Arizona’s 3rd District Democratic Primary Heads to Recount as Vote Tally Tightens

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

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

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

The seat is open as Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego runs for U.S. Senate. The primary winner will be the favorite in the November election against Republican Jeff Zink for the district, which leans Democratic and covers central and southwest Phoenix.

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

Another key primary concluded when former state Rep. Amish Shah won the Democratic primary for a district in northeastern Phoenix and three affluent suburbs. This sets up a competitive November election against seven-term Republican David Schweikert.

Tuesday’s primary election also highlighted a statewide win for Kari Lake, who defeated Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb in the Republican U.S. Senate primary. She will face Democrat Ruben Gallego in November.

State Rep. Justin Heap of Mesa unseated election officials who debunked false claims about the 2020 and 2022 elections. Heap defeated incumbent Stephen Richer and IT professor Donald Hiatt in the GOP primary for Maricopa County recorder.

Richer conceded defeat via social media, congratulating Heap.

“Elections have winners and, sadly, losers,” Richer wrote on X. “It looks like I’m on the losing side this time. But that’s part of the game. Accept it. Move on.”

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

Heap claims thousands of Republican voters lack faith in the county’s election operations. He will face Democrat Tim Stringham, an attorney, in the Nov. 5 general election.

In the 8th District, Abe Hamadeh, endorsed by Trump, edged out Blake Masters and others to clinch the party’s nomination. He is likely to succeed Republican U.S. Rep. Debbie Lesko as the district leans conservative.

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

Following his win, Hamadeh thanked voters, Trump, and his supporters on social media.

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

Masters, who also had Trump’s backing, urged unity behind Hamadeh.

“For me, now, it’s back to business and helping any way I can to get Donald J. Trump back in the White House,” Masters said. In November, Hamadeh will compete against Democrat Greg Whitten, a biosecurity worker who ran unopposed in the Democratic primary.

In the 1st District, Shah, a medical doctor and former state legislator, won the Democratic primary, covering parts of north Phoenix, Scottsdale, Fountain Hills, and Paradise Valley.

This November, Shah will face incumbent Republican Rep. David Schweikert, who has served seven terms. Schweikert’s campaign has been marred by ethics scandals. In 2022, he was fined $125,000 by the Federal Elections Commission for misappropriating campaign funds. Earlier, he paid a $50,000 fine for campaign finance violations.

The Democratic primary also featured 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 Kim George in the GOP primary.

In the 3rd District, Ansari brands herself as a progressive candidate ready to “stand up to MAGA extremism” and defend abortion rights.

Terán, a former state Senate minority leader, highlights her success as an organizer and her role in ousting Joe Arpaio from the Maricopa County sheriff’s post. Zink, who contests Biden’s 2020 victory, defeated Jesus David Mendoza for the Republican nomination.

In Senate District 2, State Sen. Shawnna Bolick won the Republican primary, overcoming a challenge from a small business owner with far-right views. Bolick was appointed last summer to fill a vacant seat and recently supported Democrats in repealing an 1864 near-total ban on abortion. She will face state Rep. Judy Schwiebert in November.

In Senate District 7, incumbent Wendy Rogers, a controversial election denier with Trump’s support, retained her seat. Despite being censured by the Legislature for backing white nationalism, Rogers maintains strong support. Her primary opponent, state Rep. David Cook, criticized her for neglecting local issues. Rogers’ Democratic challenger in November is Haley Creighton.

In Senate District 1, Trump loyalist Mark Finchem defeated incumbent Ken Bennett for the GOP nomination in the red-leaning district anchored by Prescott. Finchem has promoted debunked fraud claims regarding Trump’s 2020 loss. Bennett represented a more moderate choice. Real estate broker Steve Zipperman trailed in the count. 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.

Decision 2024

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