The primary races are set for this year’s elections as Wednesday’s deadline passed for candidates. Some incumbents could face a tough primary battle while some seats without an incumbent are in high demand.
Maricopa City Council has three openings and just two incumbents running for re-election. Five others filed their papers to challenge them. The field includes four men and three women. The youngest, and the last to decide to run, is 20-year-old Paige Richie, a political science major at Arizona State University.
“I think what most prompted me to join the race so soon would be my passion for Maricopa,” she said. “Having lived here for many years and for much of my childhood, Maricopa has been the cornerstone of my personal and professional development; I just want to return the favor and help in Maricopa’s development.”
Seven people are running for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Jeff Flake. It is a race in which the top fund-raising candidates are women, including Kyrsten Sinema among the Democrats and Kelli Ward and Martha McSally among the Republicans.
Incumbent Congressman Tom O’Halleran again has a challenge from Miguel Olivas in the primary before he can think about who might emerge from the three Republicans.
State incumbents with challenges from their own party include Gov. Doug Ducey, who saw the late emergence of former Secretary of State Ken Bennett, taking shots at Ducey’s record on education.
“The establishment said we could not do this, but once again, Arizona is proving individual rights and the constitution still matter,” Bennett tweeted after filing his nomination papers on deadline day.
On that vein, the controversial sitting superintendent of public education, Diane Douglas, is awash in fellow Republicans gunning for her job, not to mention two Democrats.
Secretary of State Michele Reagan also has a primary challenger with deep pockets while the Democrats stack up three deep for the position.
Races with no incumbent include state treasurer, state senator for District 11 and Maricopa/Stanfield constable. Races that have only one candidate per party and will therefore have no primary are attorney general, mine inspector and state senator for District 11. Maricopa/Stanfield Justice of the Peace Lyle Riggs faces no opponent at all.
Three of the four Republicans running for state house in District 11 are Maricopa residents – Howell Jones, Bridger Kimball and Bret Roberts.
Candidates who wish to run for a seat on the governing board of Maricopa Unified School District can begin filing July 9 to be on the general election ballot.
FEDERAL
U.S. Senate
Democrats
Deedra Abboud
Kyrsten Sinema
Green Party
Eve Reyes-Aguirre
Libertarian
Doug Marks
Republicans
Joe Arpaio
Martha McSally
Kelli Ward
U.S. Representative District 1
Democrats
Tom O’Halleran*
Miguel Olivas
Republicans
Wendy Rogers
Tiffany Shedd
Steve Smith
STATE
Governor
Democrats
Steve Farley
Kelly Fryer
David Garcia
Libertarian
Kevin McCormick
Republicans
Ken Bennett
Doug Ducey*
Secretary of State
Democrats
Mark Robert Gordon
Katie Hobbs
Leslie Pico
Republicans
Steve Gaynor
Michele Reagan*
Attorney General
Democrat
January Contreras
Republican
Mark Brnovich*
Treasurer
Democrat
Mark Manoil
Republicans
Jo Ann Sabbagh
Kimberly Yee
Superintendent of Public Instruction
Democrats
Kathy Hoffman
David Schapira
Republicans
Bob Branch
Diane Douglas*
Jonathan Gelbart
Tracy Livingston
Frank Riggs
Mine Inspector
Democrat
Bill Pierce
Republican
Joe Hart*
Corporation Commissioner
Democrats
Sandra Kennedy
Bill Mundell
Kiana Maria Sears
Republicans
Tom Forese
Rodney Glassman
Jim O’Connor
Justin Olson
Eric Sloan
LEGISLATURE DISTRICT 11
State Senate
Democrat
Ralph Atchue
Republican
Vince Leach
State House (elect 2)
Democrats
Hollace Lyon
Barry McCain
Marcela Quiroz
Republicans
Mark Finchem*
Howell Jones
Bridger Kimball
Bret Roberts
PINAL COUNTY
Clerk of Superior Court
Republicans
Scott McKee
Amanda Stanford*
Justice of the Peace
Republican
Lyle Riggs*
Constable
Democrat
Andre LaFond
Republicans
William Lee Griffin
Glenn Morrison
MARICOPA
City Council (elect 3)
Nonpartisan
Linette Caroselli
Vincent Manfredi*
Bob Marsh
Cynthia Morgan
Paige Richie
Rich Vitiello
Henry Wade*
*incumbent
(Vincent Manfredi is minority owner of InMaricopa.)
Tom O’Halleran needs to go ASAP