2020 election, which Joe Biden won in Arizona by 10,457 votes.

The recorder’s office runs voter registration and early voting efforts in the state’s most populous county.

Heap has said thousands of Republican voters don’t have faith in the county’s election operations. He’ll face Democrat Tim Stringham, an attorney, in the Nov. 5 general election.

US House

8th District: Hamadeh, one of two Republicans endorsed by Trump, edged out Masters and four others to clinch the party’s nomination in a district northwest of Phoenix. He’ll have a good chance to succeed Republican U.S. Rep. Debbie Lesko because the district leans conservative.

The other candidates included former U.S. Rep. Trent Franks, Arizona state House Speaker Ben Toma, state Rep. Anthony Kern and political newcomer Patrick Briody.

Hamadeh thanked voters, Trump, Lake and other supporters Wednesday in a social media post.

“The good guys still have a shot … let’s roll,” he said.

Meanwhile, Masters — who also had Trump’s backing in the race — urged unity behind Hamadeh.

“For me, now, it’s back to business, and helping in any way I can to get Donald J. Trump back in the White House,” Masters said.

Hamadeh, Masters and Lake campaigned together in 2022 in separate races. But the friendship between Hamadeh and Masters deteriorated after they lost. Both adopted Trump’s name-calling tactics, with Hamadeh referring to Masters as “The Snake” and Masters labeling Hamadeh as “Dishonest Abe.”

In November, Hamadeh will compete against Greg Whitten, a biosecurity worker, who ran unopposed in the Democratic primary.

1st District: Shah, a medical doctor who previously served in the Arizona Legislature, won the Democratic primary for Arizona’s 1st Congressional District, which includes parts of north Phoenix, Scottsdale, Fountain Hills and Paradise Valley.

In November, Shah will face incumbent Republican Rep. David Schweikert, who has served seven terms and breezed through the GOP primary. Biden won the district in 2020.

Schweikert’s reputation has been tarnished in recent years by ethics scandals. In 2022, Schweikert received a $125,000 fine by the Federal Elections Commission for misappropriating campaign funds. Two years prior, he agreed to pay a $50,000 fine and accept 11 campaign finance violations after an investigation by the U.S. House Ethics Committee.

The other candidates who ran in the Democratic primary were Andrei Cherny, a former state party chair; ex-news anchor Marlene Galán-Wood; orthodontist Andrew Horne; former regional American Red Cross CEO Kurt Kroemer; and investment banker Conor O’Callaghan.

Schweikert defeated businessman Robert Backie and ex-FBI agent and corporate investor Kim George.

3rd District: In the Democratic primary, Ansari has touted herself as progressive candidate who will “stand up to MAGA extremism” and defend abortion rights.

Terán, a former state Senate minority leader, emphasizes her success as an organizer and a key player in ousting Joe Arpaio from the Maricopa County sheriff’s post. Zink, who claimed Biden’s victory in 2020 was stolen, defeated Jesus David Mendoza to win the Republican nomination.

Arizona Legislature

Senate District 2: State Sen. Shawnna Bolick won the Republican primary, fending off a challenge from a small business owner who leans further to the right. Bolick was appointed to the northwest Phoenix seat last summer to fill a vacancy. Her popularity was tested Tuesday, months after she sided with Democrats in repealing an 1864 near-total ban on abortions. In November, Bolick will face state Rep. Judy Schwiebert, who ran unopposed in the Democratic primary.

Senate District 7: State Sen. Wendy Rogers kept her status as incumbent in the race for a seat that represents a vast district including Flagstaff, and parts of Navajo, Gila and Pinal counties. Rogers is a prolific election denier who aligned with Trump and has been censured by the Legislature after backing white nationalism. Still, she’s popular with her base and has a national following. Her primary opponent, state Rep. David Cook, had criticized her for not focusing on more local issues like mining and water. Rogers’ Democratic challenger in the November election is Haley Creighton.

Senate District 1: Former state Rep. Mark Finchem, a fierce Trump loyalist, defeated incumbent state Sen. Ken Bennett for the GOP nomination in the reliably red district anchored by Prescott. Finchem was a prolific proponent of the lie that former President Donald Trump lost his 2020 reelection because of widespread fraud, which has been repeatedly debunked by courts, election experts and Trump’s own attorney general. Bennett, a former secretary of state and state Senate president, represented the more moderate choice for voters. A third candidate, real estate broker Steve Zipperman, trailed. Voters will choose between Finchem and Democrat Mike Fogel in the general election.

___ This story has been corrected to show that Haley Creighton will face Wendy Rogers in November, not David Cook.