PHOENIX — Arizona's 3rd Congressional District officially has a new representative in Congress.
The Associated Press called the race at 8:05 p.m. Arizona time, saying Yassamin Ansari has won the election to take Rep. Ruben Gallego's seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.
She defeated Jeffrey Zink, a self-described constitutionalist and America First candidate.
CD3 covers a densely-populated urban area that covers most of downtown, western and southern Phoenix along with parts of Glendale.
This is one of Arizona's most heavily Democratic districts.
See the live results below, along with more information on Ansari.
LIVE RESULTS:
Yassamin Ansari (D)
Ansari was a member of the Phoenix City Council from 2021 to 2024, representing District 7. She narrowly defeated her opponent, Raquel Terán, in the Democratic primary election by just 42 votes.
Ansari's campaign website lists housing affordability, climate action and reproductive freedom as her primary issues. In 2023, Ansari pushed for Phoenix to open more indoor shelter space for homeless people instead of moving ahead with a structured outdoor campground plan.
Additionally, Ansari helped create Phoenix's Office of Heat Response and Mitigation during her time in office.
During the primary, she benefited from $1.3 million in outside spending by a pro-cryptocurrency super PAC called Protect Progress, according to filings with the Federal Election Commission.
Ansari is the first Iranian American elected to public office in Arizona.
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DECISION 2024
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