Opinion: Not excited about your primary election choices for Arizona Senate? Understandable. But there are good reasons for independents to weigh in.
Editorial board Arizona Republic
There are good reasons for independents and moderates not to sit out the legislative races in the Aug. 2, 2022, primary election.
Say you’re an independent voter. Or maybe you don’t always vote the party line.
You’re probably not exactly inspired by legislative choices in the Aug. 2 primary election. A lot of races are already foregone conclusions, with token challengers, if any at all.
But there are still a few critical races to consider – ones in which independent and moderate voters could make a difference. Arizona needs their votes, too.
Independents – a third of the state’s nearly 4.3 million voters – have until July 22 to request an early Republican or Democratic ballot.
The primary IS the election
But why participate, especially if the Legislature is expected to get even redder this year?
Because, for many races, the primary election is the election. There are only a handful of truly toss-up districts that could swing between R and D, making them even remotely competitive in the fall.
If you want a say in the direction and tenor of your representation – and maybe even the larger direction and tenor of the House and Senate – the primary is where that needs to happen.
And, yes, while many election observers expect this to be a good year for Republicans – thanks in part to a new, redder legislative district boundary map and frustration with Democrats nationally over soaring gas, food and rent prices – we also need to consider the dynamics within the state House and Senate.
The partisan divide has grown more rancorous, as has the divide within the Republican Party. Disagreements – some petty and personal, some not – logjammed the budget for weeks.
A few races could change things
Yet there are plenty of issues facing the Legislature – from dwindling water supplies to lagging education funding to a lack of affordable housing – that require an ability to compromise and balance conflicting interests.
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We need members who can do both. It’s toxic to legislate in an atmosphere where simply talking to those outside of your tribe can make you persona non grata.
Yet, that’s where we are.
And it could get even worse next session, particularly if those who occasionally dare to vote their conscience or negotiate with others are replaced by a slate of so-called “America First” candidates who place fealty to a populist right agenda above all that.
While every legislative race has something important at stake, a few races – particularly in the Senate and especially among Republicans – could have even more impact on the Capitol’s direction and tenor.
Here are 4 to watch:
