Leach Takes Commanding Lead in LD17 GOP Senate Primary

Former lawmaker Vince Leach has taken a slight lead in the Legislative District 17 Republican Senate primary. He aims to unseat incumbent Justine Wadsack.

According to early results from the Secretary of State’s office on Tuesday night, Leach holds 51.4% of the votes, while Wadsack trails with 48.6%.

Wadsack is serving her first term as the senator for LD17, which includes Pima, Pinal, and parts of Cochise County. She is a far-right Republican and a member of the Freedom Caucus. In 2022, she unseated Leach by a margin of 5.5%.

Following his defeat, supporters of Leach filed a lawsuit challenging Wadsack’s residency, but the effort was unsuccessful.

Wadsack has become known for her far-right policies and comments. In 2023, her constituents attempted a recall due to her controversial legislation and remarks, but the effort failed.

Wadsack’s term has been fraught with controversy. The Tucson Sentinel reported that she was pulled over on March 1 for driving 71 mph in a 35 mph zone. She was not cited at the time due to legislative immunity, which she called “political persecution.”

The Arizona Fraternal Order of Police later rescinded its endorsement of Wadsack. She had criticized the Tucson Police Department for the citation.

“While Sen. Wadsack has been a consistent supporter of public safety in her official capacity, this incident and her decision to publicly impugn the motives of police personnel is conduct unbecoming an elected representative,” said Arizona Fraternal Order of Police President Paul Sheldon. “Like everyone accused of a traffic violation, Sen. Wadsack is innocent until proven guilty. But attacking police personnel for doing their job is simply unacceptable.”

Wadsack did not respond to multiple requests for comment from the Arizona Capitol Times. However, she addressed the citation in a Facebook post, stating, “To be clear, I still back the blue.”

Leach, a more traditional Republican, served four terms in the House. He focused on fiscal issues and was actively involved in budget negotiations during his legislative career. Although less prominent for his legislation, Leach holds conservative social values. In 2022, he led the GOP effort to introduce a bill that would have made it illegal for minors to attend drag shows.

The winner of this contentious primary will face Democrat candidate John McLean in the general election. The district leans 8.3% in favor of Republican candidates. However, Democrat donors and political action committees have heavily funded McLean’s campaign in an effort to flip the seat.