By Mary Jo Pitzl | The Republic | azcentral.com
Every seat in the Arizona House of Representatives is up for election next week.
The results will bring new faces to the 60-member chamber, but control is almost certain to remain in Republican hands. The Democrats, in the minority since the 1960s, see a chance to boost their ranks beyond the 24 seats they currently hold. The Republicans are hoping to knock off a Democrat who has done well in a swing district.
Here’s a snapshot of some hotly contested races, all based in the handful of swing districts scattered across Arizona’s legislative map.
4 races key to control, tone of state Senate
The state Senate has been under Republican control for 14 straight years. Democrats are hoping to break that streak, with an assist from an unlikely ally: a former Republican turned independent.
Tom O’Halleran is locked in a battle with former Republican state Sen. Sylvia Allen for the Senate seat representing central and northeastern Arizona. It’s the most closely watched legislative race of the election cycle.
Republicans say it’s imperative to return Allen to the Senate to solidify the conservative GOP majority. Democrats see in O’Halleran someone who might vote with them to pick a president other than Sen. Andy Biggs, R-Gilbert, and usher in a more centrist agenda.
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