Lake and Gallego Ready to Clash: 5 Races to Watch in the Arizona Primary

Republican Kari Lake and Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) are poised to become the official nominees in a blockbuster Senate race that will help determine control of the upper chamber as Arizonans complete voting in their primaries on Tuesday.

The Grand Canyon state is also hosting several contested primaries for two outgoing House incumbents: Gallego and Rep. Debbie Lesko (R-Ariz.). The latest race features a showdown between two hard-line supporters of former President Trump.

Arguably one of the most important contests is the Republican primary in the Maricopa County recorder election between incumbent Stephen Richer and two Republican challengers — an election that could serve as a litmus test for the direction of the Republican Party in Arizona.

Here are five races to watch in the Arizona primary:

Lake and Gallego prepare for the official coronation

Lake and Gallego are practically the official nominees of the Republican Party and Democrats to face off over the retirement of Senator Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) in November.

The two have largely been in general election mode, attacking each other, although Lake has a Republican opponent in the primary — Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb.

Lake is expected to defeat Lamb on Tuesday, though the margin between the two could offer clues about how the Republican electorate feels about the former local news anchor before November.

She has sought to court skeptics and the McCain-aligned faction of the Republican Party, although some have remained indifferent to her efforts. But some Republicans say Lake could benefit from Democrats’ recent shift at the top of the ticket, with Vice President Harris their likely running mate as she attacks immigration – a key issue in the Grand Canyon State.

Another variable that could be a deal breaker in the race is whether Harris chooses Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) as her running mate. Both Republicans and Democrats believe this could help Gallego have the astronaut on the ticket.

Trump loyalists Blake Masters and Abe Hamadeh face off

Blake Masters, a venture capitalist and former Senate candidate, and Abe Hamadeh, who ran for attorney general last cycle, are running in the House GOP primary to replace the retiring Lesko.

The two men are seen as the front-runners in the crowded Republican field for the GOP-friendly 8th Congressional District. Other candidates include Arizona House Speaker Ben Toma (R) and former Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.), who once held Lesko’s seat but left the House amid revelations that he had asked to several advisors about having his son as a paid surrogate.

Masters and Hamadeh aligned themselves strongly with Trump, and the primaries at times turned nasty. Masters criticized Hamadeh in May, saying that “what we don’t need is someone with no wife and kids, no skin in the game.”

Hamadeh campaign fought back in Masters’ statement, saying, “This is the guy who says an Army Reserve Captain and Intelligence Officer has no ‘skin in the game’ in the fight to save our country.” Hamadeh also called the venture capitalist a “snake.”

Although Trump initially only supported Hamadeh in the race, the former president offered an unexpected twist on Saturdaywhen he said he was endorsingboth Masters and Hamadeh, much to the latter’s chagrin.

Whoever wins Tuesday’s primary is the favorite to win in November.

Republican Party election official validating 2020 election contests for re-election

Election contests generally don’t generate much attention due to their local nature, but one contest worth watching is Maricopa County Registrar’s Republican Party primary between current Registrar Stephen Richer and two hard-line conservatives: Rep. state Justin Heap — a member of the Arizona Freedom Caucus — and Donald Hiatt, who has a background in information management technology.

The Maricopa County Registrar handles early voting and oversees voter rolls, among other responsibilities.

Richer, who officially became registrar in 2021, has validated the 2020 and 2022 election results and has repeatedly defended Maricopa County’s election administration despite the prevalence of conspiracy theories incorrectly claiming there were irregularities. He drew the ire of conservatives like Lake by filing a defamation lawsuit against her.

Richer has been endorsed by several prominent Republicans, including former governors. Doug Ducey and Jan Brewer.

Richer’s most serious competitor is Heap, given his past political experience and his endorsements from Lake and Arizona Republican Reps. Paul Gosar, Eli Crane and Andy Biggs. The race could offer signs of the direction of the state Republican Party.

A bonus race to watch is the GOP primary between Maricopa County Supervisor Thomas Galvin, who is running for reelection and has been endorsed by top Republicans like Brewer and former Rep. John Shadegg. He is running for the seat against former state Sen. Michelle Ugenti-Rita, who has the support of hard-line conservatives like Hamadeh and Arizona Freedom Caucus chairman and state Sen. Jake Hoffman.

Three Democrats are vying for Gallego’s seat

Three Democrats are running for Gallego’s seat in the 3rd Congressional District, a blue stronghold, after Gallego announced he was running for Senate.

Raquel Terán, a former state senator who chaired the Arizona Democratic Party, former Phoenix vice mayor Yassamin Ansari and pediatrician Duane Wooten are all running for the seat. Terán and Ansari are considered the top two contenders in the race, and both women have attracted notable endorsements in the race.

Senators Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), as well as Representative Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.), supported the former Arizona Democratic Party seat. Meanwhile, Obama’s former deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes and Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) supported Ansari.

Whoever wins the Democratic primary on Tuesday is the overwhelming favorite to win the seat in November.

A crowded field of Democrats aims to take on Schweikert

A crowded field of six Democrats is running to take on Rep. David Schweikert (R-Ariz.) this fall.

These candidates include Andrei Cherny, former chairman of the Arizona Democratic Party who also served as Arizona’s assistant attorney general; the global financial services company’s managing director, Conor O’Callaghan; Kurt Kroemer, CEO of the American Red Cross’ Arizona and New Mexico region; former journalist Marlene Galán-Woods; former state representative Amish Shah; and orthodontist Andrew Horne.

The primary racked up some high-profile endorsements. Former President Clinton, former state Attorney General Terry Goddard and Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego supported Cherny. Several House Democrats, including Rep. Dan Goldman (N.Y.) and Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), supported O’Callaghan.

Galán-Woods has the support of key members of Arizona’s Democratic establishment, such as former governor and former Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and state Attorney General Kris Mayes. Arizona State House Minority Leader Lupe Contreras supported Shah.

Schweikert’s seat is considered a “toss-up” by the nonpartisan, election-damaging Cook Political Report.

This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story