Arizona is the only state holding primary elections today, and Attorney General Kris Mayes (D-AZ) is making sure voters know it.
Mayes posted on social media Tuesday morning encouraging voters to stop by a polling place or drop box before the day is done, sharing a list of her endorsed candidates and reminding Arizonans that the races on today's ballot carry real consequences.
"Every vote matters," she wrote. "Make your voice heard."
She's not wrong. Several races on today's ballot could ripple well beyond Arizona's borders, and the results will offer an early read on voter sentiment in one of the most competitive swing states in the country.
The Democratic primary generating the most buzz is in Arizona's 1st Congressional District, a Phoenix-area seat considered a genuine toss-up heading into November.
Two familiar names are on the ballot: Dr. Amish Shah (D-AZ), a physician and former state lawmaker who won this same primary two years ago before narrowly losing the general election to Republican David Schweikert (R-AZ), and Marlene Galán-Woods (D-AZ), a former television journalist who has retooled her campaign with national Democratic Party support behind her this time around.
It's a rematch with high stakes; whoever wins has a real shot at flipping the seat.
Continued Ballot Candidates
On the Republican side of that same race, former NFL kicker Jay Feely (R-AZ), carrying President Donald Trump's endorsement, is squaring off against former state lawmaker Joseph Chaplik (R-AZ), who is running on a more conservative platform.
The outcome will offer a glimpse into just how much sway that endorsement carries in Arizona right now.
Now leading into the governor's race is equally compelling. Congressman Andy Biggs (R-AZ), a longtime Trump loyalist with both presidential and Turning Point Action backing, is the frontrunner against fellow House Republican David Schweikert (R-AZ). The winner will then face Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs (D-AZ) in November, in a state Trump carried just last year.
Even the secretary of state race has drawn attention, with state Representative Alexander Kolodin (R-AZ), backed by Turning Point Action, facing Gina Swoboda (R-AZ), former Arizona Republican Party chairwoman, for the chance to challenge Democratic incumbent Adrian Fontes (D-AZ) in the fall.
Results are expected after polls close tonight.
