By Andrew Oxford | Arizona Republic
Now comes the really important part. After bruising and expensive primaries that are on track to oust several prominent Republican lawmakers and that sparked rounds of internal bickering among Democrats, their nominees for state Legislature need to persuade the broader public that they deserve a seat in the Arizona House and Senate.
The results of Tuesday’s primary suggest Republicans could have more trouble than they may have initially expected heading into an election year, as Democrats aim to win control of the House of Representatives and Senate for the first time in decades.
Republicans hold a 31-29 majority in the House and a 17-13 majority in the Senate.
“The big takeaway is that there are very few opportunities for Republican pickups and Republicans are playing defense,” said Chuck Coughlin, a Republican political consultant.
