Bitter rivalries. New political maps. Resignations by the bushel. Cakewalks, comeback attempts and first-time candidates
While members of the Legislature still toil at the Capitol, the political races to determine who will fill their seats next year are more clear following a major deadline for potential candidates in the Aug. 2 primary.
And fans of political drama will get more than their fill.
Republicans have matchups that will test the power of the Trump contingent against more traditional conservatives. Democrats will have to nearly run the table just to keep the number of seats they currently have. The odds of their winning the majority in one or both chambers of the Legislature appear more remote than recent years, though if ultra-right Republicans win primaries those chances could improve.
At stake is Arizona’s future on education funding, taxes, housing, abortion, election laws, water conservation, gun rights and LGBTQ issues, among scores of other matters upon which lawmakers can exercise their substantial power.
By last week’s deadline, 69 candidates for 30 state Senate seats and 140 candidates for 60 House seats filed qualifying signatures in hopes of getting on the primary ballot.
Some may not survive the signature-challenge period, which ends April 18, but most will.
Here’s a look at races to watch, significant candidates and who’s leaving the Legislature, at least for now.
The 2021 Independent Redistricting Commission finished its mapping work in late December, producing new congressional and legislative district maps that shook up the political landscape.
With the new districts still untried by election, some are packed with competitors while others, including a couple of ostensibly competitive districts, have few candidates.
Making sure a few of Arizona’s 30 legislative districts were competitive — that is, they could be won by either party — was one of the mandated goals of the commission.
Five competitive legislative districts — determined by how Republicans and Democrats voted in nine statewide elections in three election cycles — emerged from the commission’s months-long work, but Democrats aren’t going all in on them in House races.
The competitive districts are 2, 4, 9, 13 and 16.
