Legislative districts 17, 21 still in tight primary races

In legislative district 17, former state senator Vince Leach is leading incumbent Justine Wadsack 51.5% to 48.5% with 97% of the precincts reporting in the Republican primary.

In the same district’s house Republican primary, incumbent Cory McGarr has declared victory in one of the two open seats, with 41% of the votes. Other incumbent Rep. Rachel Jones is leading challenger Anna Orth with 32% of the votes compared to Orth’s 27%.

Two of the three candidates will move forward to the general election in November.

And in the Democratic primary for District 21, incumbent Rep. Consuelo Hernandez has received 43% of the votes. Her fellow incumbent, Rep. Stephanie Stahl Hamilton, holds a smaller margin of 29% of the votes, while challenger Briana Ortega currently has 28%.

Two of the three candidates will move forward to the general election in November.

Legislative District 17 senate race

“I’m feeling good,” Wadsack’s challenger Leach said in a phone interview with the Arizona Daily Star on Wednesday. “The numbers continue to grow, but I’m not about to claim victory until it’s clear.”

Wadsack has not released a statement or responded to inquiries from the Star.

Leach previously held the Senate seat before he lost in the Republican primary to Wadsack last election cycle. Now, two years later, it looks like he’s on the road to reclaiming his old job.

Wadsack recently made news after being pulled over in March for going 71 mph in a 35-mph zone on Speedway. She later claimed “political persecution” after being pulled over.

Leach launched his challenge aiming to be a more traditional candidate than Wadsack, who has made headlines for turning her back to Governor Katie Hobbs during the 2023 State of the State remarks, doing a photoshoot at the Capitol brandishing a machine gun and sponsoring a bill to ban books about transgender and nonbinary teens, despite not having read the book that inspired the legislation.

Wadsack has also liked social media posts spreading conspiracy theories about the 9/11 terrorist attack and the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, which claimed the lives of 19 elementary school students and two teachers.

Though Leach has promised to be a less controversial candidate, the two politicians have relatively similar conservative policies.

Legislative District 17 house race

“I am proud to announce that we have won last night’s Republican Primary Election,” Incumbent Rep. McGarr said in a written statement. “This victory is not just mine; it belongs to each and every one of you who stood by me, who volunteered their time, who shared our message, and who voted for our conservative America-First values.”

Only two of the three candidates for the house race will move on to the general election and face Kevin Volk, who ran unopposed in the Democratic primary for that House seat.

McGarr was elected to the statehouse in 2022. He listed his campaign focuses as pro-family, pro-life and religious liberty. In the Legislature, he has pushed for legislation aimed at cutting taxes, reforming border security and changing election policies.

Rep. Jones was also elected to the House in 2022. Her primary policy objectives focus on border security, election security and Arizona’s economy, according to her campaign website. She faced scrutiny earlier this year for proposing legislation that would have awarded Arizona’s 11 electoral votes to the Republican presidential nominee in the November election if Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs refused to sign Republican-led voting security measures.

Challenger Anna Orth has more than 30 years of experience as an organizational behavior consultant. Orth’s campaign website says she plans to “clean up our elections, secure the border, push back against Biden’s overreach, and defend rights, from school choice to medical decisions.”

Neither Jones nor Orth have released statements about the race.

Legislative district 21 house race

Incumbent reps Hernandez and Stahl Hamilton, as well as their challenger Ortega, have not released statements about the election results.

The winners of the race will face Republican Christopher Kibbey, who ran unopposed in his primary, in the general election.

Hernandez currently serves as a representative of District 21 alongside Stahl Hamilton. She has dedicated her career to mentoring at-risk youths and advocating for education equity in Tucson. Hernandez received the endorsement of the Bisbee Mayor Ken Budge, Santa Cruz County Supervisor-Rudy Molera, state Sen. Andrea Dalessandro and state Rep. Daniel Hernandez Jr.

Ortega is a lifelong Southern Arizonan, an attorney and a small business owner. Her campaign website says she has developed two core values she’s revolved her campaign around: hard work and the importance of supporting your community.

Stahl Hamilton, born and raised in Flagstaff, is seeking her third term in the Legislature. Her campaign has been focused on education funding and creating policy that supports public schools and their employees. She’s received the endorsement of Tucson Mayor Regina Romero, Councilman Kevin Dahl, Councilmember Lane Santa Cruz and others, as well as endorsements from unions and education organizations.