Lake Triumphs in GOP Senate Primary, Nail-Biting Finishes in Several Races

Follow here for live results for some of Arizona’s most-watched races.

PHOENIX — Arizona’s primary election drew attention as voters cast their ballots on Tuesday.

Kari Lake emerged as the winner of the Republican primary for the U.S. Senate, narrowly defeating Mark Lamb. Several other races remained too close to call as of Tuesday night.

Arizona is set to play a pivotal role in the upcoming White House race, just as it did in 2020. The state’s primaries have set the stage for competitive contests that will impact the control of the U.S. Senate, U.S. House, and the state legislature.

Maricopa County experienced a voter turnout of 22.93%. Out of more than 2.4 million registered voters, approximately 554,000 cast their ballots.

Kari Lake, upon accepting her nomination, expressed gratitude toward her campaign volunteers, donors, and family. She also thanked former President Donald Trump for his endorsement, stating, “He needs backup in Washington DC, and I’m going to be his backup.”

Lake extended her thanks to Mark Lamb, calling him a friend and acknowledging his efforts.

Lamb, however, indicated that he would wait for additional districts to report before conceding the race.

Ruben Gallego will face off against Lake in November, having run unopposed for his party’s nomination. 12News’ Joe Dana spoke with Gallego following Lake’s primary win.

In the Republican primary for Maricopa County recorder, Justin Heap leads by about 6,600 votes. Unofficial results show Heap with 108,934 votes, Stephen Richer with 102,159 votes, and Don Hiatt with 56,232 votes. Richer, seeking a second term, has faced criticism from his party for challenging allegations of election fraud in Arizona.

Rachel Mitchell, the current Maricopa County Attorney, leads her race with 59.1% of the vote against Gina Godbehere’s 40.9%.

Jerry Sheridan maintains a substantial lead in the Republican primary for Maricopa County sheriff, with 138,031 votes against Frank Milstead’s 78,383 and Mike Crawford’s 56,724 votes.

Milstead formerly directed the Arizona Department of Public Safety, Sheridan served as chief deputy of the sheriff’s office, and Crawford is a former Glendale police officer.

Tyler Andrew Kamp leads the race against the current Maricopa County Sheriff, Russ Skinner, with 113,840 votes to Skinner’s 96,178 votes.

In Arizona’s 1st Congressional District Democratic primary, Amish Shah is ahead by approximately 1,500 votes. Unofficial results from Tuesday night show Shah with 14,417 votes, Andrei Cherny with 12,844, Marlene Galán-Woods with 12,271, Andrew Horne with 7,186, Conor O’Callaghan with 10,905, and Kurt Kroemer with 1,817 votes.

Yassamin Ansari leads the Democratic primary to fill Ruben Gallego’s congressional seat with 15,173 votes, followed by Raquel Terán with 13,780 votes, and Duane Wooten with 3,679 votes.

CD3, predominantly a Democratic district, will likely remain under Democratic control in the general election, as Ruben Gallego shifts his focus to the U.S. Senate race.

In Arizona’s 8th Congressional District Republican primary, Abraham Hamadeh leads with 21,853 votes. Other notable candidates include Blake Masters with 17,171 votes, Ben Toma with 16,343 votes, Trent Franks with 12,747 votes, and Anthony Kern with 3,377 votes.

CD8 is primarily a Republican stronghold, currently represented by Debbie Lesko, who is not seeking re-election.

Maricopa County, the fourth largest U.S. county in population with over 4.4 million residents, plays a crucial role in statewide elections. It spans 9,224 square miles and hosts one of the nation’s largest park systems, including 120,000 acres of open space parks.

Phoenix, serving as both the county seat and state capital, is the fifth most populous city in the United States. The county is named after the Maricopa (Piipaash) Native American Tribe.