Justine Wadsack Narrowly Trails Vince Leach in Nail-Biting Southern Arizona Senate Race

In the Republican primary race for Arizona Senate’s Legislative District 17, Vince Leach holds a narrow lead over incumbent Senator Justine Wadsack. Leach currently has 51% of the vote compared to Wadsack’s 49%, according to initial unofficial vote counts.

A final vote tally is expected in the coming days as election officials continue to tabulate early ballots returned on Election Day.

Legislative District 17 includes the northeastern portion of Pima County and a southern sliver of Pinal County.

Wadsack, a vocal member of the far-right Arizona Freedom Caucus, was elected to the Senate in 2022 after defeating then-Senator Leach in that year’s Republican primary. Known for her controversial stance, Wadsack, a Tucson realtor, has backed numerous anti-LGBTQ bills and is a critic of public schools.

Leach, who resides in Saddlebrooke, was first elected to the Arizona House of Representatives in 2014. He served two terms before being elected to the state Senate in 2018. He previously worked in sales and management for over three decades.

Wadsack quickly gained notoriety in the Arizona Legislature by introducing legislation to make it a felony for children to attend drag shows. She also claimed the State Bar threatened lawyers with disbarment if they took COVID-19-related court cases, although she failed to provide evidence for these claims.

The State Bar has vehemently denied Wadsack’s accusations.

Leach and Wadsack share some ideological similarities. Leach drafted an anti-drag bill in 2022 and has opposed transgender girls participating in girls’ sports, similar to his opponent’s views.

However, during his tenure as senator, Leach focused more on business issues, while Wadsack has concentrated on public schools and social issues.