There are also competitive primaries for two of the state’s largest congressional districts, including one that Democrats see as an opportunity to flip a House seat and another that will pit two top allies of former president Donald Trump against one another.
Senate GOP primary
Former television anchor Kari Lake, who ran for Arizona governor and lost in 2022, is projected to win the Republican primary for the Senate race in Arizona, according to the Associated Press. Lake defeated Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb and Elizabeth Reye, a neuroscientist who positioned herself as a “Reagan Republican.”
Former president Donald Trump endorsed Lake, who has echoed Trump’s false claims that widespread voter fraud cost them their elections. Lake will advance to the general election to face Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), who ran uncontested in the Democratic primary.
1st District Democratic primary
A crowded field of Democrats is competing to take on incumbent Rep. David Schweikert (R) in what is likely to be the state’s most competitive race in November. Arizona’s 1st Congressional District is sprawling, covering much of northeastern Phoenix as well as the wealthy suburbs of Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Cave Creek and Fountain Hills.
The half-dozen Democratic candidates vying for the party’s nomination include business executive Andrei Cherny, former television anchor Marlene Galán-Woods, orthodontist Andrew Horne, business executive Kurt Kroemer, lawyer Conor O’Callaghan and former state representative Amish Shah. No clear front-runners have emerged.
The winner of the Democratic primary will advance to the general election to face Schweikert, who has served in the House for nearly 15 years. He was first elected to Congress in 2010, and he has won reelection — in various redrawn districts — several times since, though his margins of victory have decreased over the years. Schweikert narrowly won reelection in 2022 by less than one percentage point, and Democrats have targeted his seat as a possible pickup.
8th District Republican primary
A half-dozen Republican candidates are competing in the GOP primary to replace Rep. Debbie Lesko (R), who announced in October that she would not seek reelection after the end of her term. Arizona’s massive 8th Congressional District covers much of north Glendale and the West Valley suburbs of Peoria, Sun City and Sun City West, and stretches all the way north to Lake Pleasant and New River.
Front-runners for the GOP primary include several prominent figures in the state party: former Senate candidate Blake Masters and former state attorney general candidate Abe Hamadeh — both of whom lost their respective races in 2022 to their Democratic opponents. In an unusual circumstance, both also have the support of Trump, who hedged his bets with a last-minute dual endorsement.
“They will both be spectacular, and I’m pleased to announce that both Blake Masters and Abe Hamadeh have my Complete and Total Endorsement to be the next Congressman of Arizona’s 8th Congressional District — THEY WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN!” Trump wrote Sunday in a post on his social media platform.
Also running in the GOP primary are Arizona House Speaker Ben Toma, former congressman Trent Franks — who previously represented this district — and Arizona state Sen. Anthony Kern.
Yvonne Wingett Sanchez contributed to this report.
