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Arizona primaries set the stage for contested fall races in a swing state
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House, which could determine whether the party can wrest control from the GOP.
In the Phoenix metro area, the district is currently represented by Republican Rep.
There is another toss-up House seat in Arizona. Juan Ciscomani. He was first elected in 2022, but won his reelection bid in 2024 with 50% of the vote in the district that runs from Tucson toward the border with Mexico.
They'll face off in November.
Camryn Sanchez of KJZZ in Phoenix contributed to this story.
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− Fresh Air Wild Card with Rachel Martin It's Been a Minute Embedded Get NPR+ More Podcasts & Shows Search Newsletters NPR Shop Get NPR+ Tiny Desk New Music Friday All Songs Considered Music Features Live Sessions About NPR Diversity Support Careers Press Ethics Arizona primaries set the stage for contested fall races in a swing state Arizona Democrats choose who can try to flip a Republican-held House seat, and Republicans pick their nominee to try to unseat a Democratic governor.
+ Fresh Air Wild Card with Rachel Martin It's Been a Minute Embedded Get NPR+ More Podcasts & Shows Search Newsletters NPR Shop Get NPR+ Tiny Desk New Music Friday All Songs Considered Music Features Live Sessions About NPR Diversity Support Careers Press Ethics Arizona primaries show GOP voters backing Trump’s picks for key posts Trump-endorsed candidates won nominations for governor and a key House race.
− Politics Arizona primaries set the stage for contested fall races in a swing state July 21, 20265:00 AM ET Saige Miller
Supporters of Rep.
+ Arizona Democrats choose who can try to flip that Republican-held House seat.
+ Politics Arizona primaries show GOP voters backing Trump's picks for key posts Updated July 22, 202612:54 AM ET Originally published July 21, 20265:00 AM ET Saige Miller
Supporters of Rep.
− Franklin/AP hide caption
Arizona is the one state holding primaries Tuesday and offers a look at voter sentiment in a swing state, where Republicans narrowly outnumber independents and Democrats.
+ Franklin/AP hide caption
Primary election polls are closed in Arizona and Trump-backed candidates prevailed over other Republicans in the race for governor and a key house seat.
The results also showed the GOP backing a candidate who opposed the results of the 2020 election in the race for secretary of state, a post with a key role in administering elections.
The election offers a look at voter sentiment in a swing state.
− Republicans will be trying to flip the governor's office this fall while Democrats hope to pick up a couple of seats in the U.S.
+ Democrats hope to pick up a couple seats in the U.S.
+ Republicans hold the House by just a few seats and the party in the White House usually loses seats in the midterms.
− Republicans hold the House by just a few seats, and the party in the White House usually loses seats in the midterms.
+ Some of the key races could come down to who has the support of President Trump or Turning Point USA, the conservative group founded by the late Charlie Kirk, who lived in Arizona.
− Some of the key races could come down to who has the support of Trump or Turning Point USA, the conservative group founded by the late Charlie Kirk, who lived in Arizona.
+ Armed with Trump's endorsement and name recognition, former NFL kicker Jay Feely is the Republican nominee in Arizona's First Congressional District, according to a race call by the Associated Press.
− Arizona's 1st Congressional District is one of only 18 House seats in the country listed as a "toss up" in the Cook Political Report.
+ The race is one of only 18 House seats in the country listed as a "toss up" in the Cook Political Report.
− David Schweikert, but he opted to run for governor this election cycle.
+ David Schweikert but he opted to run for governor this election cycle.
− The front-runners in the Democratic primary are former state lawmaker and emergency medicine physician Amish Shah and former broadcast journalist Marlene Galán-Woods.
+ Feely beat a candidate to his right.
− It's a familiar matchup for Arizona voters. Two years ago, Shah beat Galán-Woods in the primary for the district, and then Shah lost to Schweikert in the general election.
+ His Democratic opponent has not been decided yet.
− Now, it's a new race. Both candidates say they have what it takes to appeal to independent and swing voters. Galán-Woods was a Republican until 2018 but now has the support of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in the primary.
In the Republican primary for the 1st District, it's a battle between a candidate with Trump's endorsement and another who was a state lawmaker in Arizona's right-wing Freedom Caucus.
Former NFL kicker Jay Feely has the name recognition and the Trump endorsement. Former state lawmaker Joseph Chaplik is running further to the right. The race will test Trump's sway in the state.
− That's the 6th District, currently held by Republican Rep.
+ That's the Sixth District, currently held by Republican Rep.
− He's unopposed in the primary, as is Democrat JoAnna Mendoza, a military veteran who served two tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan.
+ He was unopposed in the primary, as was Democrat JoAnna Mendoza, a military veteran who served two tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan.
− Arizona Gov.
+ In Arizona's blue-leaning Fourth Congressional District, Democratic Rep.
− Katie Hobbs is in a vulnerable position as a Democratic governor seeking reelection in a state that Trump won in 2024.
+ Greg Stanton fended off a primary challenge by progressive candidate Kai Newkirk, according to the AP race call.
− The Republican primary features two House members.
+ Conservative Congressman Andy Biggs is set to face off against Arizona Gov.
− Rep. Andy Biggs has Trump's endorsement and the endorsement of Turning Point Action, aligned with Turning Point USA.
+ Katie Hobbs for the closely watched office.
− Biggs is a longtime Trump loyalist who voted in Congress against certifying the election results in 2020.
+ Biggs, who has been a long time loyalist of the president, was backed by Trump.
− During the campaign, though, he's portrayed himself as someone who can appeal to Arizona's independent voters.
Polls show him as the front-runner over fellow House Republican Schweikert, who has won in that toss-up 1st Congressional District.
Hobbs is waiting to face the Republican nominee.
+ He overwhelmingly beat a more moderate Republican, Congressman David Schweikert, for the nomination.
− She narrowly defeated Republican Kari Lake in 2022.
+ The victory indicates that Trump's influence continues to matter in critical races, even in swing states where he is dealing with poor approval ratings. Biggs also clenched the endorsement of Turning Point Action, which is aligned with Turning Point USA.
− Elections In many states, election-denying candidates are running to control voting Secretary of state race raises election integrity issues Arizona's top election official is currently Democrat Adrian Fontes, and he doesn't face a primary challenge.
+ In Congress, Biggs voted against certifying the state's results in the 2020 election of President Biden, which Trump falsely said was rigged.
− But Arizona has been a battleground over election laws since the 2020 election that President Trump lost and falsely claimed was rigged.
+ But he's portrayed himself as someone who can appeal to Arizona's independent voters during his gubernatorial campaign.
− Two Republicans vie to face Fontes.
+ Republicans say they have a good shot at flipping the governor's office.
− State Rep.
+ Hobbs is considered to be in a vulnerable position as one of two Democratic governors seeking re-election in a state that Trump won in 2024.
− Alexander Kolodin participated in lawsuits aimed at overturning the election results and is backed by Turning Point Action.
+ Hobbs also narrowly defeated Republican Kari Lake for governor in 2022.
The race for who conducts Arizona's elections has been determined.
− He faces Gina Swoboda, who became chairwoman of the Arizona Republican Party with Trump's support but has stopped short of saying the 2020 election was outright stolen, though she has said there were administration problems.
+ Democrat Adrian Fontes, the current secretary of state, will face Republican state lawmaker Alexander Kolodin, who has publicly said the 2020 election was stolen from Trump, in the general election.
+ Arizona has been a battleground over election laws since the 2020 election that President Trump lost and falsely claimed was rigged. Kolodin participated in lawsuits aimed at overturning the election results and is backed by Turning Point.