By Hannah Elsmore | Arizona Capitol Times
In Legislative District 16, a Republican incumbent is defending his Senate seat from a first-time candidate who is the daughter of a longtime Democrat state representative.
The Senate seat is seen as an opportunity for Democrats, who hope to flip the majority in both chambers by targeting competitive districts.
LD16 falls in the “competitive” category, according to the Independent Redistricting Commission, but leans 4.2% in favor of Republican candidates. Voter registration numbers from the primary election showed Republicans have an edge of 6,407 voters over Democrats in the district, meaning the general election could be a tight race.
The district, which encompasses parts of Pima and Pinal counties, is currently represented by Sen. T.J. Shope, R-Coolidge. Democrat Stacey Seaman — the daughter of Rep. Keith Seaman, D-Casa Grande — is running against Shope in hopes of making her debut in the Legislature.
