PHOENIX — There are many storylines in Tuesday’s primary elections.
Here’s what I’m watching most closely: Will a Trump-supporting Republican base exact revenge on the Republicans who have overseen Maricopa County’s elections for the last four years? And what would that mean for future elections?
Votes for several county offices will have national significance.
VERSIÓN EN ESPAÑOL: Por qué la primaria de hoy es una elección sobre las elecciones futuras
The swing county helped decide the winner of the White House in 2020 and control of the U.S. Senate in 2020 and ‘22.
Republican officeholders have stood fast over the last four years in the face of intense pressure from members of their party who have spread disinformation and refused to accept election results.
Prison sentences for death threats to election officials and workers are now a thing.
When the first primary results are reported at 8 p.m. Arizona time Tuesday, keep an eye on these Republican primaries in Maricopa County: The county recorder, four of the five County Board seats, and the county attorney.
First-term County Recorder Stephen Richer is the prime target of Republicans who reject election results in his three-way primary. He oversees voter registration and early voting.
The County Board oversees Election Day operations. The county attorney’s office has provided lawyers to defend the county from countless lawsuits.
Here are other races to watch:
U.S. Senate Republican primary
Former TV newscaster Kari Lake is running for the Senate at the same time she is asking the Arizona Supreme Court to declare her the winner of the 2022 race for governor (Lake lost by 17,000 votes to Democrat Katie Hobbs).
Lake's chief opponent is Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb. Lamb has made the border his No. 1 issue. He likes to say he’s the only primary candidate who’s won an election.
The winner will face five-term Democratic Congressman Ruben Gallego of Phoenix in November.
The seat is being vacated by independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, who decided not to seek re-election.
Arizona Republicans have lost all three U.S. Senate elections in the last six years.
CD1 Democratic primary
Control of the U.S. House of Representatives could come down to a handful of districts nationwide, including this one.
The six-person field has no clear favorite.
The winner will face seven-term Republican David Schweikert in the fall.
CD3 Democratic primary
This is one of those primaries that virtually decide the general election winner. The safe Democratic seat is one of two majority Latino districts in Arizona. Raquel Teran, a former state lawmaker and Arizona Democratic Party chair faces Yassamin Ansari, a former Phoenix City Council member. If elected, Teran would be Arizona's first Latina member of Congress. Ansari would be the first Iranian-American elected from the state. Pediatrician Duane Wooten is also on the ballot.
CD8 Republican primary
Donald Trump might have the most on the line in this five-candidate primary for a safe Republican seat in the West Valley. Last weekend, Trump took the highly unusual step of endorsing a second candidate, Blake Masters, in addition to his endorsement of Masters’ bitter rival, the Lake-endorsed Abe Hamadeh, eight months ago.
LD7 State Senate primary
The far-right wing of the Republican party could lose a stalwart in State Sen. Wendy Rogers of Flagstaff. Rogers faces a tough primary challenge from State Rep. David Cook of Globe. Rogers has come under fire for defending another legislative candidate who's misrepresented his military service.
Decision 2024
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