By Mary Jo Pitzl & Caitlin McGlade || The Arizona Republic
Maricopa County was Trump country when it came to the Republican primary election, with the winning candidates for the top-tier races all riding the former president’s endorsement to victory.
An analysis of the county’s Aug. 2 primary results, however, highlighted some spots where the MAGA muscle wasn’t all powerful. In the GOP primary for governor, Karrin Taylor Robson blunted Kari Lake’s dominance in key areas that could be a challenge for Lake in the November election.
That was not the case in the U.S. Senate and secretary of state primaries in Maricopa County, where the MAGA candidates had double-digit leads over their next-closest competitor.
In the governor’s race, Lake claimed the county by 2.75 percentage points, but Taylor Robson prevailed in areas that could be swing-voter territory in the November general election.
On the Democratic side, secretary of state was the only race with a potentially competitive primary. In that matchup, which Adrian Fontes won by nearly 9 percentage points, geographic factors might have been at play. Fontes and state Rep. Reginald Bolding each posted strong showings in areas they have been associated with through elective offices they have held.
A data analysis also found some anomalies from the primary.
There were several ties in the top-tier races, with the Democratic secretary of state race producing the most at nine. The Moya precinct, just south of Interstate 10 and west of Interstate 17, produced two different ties: four votes each for U.S. Senate candidates Blake Masters, Jim Lamon and Mark Brnovich. The remaining voters knotted up at three votes each for Justin Olson and Mick McGuire.
Matt Salmon, a GOP candidate for governor, who dropped out of the race but after ballots were printed, won one precinct. He captured the tiny San Lucy precinct near Gila Bend, winning the vote of the sole voter who cast a ballot.
Lake won, but Taylor Robson captured swing areas
