Live: The latest on Arizona's 2024 primary election

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos will be back on the ballot this November after winning his Democratic primary with more than 60% of the vote.

Nanos beat Democratic challenger Sandy Rosenthal, a former deputy with the Pima County Sheriff’s Department.

Gage Skidmore/CC BY 2.0

Trump-endorsed Abe Hamadeh won the Republican primary in Congressional District 8, according to an Associated Press race call on Wednesday.

Hamadeh beat out five other Republicans in the primary to replace Congresswoman Debbie Lesko, who is now seeking election to the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors.

Gage Skidmore/CC BY 2.0

Congresswoman Debbie Lesko declared victory over Robert Branch in the Maricopa County District 4 Republican Primary.

Branch, a professor who sits on the county’s parks and recreation commission, trailed Lesko by nearly 40,000 votes Tuesday night.

Lesko has served in Congress since 2018, and served in the Arizona Legislature before that. She’s also endorsed by former President Donald Trump, and the only county supervisor candidate in Arizona to sport that endorsement.

Maricopa County

Incumbent Republican Thomas Galvin defeated former state lawmaker Michelle Ugenti-Rita in the GOP primary for the District 2 seat on the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors.

The candidates are running in District 2, which includes parts of Scottsdale, Cave Creek and Mesa.

"I am honored and humbled that the Republican voters of Maricopa County District 2 have selected me as the nominee,” Galvin said in a statement released Wednesday morning.

“I am proud of the work we have done at Maricopa County but there is still much to do including investing in public safety, securing our water future, and allowing Maricopa County residents to keep more of their hard-earned money,” he added.

Ugenti-Rita served in the state legislature from 2011 through 2021. She then ran unsuccessfully for Secretary of State. Her background is in real estate.

Ugenti-Rita conceded in a statement posted to X.

Maricopa County

Incumbent Maricopa County Supervisor Jack Sellers has conceded defeat to a Republican primary challenger who has criticized the board’s administration of past elections.

“The results are in, and unfortunately, they are not what we were hoping for,” Sellers said in a statement posted on social media before congratulating Chandler City Councilmember Mark Stewart for winning the GOP primary.

Tempe City Councilmember Joel Navarro ran unopposed for the Democratic nomination in District 1.

Sellers is one of several Republican county supervisors who resisted attempts by some fellow Republicans to sow doubt in the county’s 2020 and 2022 election results. Sellers, alongside Republican Supervisors Bill Gates and Clint Hickman and Democrat Steve Gallardo, defended the county’s election processes even as prominent Republicans like former President Donald Trump continued to repeat false claims that the elections were marred by widespread fraud.

Gage Skidmore/CC BY 2.0

Elections operations went smoothly for the most part Tuesday — a stark change from recent elections past. Secretary of State Adrian Fontes joined The Show to talk more about it.

Finchem for Secretary of State

Incumbent Sen. Ken Bennett (R-Prescott ) has lost to “MAGA” challenger Mark Finchem in Legislative District 1, according to an Associated Press race call.

The heavily conservative district, which includes Prescott, is not considered competitive, meaning the winner of the Senate GOP primary is expected to take the seat in November.

Bennett is a former Senate President and the former Secretary of State. He drew Finchem’s ire for bucking the GOP party and voting against some Republicans-supported bills in the most recent legislative session.

Finchem is endorsed by former President Donald Trump and claims that his 2022 loss in the Secretary of State race was due to fraud.

He also benefited from a financial advantage, having reported $343,624 in campaign dollars before the primary.

Finchem has also repeatedly claimed, without evidence, that Trump’s 2020 election loss was the result of fraud.

A third GOP candidate, Steve Zipperman trailed behind Finchem and Bennett with just 18% of the vote.

Gage Skidmore/CC BY 2.0

Juan Ciscomani has won the Republican primary and will seek a second term in Congress representing Arizona’s 6th district in November after early numbers show a significant lead over Republican challenger Kathleen Winn.

Numbers early Wednesday showed Ciscomani with just under 60% of votes. The results mean Ciscomani will face a rematch with the Democratic primary’s winner, Kirsten Engel in November. Engel ran unopposed in the district’s Democratic primary.

Read the full story on AZPM.org →

Arizona Media Association + Local News Foundation

Stephen Richer, who’s been a fierce defender of the integrity of Maricopa County elections since he was elected as county recorder in 2020, has lost a Republican primary to keep that role, according to a race call by The Associated Press.

Maricopa County includes Phoenix and is Arizona's population center. The recorder helps run county elections.

According to the AP, Richer was defeated by GOP challenger Justin Heap, a state representative backed by the far-right Freedom Caucus and other conservative groups. With 81% of estimated votes in, as of 5 a.m. ET, Heap had 42% of the vote, while Richer had 36%. Another challenger had 22%.

Gage Skidmore/CC BY 2.0

Kari Lake sought to strike a collaborative tone in a victory speech at her campaign watch party in Phoenix, calling on “Trump Republicans” and “traditional Republicans” alike to join together to support her.

She spoke highly of her GOP rival, Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb.

And she also made overtures to conservatives, independents, Libertarians, and even “disaffected Democrats.”

“Who is ready to save this country? This is an all-hands-on-deck moment,” Lake said.

But she also lodged personal barbs against her Democratic rival, Congressman Ruben Gallego, including an attack regarding his divorce from Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego. The couple jointly announced their divorce in 2016 while she was pregnant with the couple’s first child. 

“If he’s willing to walk out on his family, he’s willing to walk out on the voters of this great state,” Lake said.

In his own statement, Gallego, too called for Arizonans to unite against Lake.

“From now until November, I welcome all Arizonans — Democrats, Republicans, and Independents alike — to join our team and help defeat Kari Lake and her dangerous plan to ban abortion and hurt Arizonans,” Gallego said in a statement Tuesday night.

Steve Slaton, who owns a Trump-themed store in Show Low, currently sits in fourth place in the GOP primary for LD7's two seats in the Arizona House of Representatives.

Slaton stands accused of embellishing his military record and using racial slurs to describe fellow candidates in the LD7 House race.

As of 9:20 p.m., former lawmaker Walt Blackman and incumbent Rep. David Marshall, who are both Black, lead the six-way primary.

Blackman has 28% of the vote and Marshall holds 25%. Former lawmaker John Fillmore is in third place currently with about 13.5%, followed by Slaton at 13%.

Gage Skidmore/CC BY 2.0

Incumbent Rep. Laurin Hendrix currently leads all candidates in the GOP primary election for LD14's two seats in the Arizona House of Representatives.

Hendrix currently leads with 27% of the vote followed by Gilbert resident Khyl Powell with 23%. Pastor Andrew Jackson has 21% and Lalani Hunsaker has 18%.

GOP infighting in the district recently made headlines after a scuffle broke out at a local party meeting earlier this month when Hendrix made statements insinuating Hunsaker’s son was involved with the Gilbert Goons, which resulted in criminal charges against Hunsaker's husband and brother-in-law.

Supervisor Thomas Galvin pulled ahead of former lawmaker Michelle Ugenti-Rita by more than 12,000 votes as of 9:07 pm on Tuesday.

The candidates are competing in Supervisorial District 2 which includes Scottsdale, Cave Creek and Mesa.

Ugenti-Rita served in the state legislature from 2011 through 2021. She then ran unsuccessfully for Secretary of State. Her background is in real estate.

Galvin was an attorney before joining the board.

Ugenti-Rita has run an aggressive campaign against him, posting attacks on both Galvin and the board on social media almost daily.

Ugenti-Rita has championed election reform legislation at the state capitol. She authored a law that changed the margin required for an automatic election recount and has accused the board of running elections improperly.

Maricopa County has been an epicenter of election fraud conspiracy theories, which has led to vitriol against the supervisors themselves.

AZ Senate Republicans

Former Sen. Vince Leach pulled slightly ahead of incumbent Sen. Justine Wadsack as of 9:05 p.m. on Tuesday by a margin of only 578 votes. Leach was ousted by Wadsack in the 2022 primary in Legislative District 17. The district includes parts of Pima County and Pinal County with pieces of the Tucson metro area.

As a freshman lawmaker, Wadsack is a member of the far-right legislative Freedom Caucus.

In her first year she sponsored bills to ban books and criminalize drag shows for minors.

Legislative District 17 is predominantly Republican, but Democrats still hope to compete with the winner of the GOP primary election in the general race.

The winner of the Republican primary will face off against Democrat John McLean in November.

Gage Skidmore/CC BY 2.0

Sen. Eva Diaz leads former Rep. Leezah Sun by 53%, or nearly 4,000 votes, as of 9 p.m.

Both Sun, a former member of the Arizona House of Representatives, and Diaz were first elected to office in 2022.

But Sun resigned before the end of her first term minutes before her colleagues were planning a vote to expel her following an investigation into allegations she harassed and threatened local government officials in her district.

Sarah Liguori

Incumbent state House Rep. Sarah (D-Phoenix) held a slim lead over challengers in the Legislative District 5 Democratic primary with 42% of the vote as of 9 p.m. on Tuesday. But fellow incumbent Rep. Charles Lucking (D-Phoenix) fell behind.

Liguori and Lucking were both appointed to their seats in the last legislative session to replace outgoing lawmakers.

Liguori was chosen to replace former Rep. Jennifer Longdon, and Lucking was chosen to replace former Rep. Amish Shah. They’re running against fellow Democrats Aaron Marquez and Dorri Thyden.

The winners of the primary race are expected to take the district, as LD5 is heavily Democratic and not considered competitive.

On the Senate side, Sen. Lela Alston (D-Phoenix) is unopposed in the Democratic primary.

Mariana Dale/KJZZ

Kate Brophy McGee took the lead with 74% of the votes in the primary race against Tabatha Cuellar LaVoie, a political newcomer, as of 8:56 p.m. on Tuesday night.

The Republicans are running in Maricopa County Supervisorial District 3, which includes a large chunk of Phoenix and the unincorporated community of Anthem.

There are enough Democrats in the district to make it competitive. The winner of the GOP primary will go on to face former Phoenix Councilmember and Democrat Daniel Valenzuela in the general election.

McGee is an experienced lawmaker and has described herself as a moderate Republican.

Cuellar LaVoie is a Phoenix-based lawyer.

The district is currently represented by Republican Supervisor Bill Gates who announced last year that he would not seek reelection.

Gates and members of his family faced violent rhetoric in the wake of the 2020 and 2022 elections. Voter fraud conspiracy theorists claimed that the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors played a hand in rigging the elections against Republicans like former President Donald Trump.

Gates testified to the U.S. House Oversight Committee that the 2020 election was safe. He told the Washington Post in 2023 that in the wake of the 2020 election, he now suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder.

Sky Schaudt/KJZZ

The Maricopa County sheriff’s primary race has attracted a crowded field, and incumbent Russ Skinner fell behind challenger Tyler Kamp by more than 17,000 votes in the Democratic primary as of 8:52 p.m. on Tuesday.

Both the Republican and Democratic primaries fielded multiple candidates for sheriff.

On the Democratic side: Skinner is running against former Phoenix police Officer Tyler Kamp.

On the Republican side: former Arizona Department of Public Safety Director Frank Milstead, former Glendale police Officer Mike Crawford and former Maricopa County Sheriff Chief Deputy Jerry Sheridan are running.

Skinner replaced former Democratic Sheriff Paul Penzone in 2023. Skinner was a longtime Republican, but registered as a Democrat before taking Penzone’s place. Only a person of the same political party was eligible for the spot.

As of 8:52 p.m., Sheridan was leading the Republican race with 51% of the vote.

Vote Bolick

Sen. Shawnna Bolick (R-Phoenix) is leading her Republican primary opponent Josh Barnett by roughly 11 points in legislative district two’s senate race as of 8:47 p.m. on Tuesday. The winner of the Republican primary will go on to face Democratic Rep. Judy Schwiebert (D-Phoenix) in a closely watched general race.

Bolick won a seat in the state House of Representatives in 2018 and 2020, but then ran unsuccessfully for secretary of state in 2022.

Bolick was appointed to the Senate in 2023 to replace former Sen. Steve Kaiser, who resigned.

Barnett and Bolick were among three names that Republican precinct committeemen voted on to replace Kaiser. At the time of the selection, Barnett did not pledge (as some nominees did) to let the chosen nominee run unopposed in this primary.

Barnett has described himself as a “MAGA” Republican, and criticized other Republicans who are not part of the MAGA movement.

Matthew Casey/KJZZ

Republican Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell leads GOP challenger Gina Godbehere 18%, or nearly 50,000 votes, as of 8:48 p.m.

Mitchell handedly beat Godbehere with 57% of the vote in 2022 in a special Republican primary election to replace the late Maricopa County Attorney Allister Adel, who resigned earlier that year.

Arizonans have chosen Kari Lake, an election-denying ally of former President Donald Trump, as the Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate in a race that could determine control of the chamber this fall, according to a race call by The Associated Press.

AP called the race shortly before 9 p.m., less than two hours after polls closed in Arizona. With results from early voting reported, Lake leads with roughly 53% of the vote, well more than the roughly 41% held by her rival, Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb.

Whoever emerges from the GOP primary will face Democratic Congressman Ruben Gallego, who ran unopposed for his party’s nomination to the Senate seat now filled by retiring Sen. Krysten Sinema, I-Ariz.

Lake has been a MAGA Republican ever since launching her political career with a failed campaign for governor of Arizona in 2022. And her persistent election denialism, including that of her own defeat in that gubernatorial race, has endeared her to Trump, who swiftly endorsed her when she entered the race last fall.

Howard Fischer/Capitol Media Services

Sen. Wendy Rogers leads Rep. David Cook nearly 8 points in the LD 7 Republican state Senate primary, according to early, unofficial results.

Both Cook and Rogers currently represent the district in the Arizona House of Representatives and Senate, respectively.

Rogers has drawn negative headlines in recent months for standing by LD 7 candidate Steve Slaton, who stands accused of embellishing his military record.

Rogers is also a leading voice in the wing of the Republican Party that claims, without evidence, that the 2020 election was stolen from former President Donald Trump. Cook said he does not believe that election was stolen.

Yassamin Ansari for Congress, Raquel Terán

Former state Democrat Party Chair Raquel Terán has fallen behind former councilwoman Yassamin Ansari by around 1,400 votes as of 8:35 p.m. on Tuesday.

The winner of the primary race is expected to win the district, since it’s heavily Democratic.

District 3 essentially encompasses Phoenix. It’s currently represented by Congressman Ruben Gallego, who is running for a U.S. Senate seat.

Terán is the former chair of the Arizona Democratic Party and former state Senate minority leader. She first got involved in politics as a community organizer in 2006 in response to the passage of SB 1070, known as the “show me your papers” law.

If she wins, she’ll be the first Latina woman to represent Arizona in Congress.

Yassamin Ansari is the former vice mayor of Phoenix and the child of Iranian immigrants. She’s been politically active since high school and worked as a policy staffer for the United Nations.

If elected, she would be the first Iranian-American woman to represent Arizona in Congress.

There is a third candidate in the race called Duane Wooten. But he’s only collected 11% of the votes so far.

Maricopa County

Jack Sellers, the incumbent Maricopa County Supervisor in District 1 who narrowly defeated a Democratic challenger in 2020, is trailing outgoing Chandler City Councilman Mark Stewart by a sizable margin, according to early results.

Stewart currently has 64% of the vote and leads Sellers by 15,000 votes.

Sellers is one of several Republican county supervisors who resisted attempts by some fellow Republicans to sow doubt in the county’s 2020 and 2022 election results.

Stewart has criticized the board’s handling of the 2022 election and declined to answer when asked if he would have certified the 2020 election Trump lost to President Biden or the 2022 election Republican Kari Lake lost to Democrat Katie Hobbs, according to SanTan Sun News.

Gage Skidmore/CC BY 2.0

Early returns show Abe Hamadeh leading with nearly 30% of the vote in the Republican primary to replace Congresswoman Debbie Lesko, who is now seeking election to the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors.

Hamadeh leads Blake Masters, who has just over 23%.

Both Hamadeh and Masters lost statewide races in 2022 after receiving the endorsement of former President Donald Trump. Hamadeh was again endorsed by Trump in this race in December. Trump then handed a rare second endorsement to Masters over the weekend.

Arizona House Speaker Ben Toma is currently in third place with 22%, followed by former Congressman Trent Franks at 17%.

Arizona Legislature

Former state lawmaker Amish Shah currently leads a crowded field of six Democrats running for the chance to face Republican Congressman David Schweikert in the CD1 general election.

After the first vote drop at 8 p.m., Shah received just over 24% of the vote. He leads former Arizona Democratic Party Chair Andrei Cherny, who has nearly 22% of the vote, by about 1,500 votes.

Marlene Galán-Woods is currently in third place with nearly 21%, followed by Conor O'Callaghan at just over 18%.

Gage Skidmore/CC BY 2.0

As of 8:15 pm on Tuesday night; incumbent Sen. Ken Bennett (R-Prescott) fell behind “MAGA” challenger Mark Finchem by 2,691 votes in a Yavapai County-area Republican primary. The race is for a seat in the state Senate for Legislative District 1; which includes Prescott.

The heavily conservative district is not considered competitive, meaning the winner of the primary election is expected to take the seat.

Bennett is the former Senate President and the former Secretary of State. He’s faced Finchem’s ire for bucking the GOP party and voting against some Republicans-supported bills in the most recent legislative session.

Finchem is endorsed by former President Donald Trump and claims that his 2022 loss in the Secretary of State race was due to fraud.

Gage Skidmore/CC BY 2.0

Stephen Richer, who’s been a fierce defender of the integrity of Maricopa County elections since he was elected as county recorder in 2020, is trailing in the GOP primary to keep that role.

After the first batch of results were reported shortly after 8 p.m. in Maricopa County, Richer trails Republican challenger Justin Heap, a state representative backed by the far-right Freedom Caucus and other conservative groups, with roughly 38% of the vote to Heap’s 40%.

A third challenger, Don Hiatt, trailed far behind with about 21%.

A Richer loss would be a loss for those who’ve spent the past four years defending Maricopa County election administrators against baseless claims. Richer, as well as the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, have been on the frontlines of efforts to fight back with accurate information about the voting experience, how votes are counted and when results are released.

Gage Skidmore/CC BY 2.0

Congresswoman Debbie Lesko pulled ahead of Robert Branch in the Maricopa County District 4 Republican primary election by more than 37,000 votes as of 8:24 p.m. on Tuesday.

Lesko has served in Congress since 2018 and was a state lawmaker before that. She’s also endorsed by former President Donald Trump.
Branch is on the county’s parks and recreation commission.

The candidates are vying to replace outgoing Republican Supervisor Clint Hickman, who announced earlier this year that he would not seek reelection.

The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors has been accused by voting fraud conspiracy theorists of playing a role in “stealing” the 2020 and 2022 elections.

The Republican-majority board has pushed back on those accusations at every turn, leading to death threats.

Lesko did not respond to requests for comment as to whether she believes the 2020 and 2022 elections were stolen by the supervisors. She was one of 139 GOP lawmakers who voted to overturn the 2020 presidential election results in 2021.

District 4 is a largely conservative district encompassing Wickenburg, Buckeye, Peoria and Surprise. The winner of the Republican primary election is expected to take the seat.

Gage Skidmore/CC BY 2.0

Kari Lake, an election-denying ally of former President Donald Trump, so far leads the race to become the Republican nominee for Arizona’s U.S. Senate race.

With early votes reported from 12 of Arizona’s 15 counties, including the two largest, Maricopa and Pima, Lake leads with roughly 53% of the vote, well more than the roughly 41% held by her rival, Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb.

Whoever emerges from the GOP primary will face Democratic Congressman Ruben Gallego, who ran unopposed for his party’s nomination to the Senate seat now filled by retiring Sen. Krysten Sinema, I-Ariz.

Mariana Dale/KJZZ

Follow along with the latest results from Arizona's primary election.

Arizona’s primary election ran smoothly this year; in contrast to rockier elections over the previous two cycles.

Polls opened at 6 a.m. and closed at 7 p.m. with few incidents. In the 2022 primary election, some Pinal County vote centers ran out of ballots which caused an uproar, although Maricopa County’s 2022 primary was fairly calm.

However, in the 2022 general election (the last statewide election) issues with ballot printers caused long lines in the Valley. That issue was the center of claims by some unsuccessful candidates that the races were rigged against them.

Lawrence Jackson/The White House

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The White House

Vice President Kamala Harris is set to launch a battleground tour next week with her yet-to-be-named running mate, with stops in seven swing states including Arizona, her campaign said Tuesday.

The campaign said Harris and her running mate will make stops next week in Philadelphia; western Wisconsin; Detroit; Raleigh, North Carolina; Savannah, Georgia; Phoenix and Las Vegas.

KJZZ

It isn’t actually “invisible ink.”

But the state’s top election official said some voters — a small number so far — are using a type of pen on their early ballots and the return envelopes where the ink appears to be fading. And if that doesn’t cause problems with the immediate tabulation and discerning voters’ choices, it could create issues if ballots have to be recounted.

The problem, according to Lisa Marra, could stem from voters using erasable ink pens, something she terms “very common and popular today” to both fill out their ballots and sign the envelopes in which they are returned.

Paul Atkinson/KJZZ

Maricopa County election officials said turnout is lower than expected. As of this afternoon, voter turnout was at about 24.5%, according to ballot tracking data compiled by Democratic consultant Sam Almy.

That's well below the 35% of voters that participated in the 2022 primary election, though there are still several hours before polls close at 7 p.m.

Republicans have turned in about 331,500 ballots so far, representing 37% of GOP voters in the county. That's been buoyed by strong in-person voting – Republicans represented about 63% of in-person voters as of 3 p.m., according to Almy.

Democrats, by comparison, represented about 14% of in-person voters. Overall, Democratic turnout in the election is currently at about 32%.

Jimmy Jenkins/KJZZ

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editorial | staff

Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Jennifer Ryan-Touhill said the wording of the Elections Procedures Manual could be read to make it illegal for someone to wear a T-shirt into a polling place that criticized one of the candidates on the ballot. And she said she also is concerned about prohibitions in the manual against harassment and intimidation.

Any ruling is unlikely to come before Tuesday's primary. But whatever the judge decides -- and ultimately is likely to go to the Arizona Supreme Court -- could have impact at the November general election.

Gage Skidmore/CC BY 2.0

The nearby race in CD1 has also attracted a wealth of attention, and a wealth of Democratic candidates vying for the chance to challenge incumbent Congressman David Schweikert.

Schweikert is considered a vulnerable Republican — his margin of victory of Democratic challengers has shrunk considerably in recent years, and the six candidates running for the Democratic nomination are pitching themselves as the right candidate to finally defeat Schweikert in November.

But the candidates have struggled to distinguish themselves from one another, and polls show no clear favorite in the race.

Gage Skidmore/CC BY 2.0

Trump appears to be hedging his bets to ensure he’s backed winning candidates who will support his cause on ballots in November.

Trump took to Truth Social on Saturday night to endorse venture capitalist Blake Masters, who lost the U.S. Senate race in Arizona in 2022 to Democrat Mark Kelly, in the crowded GOP primary to replace outgoing Congresswoman Debbie Lesko in Congressional District 8.

But Trump had already pledged his support in that race to Abe Hamadeh, who narrowly lost a race for Arizona attorney general in 2022 and, like Trump, has promoted baseless claims of election fraud.

On social media Saturday evening, Trump said voters in the West Valley suburbs of Phoenix have “two spectacular America First Candidates” to choose from.

“I’m pleased to announce that both Blake Masters and Abe Hamadeh have my Complete and Total Endorsement,” Trump wrote.

The 11th hour dual endorsement of both candidates likely ensures Trump has picked a winner in CD8 — public polling has consistently ranked Masters and Hamadeh neck-and-neck in what’s become a bitter race defined by each candidate's fealty to Trump.

But it’s unclear how voters who had planned to cast a ballot for whoever Trump supports will now decide between the two.

Mary Grace Grabill/Cronkite News and Gage Skidmore/CC BY 2.0

Whichever Trump acolyte wins in CD8 is likely assured victory in November— the district heavily favors Republican candidates, and will be considered a safe seat for a GOP incumbent in elections to come.

But Trump’s endorsement will be tested elsewhere on the ballot.

Kari Lake, another Trump ally who refuses to accept her 2022 defeat to Democrat Katie Hobbs in the race for Arizona governor, has been considered the frontrunner for the GOP nomination for U.S. Senate ever since she burst into the race with Trump’s endorsement last fall.

But some Republicans fear a repeat for Lake in 2024, and yet another statewide race lost by Republicans in this newly minted swing state.

If she secures the nomination, Lake will face Congressman Ruben Gallego, who’s running unopposed for the Democratic nomination. Lake has routinely polled behind Gallego, trailing well behind Trump’s more favorable numbers in Arizona as she’s been dogged by her continued election denialism and shifting positions on abortion, an issue that may literally be on the ballot this fall — more than 800,000 Arizona voters signed onto an initiative that would enshrine the right to an abortion in the state constitution.

Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Commission

As for Democrats, voters must nominate a candidate to replace Gallego, who’s abandoning a safe seat in the House to run for Senate.

Polling shows a two-person race between former Arizona state Sen. Raquel Teran and former Phoenix city councilmember Yassamin Ansari, each of whom would mark a first if elected — Teran would be the first Latina sent to Congress in Arizona, while Ansari would be the first Democratic Iranian American to serve in Congress.

That race in Arizona’s 3rd Congressional District has drawn significant outside interest from Republican donors, cryptocurrency forces and even the Winklevoss twins of Facebook fame.

Camryn Sanchez/KJZZ

LAUREN GILGER: Let’s head to the polls, where our own Camryn Sanchez has been talking to voters this morning. She is at the Mesa Convention Center and joins us now to talk more about what she’s seeing this primary election Morning. Good morning, Camryn. you’ve been out early, right?

CAMRYN SANCHEZ: Yes I have. Polls opened at 6 a.m., and I was there at 6:13. So almost perfect.

GILGER: So tell us what you’re seeing so far at polls this morning. Are you seeing a lot of people?

SANCHEZ: I am now. When I first got there — I was at a voting center in Scottsdale, and there was pretty much nobody. But after about an hour or so, people started to trickle in. And now here in Mesa, it’s getting pretty crowded as the day heats up.

GILGER: Yeah. As the day heats up — you’re outside, I’m sure. There are some rules about where you can be who you can talk to, right?

SANCHEZ: There are. The most enforced rule is the 75-foot limit. You’re supposed to not do any electioneering, etc., photographing people inside that limit. So everyone’s outside in this sort of arced perimeter.

GILGER: All right. Thank you for being outside for us on this morning that’s, I’m sure, getting hot already. Tell us about the district you’re in there in Mesa. What’s on the ballot there?

SANCHEZ: Well, there’s a lot going on in this district. There’s a mayoral race. There’s some city council seats up, and then in the legislative district, this is considered a very, very competitive area. So it’s purple. There’s a chance that Republicans could win, a chance the Democrats could win.

And of course, the congressional district is 4. So it’s represented by (Greg) Stanton. And then everyone can vote for U.S. Senate. And I’ve seen some signs for the U.S. Senate race.

GILGER: Some signs for the Senate there. OK. Have you gotten a chance to talk to any voters? What are you hearing from them?

SANCHEZ: I have. Everyone seems excited. They say that things have gone smoothly. No one said there have been any issues so far. I talked to one guy who was a Republican. Says that he’s excited to vote. He says he’s not super thrilled completely with the Republican Party, but he doesn’t want to be an independent and have to pick a primary ballot every time.

GILGER: Let’s hear from him now.

JERRY EARLES: Normally I always vote in person. I like to come in, do it here, make sure it’s there and taken care of. It’s just an opportunity. I’ve got my grandkids all excited about voting as soon as they turn 18, so that’s all happening. Two of them are already over the age, and they’re happy to vote. And I got a couple more that are under 18, and they can’t wait to start voting. So win or lose, at least get out and express your opinion.

GILGER: And that is Mesa voter Jerry Earles. Camryn, talk about voting operations, what you’re hearing across the county in the state. We just heard from supervisor Bill Gates in Maricopa County at the tabulation center there. Are we getting any reports of issues anywhere else in the state? Any concerns from voters?

SANCHEZ: No. So far, so good. I’ve heard some voters say that they are concerned generally with election integrity, but they didn’t point to anything being wrong today here in Maricopa County.

I actually talked to a couple just before I got on the call who said that their fears concerning election integrity have been satisfied. They say that they’re now satisfied that everything is safe and secure. And mostly just a lot of excitement. People are happy to have the opportunity to vote.

GILGER: Yeah. There’s an interesting collection of voters who come out to the polls on Election Day, as opposed to the vast majority who send them in early ballots, right?

SANCHEZ: It’s funny that Gates mentioned those green envelopes, because I would say a huge chunk of these people are carrying the green envelopes. So they actually filled out their ballots before they got here. And they’re just here in person on Election Day to drop them off rather than check in and vote the normal way.

GILGER: OK, so final minute here, Camryn. We’re expecting the first results — as Bill Gates told us — about an hour after polls close this evening. What are the biggest races you’re watching for? What are the results you want to see as soon as they come in?

SANCHEZ: Well, we’re trying to keep an eye on as many of them as possible, but obviously the U.S. congressional races and the U.S. Senate races, those are the biggies. And then some very competitive legislative races. And this year, the politics team is also keeping an eye on some of those Maricopa County races, including county sheriff, county attorney and county recorder. So yeah, tune in for that tonight.

GILGER: Tune in for that tonight. All right. Lots to watch for as well in the coming days. That is KJZZ’s Camryn Sanchez with our Politics Desk joining us from one of the polling sites in Mesa this morning. Camryn, thank you for getting up early for us. Appreciate it.

SANCHEZ: Thank you.

Maricopa County Board of Supervisors

It is primary election day in Arizona and voters are heading to the polls to decide who will represent each party in an array of important elections from the federal to the state and local level.

Voting sites are open across the state from 6 a.m. until 7 p.m. tonight. Voters can also drop off their early ballots at those sites as well. In Maricopa County, there are 223 vote centers open today, and registered voters can cast a ballot at any of them.

So far, things seem to be going smoothly at the polls — but that’s not always been the case in Maricopa County. Maricopa County Supervisor Bill Gates joined The Show from the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center.

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Tomorrow is primary day in Arizona and voters from both parties will be heading to the polls to choose their nominees for a variety of races — from who will be in the running to be our next U.S. Senator to who will square off for Congress all the way down to who will become the candidates for mayor in some Valley cities.

But, a lot of voters will not be heading to the polls tomorrow — because they’ve already voted. In fact, more than 800,000 Democratic and Republican voters in Arizona already returned their primary ballots. Sam Almy joined The Show to tell us everything we know about those early ballot returns.

Almy is a data analyst for Uplift Campaigns, a Democratic political strategist who also tracks early ballots.