The proverbial smoke is clearing from the contentious 2024 Arizona Primary Election, which has become known for a battle for Congressional District 8. GOP strategist Barrett Marson called it, “one of the ugliest—if not the ugliest—primaries in the entire country,” speaking to Bloomberg News. Three of the four Northern Arizona seats: Districts 1,2, and 8 were the most noteworthy, with District 9 representing an uneventful primary, and a likely uneventful general election.
While the results are not finalized in many of the races according to state and county officials, the unofficial results stand thusly as of the evening of August 5, according to the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office.
In the primary contest for U.S. House of Representatives District 1, incumbent Congressman David Schweikert handily defeated his opponent Kim George, 62.65%-27.52%, by a difference of 35,224 votes.
George publicly conceded after contacting Rep. Schweikert by phone Wednesday. In a post to X she wrote, “Just got off the phone with @repdavid Schweikert to congratulate him and offer my support in this critical race. We had a great conversation, and I told him I stand ready to do everything I can to help him keep this seat red. Control of the U.S. House may well run through AZCD1. All hands on deck!”
Schweikert will face off against Amish Shah who won the Democratic nomination in a narrow five-way contest by a mere 1,618 votes.
According to Cook Political, District 1 leans Republican R+2.
Incumbent Republican Congressman Eli Crane of District 2 defeated his primary challenger Jack Smith in a strong finish, 80.54%-19.46%, by a wide margin of 67,750 votes.
Crane reposted several reports of his victory via X Wednesday.
Smith has not posted or released any concession statement as of this report. Crane is expected to face off against Democrat Jonathan Nez who ran unopposed garnering 49,813 total votes.
According to Cook Political, District 2 is solidly Republican R+6.
The Republican Congressional Primary for District 8 is easily the most complex in the state. As of this report Abraham Hamadeh has the apparent lead over Blake Masters, 29.90%-25.75%, by a margin of 4,264.
Prominent figures Hamadeh and Masters were both endorsed by President Donald Trump via Truth Social on Saturday night with Trump writing:
“We have a very important Republican Primary Election on Tuesday for Arizona’s 8th Congressional District, with two spectacular America First Candidates.
Blake Masters is a very successful businessman, and an incredibly strong supporter of our Movement to Make America Great Again – He is smart and tough! Likewise, Abe Hamadeh, a Veteran, former prosecutor, and fearless fighter for Election Integrity, has been with me all the way!
In Congress, we need a true Warrior who will work tirelessly with us to Grow our Economy, Stop Inflation, Secure our Border, End Migrant Crime, Support our Great Military/Vets, and Protect our always under siege Second Amendment – They will both be spectacular, and I’m pleased to announce that both Blake Masters and Abe Hamadeh have my Complete and Total Endorsement to be the next Congressman of Arizona’s 8th Congressional District — THEY WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN!“
Other notable Arizona Republicans ran competitively including.
Arizona State Representative Ben Toma, who garnered 21.00% support and former Congressman Trent Franks, who took 16.29% of the vote.
Two additional candidates for the GOP ran as well, earning single digit percentages.
Arizona State Senator Anthony Kern earned just 4.80% of the primary vote. Republican Patrick Briody trailed the main pack with 2.28%.
According to Cook Political, District 8 is solidly Republican at R+10.
As of Wednesday morning, only State Sen. Kern and State Rep. Ben Toma have acknowledged defeat in the election in posts to X.
Kern wrote in part, “We worked hard; we prayed hard; we hoped hard! Sometimes we taste victory in different ways! It is exciting to see what our future holds! To everything there is a season and a reason!”
Toma posted, “The voters of Congressional District 8 made their choice clear last night as to who the Republican nominee will be in November. While I’m certainly disappointed in the outcome, I am forever grateful and humbled by the level of support shown from so many who opened their arms, their homes, and their wallets to support our campaign. It was an honor and a privilege to be endorsed and supported by so many great leaders of our state and to run a positive campaign centered on my record of accomplishments. I wish all the candidates who ran alongside me the very best.”
Republican Congressman Paul Gosar of District 9 ran unopposed in his primary.
Quacy Smith ran unopposed for the Democratic party and will face off against Gosar in November.
On Wednesday evening, Senator JD Vance, Vice Presidential nominee of the Republican Party, took to the stage at Arizona Christian University in Glendale, Arizona. While President Donald Trump was rallying the crowds in Pennsylvania for the first time since the attempt on his life in Butler, Vance was showing Arizonans that the Senator from Ohio and author of “Hillbilly Elegy” can play on the same field that once brought Barry Goldwater to national prominence.
Flanked on stage by notable conservative Congressmen Eli Crane, Paul Gosar, and Andy Biggs as well as GOP Senate nominee Kari Lake and Turning Point USA’s Charlie Kirk, Vance broke down the stakes for Arizona voters, describing the scenario of a Harris presidency.
“Let us count the ways in which Kamala Harris has screwed up this country over the last 3.5 years,“ Vance began according to CSPAN.
“Now, they’ll all lie to you about it, the media, but she was appointed the border czar and then unleashed the worst border crisis in the history of this country. On her watch, more than 10 million illegal aliens have invaded our country, and it wasn’t by accident. It was by design.”
“They said when they took office that they were going to do exactly what they did. They said they wanted to decriminalize illegal immigration and tear down Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Open up the floodgates and give illegal aliens free health care. And she wanted you the American citizens to pay the bill. That’s what she said.”
“And then, on her very first day in office, they went to work, but not for you. For them. They suspended deportations. They stopped building President Trump’s wall. They reinstated catch-and-release. And that’s how every state became a border state because they just released these people into our country. Then they fly in first class, give them first class hotel accommodations. You guys are paying for that too.”
Vance didn’t shy away from taking direct aim at Harris’ recent explosion onto the media scene either, and her stark departure from previous appearances as noted by President Trump when he spoke to the National Association of Black Journalists Conference in Chicago.
“So, you guys want to hear that truth about Kamala Harris? Kamala Harris is a phony who caters to whatever audience is in front of her. I don’t know if you saw this. But earlier this week, look up the clip, she went down to Georgia and started talking with a fake Southern accent. I’m serious. Now, what the hell was that all about? Kamala Harris grew up in Canada. They don’t talk like that in Vancouver or Quebec or wherever she came from.”
— News That Matters (@ThatmattersNews) July 31, 2024
“It doesn’t matter. It’s the same new liberal policies, but a different accent, whoever she’s talking to. Now on November 5th, she can go back to using her San Francisco accent because we are going to send her packing, and we’re going to elect Donald Trump President of the United States. “
Senator @JDVance: "She went down to Georgia and started talking with a fake, southern accent…Kamala Harris grew up in Canada! They don't like that in Vancouver or Quebec…on Nov 5 she can go back to her San Francisco accent because we are going to send her packing."🔥 pic.twitter.com/xQAnRAHkmq
Pointedly, Vance drew attention to Harris’ apparent complicity in deflecting concerns over the capacity of President Joe Biden to serve as well as criticizing the thoroughly non-democratic method of her nomination by DNC leaders without a primary vote.
“Now after they covered up for Joe Biden’s incompetence for 3.5 years. This is a scandal from both the Democrats and the media,” he began. “Now they’re gaslighting us about Kamala Harris’ radical record. The media likes to portray her, all of a sudden, she’s a sensible moderate. That’s what they say. Now, the same media that told us for 3.5 years, Joe Biden who couldn’t finish his sentence was Albert Einstein. Now they tell us Kamala Harris is Abraham Lincoln but anyone who is too blind to see Biden’s incompetence, or more likely too dishonest to admit it, is not fit to serve as our commander in chief.”
"…The media calls it a coronation; I think we ought to call it a coup! In America, we don't crown our leaders; we vote for them." – VP Nominee, @JDVance
— Real America's Voice (RAV) (@RealAmVoice) July 31, 2024
Vance added, “The Democrat party bosses have decided to install Kamala Harris as their new nominee, but think about this, she has not received a single vote for President of the United States. Now, the media calls this a coronation. I think we’d call it a coup and in America we don’t crown our leaders. We vote for them.”
Vance also prefaced his planned trip to Arizona’s southern border and called Harris out on her radical leftist record and the failure of the Biden-Harris regime to rein in the out-of-control border with Mexico.
He told rallygoers, “Now I’m going to the border tomorrow and her record of disaster is clear. 500,000 kids have been trafficked by the Mexican drug cartels because of her policies, hundreds of thousands of our citizens are dead from fentanyl overdoses because of her policies, hardworking Americans cannot afford groceries because of her policies. Now, the media wants to call her a moderate. But here’s a fact check for the fake news. Kamala Harris was the most liberal senator in the entire United States Senate. She is a dangerous San Francisco liberal, and thanks to the people in this room, she is never going to be the President of the United States of America.”
Arizona’s Republican Primary for the open seat in the U.S. Senate between former Gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake and Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb quickly became a heated one.
While Lake faced criticism for referring to Lamb as a “total coward when it comes to election integrity” who “surrendered to the establishment” during the GOP Senate Forum, Lamb decried her as “a divider,” rather than a “uniter.” He stated, “It’s time she takes some personal responsibility for losing an election that she was supposed to win,” referring to her 2022 defeat by Gov. Katie Hobbs in a statement published to X.
Although the results are not finalized in many of the races, according to state and county officials, the unofficial results stand thusly as of noon on July 31 according to the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office.
The Arizona Republican U.S. Senate Nominee is Kari Lake — According to current results, Lake defeated Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb 55.3%-39.3% by a difference of 98,644 votes.
In a post to X, Lake shared her acceptance of the nomination and wrote, “I want to thank everyone who put in their blood, sweat, & tears, knocking on doors, volunteering, & working for our campaign I love every one of you I want to thank Arizonans for entrusting me to be their voice. And I want to thank my family, I couldn’t do any of this without them.”
I want to thank everyone who put in their blood, sweat, & tears, knocking on doors, volunteering, & working for our campaign
I love every one of you
I want to thank Arizonans for entrusting me to be their voice
As of this report it doesn’t appear that Mark Lamb has issued a concession or any statement regarding the race.
Lake will face Democrat Congressman Ruben Gallego who won the Democratic nomination unopposed, garnering 424,088 votes.
According to Cook Political, the race for the seat of outgoing Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) leans Democrat. The RealClearPolling average as of this report shows Gallego leading by 3.4 points.
In a post to X, and during her nomination acceptance, Lake seemed to adopt a conciliatory tone toward Lamb writing, “[Sheriff Lamb] was never an opponent. He’s my friend. I truly appreciate everything he’s given to Arizona, and I know he’s not done fighting for it. He’s not done protecting it. He ran a great campaign, and I look forward to working together with him in the future.”
In her comments she thanked him and referred to him as her friend saying, “He ran a great campaign…that never hit below the belt, which is so rare in politics.” She complimented him saying, ”That is a great man. That is a man of great character.”
.@sherifflamb1 was never an opponent. He's my friend.
I truly appreciate everything he's given to Arizona, and I know he's not done fighting for it. He's not done protecting it.
He ran a great campaign, and I look forward to working together with him in the future. pic.twitter.com/qdf1oFuPFo
The 2024 Arizona Primary Election for Southern Arizona’s seats in the U.S. House of Representatives involved races that were mostly uncontested or lightly contested with the notable exception of District 6. That race, between incumbent Republican Congressman Juan Ciscomani and challenger Kathleen Winn, was more energetic, and will now be followed by what could be a staunch challenge from Democrat Kirsten Engel.
While the results are not finalized in many of the races, according to state and county officials, the unofficial results stand thusly as of noon on July 31 according to the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office.
Jeff Zink won the Arizona Congressional Primary for District 3, vacated by Democrat Rep. Ruben Gallego, against Jesus David Mendoza, 65.6%-34.4%, by a margin of 3,720 votes.
Zink is expected to face off against Yassamin Ansari who defeated Raquel Terán to win the Democratic nomination in a close 46.1%-42.7% race by a margin of 1,185.
According to Cook Political, District 3 leans heavily Democrat D+24
Republican Kelly Cooper defeated Dr. Zuhdi Jasser in a six-point race, 32.2%-26.8%, with a margin of 2,692 in Democrat-held District 4.
Cooper will challenge incumbent Congressman Greg Stanton who ran unopposed.
According to Cook Political, District 2 is solidly Democrat but only holds a D+2 rating, indicating a possible vulnerability for House Democrats. Cooper was previously defeated by Stanton in 2022 in a 12-point race by a margin of 32,420 votes, a massive decrease from Stanton’s 2020 23-point, six-figure margin prior to redistricting.
Dr. Jasser posted to X Thursday acknowledging his defeat in the race and issued a full statement. He wrote, “A humble thank you to all our supporters after a hard fought primary election battle for Arizona’s 4th Congressional District. I congratulate @KellyCooperAZ and wish him and his family the best in retiring the empty suited Biden rubber stamper @RepGregStanton from office.”
Cooper replied, “It was honor to run against you, I know we have the same goals, make Arizona better. I look forward to bringing unity to the Republican Party and winning in November!”
A humble thank you to all our supporters after a hard fought primary election battle for Arizona’s 4th Congressional District. I congratulate @KellyCooperAZ and wish him and his family the best in retiring the empty suited Biden rubber stamper @RepGregStanton from office.
Reps. Andy Biggs, a Republican, and Katrina Schaffner, a Democrat, won their respective nominations in unopposed District 5 primaries and will face off in the general election.
According to Cook Political, District 5 is solidly Republican R+11
Incumbent Congressman Juan Ciscomani defeated challenger Kathleen Winn in a 59.4%-40.6% race by a margin of 16,344.
Ciscomani will be challenged by Democrat Kirsten Engel in November who won the Democratic nomination unopposed.
Cook Political, considers District 6 to be a Republican Toss-up R+3
Forecasting from The Hill gives Ciscomani a 71% chance of retaining his seat.
Republican Daniel Butierez, Sr., and incumbent Democrat Congressman Raúl Grijalva, were unopposed in their District 7 primaries and will face each other in the general election.
Cook Political, has District 7 projected as solidly Democratic at D+15
Arizona’s Energy Competitiveness Index was released Friday by the Common Sense Institute of Arizona (CSIA) and despite skyrocketing electrical rates, Arizona’s energy reliability and competitiveness have reportedly fallen since 2022. With businesses and families buckling under the strain of higher rates passed by the Arizona Corporation Commission in March, the state and nation are pivoting further away from reliable natural gas and nuclear power toward more intermittent solar and wind solutions. And the outcome seems to be hurting Arizona families.
According to the report, “Arizona’s relative affordability has improved compared to other states. The state now ranks 21st in residential electric affordability, up from 28th in 2011.” But legislators and regulators shouldn’t celebrate much. This isn’t simply because Arizona has gotten better, but also because almost every other state has gotten much worse.
The CSIA report found in part, “The reliability of energy grids across the country is on the decline, although Arizona remains one of the more reliable grids in the country. On average, a user of electricity in Arizona faced 136.9 minutes of interruption in 2022 – up from 73.9 minutes in 2013, and nearly 59% less than the duration faced by the average customer across the U.S. (333 minutes). Despite falling slightly in the two reliability competitiveness indices, Arizona still ranks 5th in reliability.”
⚡ Despite a national decline, Arizona's energy grid remains one of the most reliable! In 2022, the average Arizonan faced only 136.9 minutes of interruption, compared to the national average of 333 minutes.
— Common Sense Institute Arizona (@CSInstituteAZ) July 29, 2024
However, the report added, “Both the electricity and natural gas prices faced by residential, commercial, and industrial customers in Arizona have increased in the last 13 years, but have also become more competitive as other states experienced larger increases. Arizona now ranks 21st in residential electric affordability, up from 28th in 2011.”
The report shows in detail that since peaking in 2022 at a score of 82.9, Arizona’s competitiveness index has dropped precipitously ending at 79 in 2023.
As noted by the Common Sense Institute: “Arizona’s Energy Competitiveness Index was 77 in 2011, peaked in 2022 at 83, and then declined to 79 in 2023. An increase in the Energy Competitiveness Index is a positive qualitative change – i.e., the state is more competitive as the index approaches one hundred. While the headline index extends through 2023, data for some of the individual component metrics are not available for the entirety of the period covered. For those metrics, we present the results through the latest year of data available.”
In regard to capacity, the report reveals that Arizona’s generating capacity, referred to as “nameplate capacity” increased from 2019 to 2022 but has barely kept pace with population increases and has declined considerably since peaking in 2012. The report noted, “Arizona has experienced a large increase in its population in recent years due to high levels of net migration. Because power plants typically take several years, if not a decade or more to complete, nameplate capacity has not increased as much, thus the decrease in nameplate capacity per 100,000 residents.”
From 2011 to 2023, Arizona's overall energy competitiveness ranking jumped to 21st, with improvements in six out of ten key indices.
— Common Sense Institute Arizona (@CSInstituteAZ) July 26, 2024
The Common Sense Institute offered a stark warning that, “While the goals of implementing a more environmentally friendly energy system have merit, policymakers should take caution not to recklessly transition their energy grids to renewable sources too quickly, and without appropriate supporting infrastructure. Renewable transition elsewhere, namely in states like California and Texas, has proven to be both costly and at a detriment to reliability and competitiveness.“
Should Washington and Phoenix continue to plunge headlong down this path, it seems unlikely that Arizona’s energy outlook will remain sunny.
