PHOENIX — Arizona’s most populous county certified its primary election results Monday, setting in motion a recount for the Democratic nomination in an open congressional district where 42 votes separate the top contenders.
The certification by the five-member Maricopa County Board of Supervisors formally is known as a canvass. The largely ministerial step is required before Secretary of State Adrian Fontes' office can conduct a recount in the 3rd Congressional District.
VERSIÓN EN ESPAÑOL: Empieza proceso de recuento de votos de las primarias para el 3er Distrito Congresual
Former Phoenix City Council member Yassamin Ansari is leading over former state lawmaker Raquel Terán by less than .5 percentage points — the margin that triggers a recount under Arizona law.
Fontes' office now must confirm the need for a recount, then petition the Maricopa County Superior Court to authorize it.
Whoever wins the Democratic bid will face Republican Jeff Zink in the November general election for the open seat that leans Democratic and encompasses parts of Phoenix. It was left vacant when U.S. Rep Ruben Gallego decided to seek the U.S. Senate seat. He'll face Republican Kari Lake in November.
UP TO SPEED
What is the Valley?:
“The Valley” is what locals call the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. It is considered the largest metropolitan area in the Southwest.
The Valley is made up of various major cities other than Phoenix, including:
- Mesa
- Chandler
- Scottsdale
- Tempe
- Glendale
- Surprise
- Peoria
- Gilbert
- El Mirage
- Avondale
- Litchfield Park
- Goodyear
- Buckeye
Whether a city is in the “East Valley” or “West Valley” depends on where it is in relation to Phoenix.
The cities of the Valley have a combined population of 4,845,832 people, according to the 2020 United States Census. This makes it the 11th largest metropolitan area in the country right behind the Boston and Atlanta areas.
How big is Maricopa County?
Maricopa County is the United States’ 4th largest county in terms of population with 4,485,414 people, according to the 2020 Census.
The county contains around 63% of Arizona’s population and is 9,224 square miles. That makes the county larger than seven U.S. states (Rhode Island, Delaware, Connecticut, Hawaii, New Jersey, Massachusetts and New Hampshire).
One of the largest park systems in the nation is also located in Maricopa County. The county has an estimated 120,000 acres of open space parks that includes hundreds of miles of trails, nature centers and campgrounds.
The county’s seat is located in Phoenix, which is also the state capital and the census-designated 5th most populous city in the United States.
The county was named after the Maricopa, or Piipaash, Native American Tribe.
