By Canadian Press

Critic of Arizona’s elections operations unseats incumbent election official in GOP primary

Jul 31, 2024 | 2:42 AM

PHOENIX (AP) — State Rep. Justin Heap, a critic of Arizona’s voting operations in 2020 and 2022 has unseated Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer in the Republican primary.

Elsewhere, Primary Election Day in Arizona without many of the top races being decided. Ballot counting will continue Wednesday. Former Phoenix television news anchor and gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake defeated Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb in a Republican U.S. Senate primary that headlined the election statewide. But primaries in three congressional races and a trio of noteworthy state legislative contests were too close to call. Abraham Hamadeh and Blake Masters led a field of six candidates vying for the GOP nomination in Arizona’s 8th Congressional District.

In legislative races, abortion politics made one Republican particularly vulnerable.

Here’s a look at some key races:

Maricopa County

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Heap, a Mesa lawmaker seized on the first opportunity to unseat election officials who knocked down false claims about the two most recent elections. The AP called the race for Heap early Wednesday.

He defeated both Richer, the incumbent, and challenger Donald Hiatt in the GOP primary in the Maricopa County recorder’s race.

Richer, who took office in early 2021 after unseating a Democratic incumbent, was known for pushing pushed back against falsehoods about Arizona’s 2020 and 2022 elections.

Heap will face the race’s lone Democrat, attorney Tim Stringham, in the Nov. 5 general election.

The county recorder runs voter registration and early-voting efforts in the state’s most populous county.

Heap stops short of saying the 2020 and 2022 elections were stolen but said thousands of Republicans voters don’t have faith in the county’s election operations. Like Hiatt, Heap said the county has insecure practices for handling early ballots.

US House

8th District: Front-runners Abraham Hamadeh and Blake Masters both received endorsements from former President Donald Trump as they try to clench the Republican nomination in the district northwest of Phoenix. It’s considered the epicenter of efforts by Trump allies to cast doubts on the validity of election results.

Whoever wins has a good chance of succeeding Republican U.S. Rep. Debbie Lesko because the district leans conservative. The other candidates are: former U.S. Rep. Trent Franks, Arizona state House Speaker Ben Toma, state Rep. Anthony Kern and political newcomer Patrick Briody. Greg Whitten, a biosecurity worker, is running unopposed in the Democratic primary. 1st District: Six Democrats are facing off for a chance to flip the nationally competitive seat that encompasses parts of Maricopa County. Biden won the district in 2020.

Ex-state Rep. Amish Shah, ex-local news anchor Marlene Galán-Woods, former state treasurer hopeful and state party chair Andrei Cherny, and investment banker Conor O’Callaghan were in a close four-way race. The other candidates are orthodontist Andrew Horne and former regional American Red Cross CEO Kurt Kroemer.

One of them will look to unseat incumbent Rep. David Schweikert who breezed through the GOP primary in November. Schweikert’s reputation has been tarnished in recent years by ethics scandals. In 2022, Schweikert received a $125,000 fine by the Federal Elections Commission for misappropriating campaign funds. Two years prior, he agreed to pay a $50,000 fine and accept 11 campaign finance violations after an investigation by the U.S. House Ethics Committee.

Schweikert defeated businessman Robert Backie, and ex-FBI agent and corporate investor Kim George.

3rd District: Two Arizona Democrats are eyeing the seat left vacant by Ruben Gallego’s decision to run for U.S. Senate. Ex-Phoenix City Councilmember Yassamin Ansari and ex-Arizona Democratic Party chair Raquel Terán were locked in a close race. The left-leaning district spans central and southwest Phoenix.

Ansari has touted herself as progressive candidate who will “stand up to MAGA extremism” and defend abortion rights.

Terán, a former state Senate minority leader, emphasizes her success as an organizer and a key player in ousting Joe Arpaio from the Maricopa County sheriff’s post. Jeff Zink, who claimed Biden’s victory in 2020 was stolen, defeated Jesus David Mendoza to win the Republican nomination.

Arizona Legislature

Senate District 2: Republican Shawnna Bolick was one of two senators to side with Democrats this year in repealing an 1864 near total-abortion ban. She was appointed to the seat last summer to fill a vacancy. Her popularity among voters in the competitive northwest Phoenix district will be tested for the first time as results keep rolling in. She faced small business owner Josh Barnett, who leans further to the right. Barnett has said Bolick’s vote on the abortion bill was politically calculated as the district has become more purple.

Senate District 7: Rep. David Cook challenged Wendy Rogers for the GOP nomination for the seat that represents Flagstaff, and parts of Navajo, Gila and Pinal counties. Rogers is a prolific election denier who is aligned with Trump and has been censured by the Legislature after backing white nationalism. Still, she’s popular with her base and has a following nationally. Cook said constituents in the rural district care more about local issues like mining and water.

Senate District 1: Incumbent Ken Bennett faced a challenge for the GOP bid from Mark Finchem, a Trump loyalist who most recently lost a bid to become Arizona’s secretary of state. The reliably red district is anchored by Prescott. Bennett, a former secretary of state and state Senate president, is the more moderate of the two. Steve Zipperman, a real estate broker, also is seeking the GOP nomination and has said he’s not a professional politician.

Jacques Billeaud, Gabriel Sandoval And Sejal Govindarao, The Associated Press