Maricopa County, Arizona’s most populous county, certified its primary election results, triggering a recount for the Democratic nomination in the 3rd Congressional District where 42 votes separate the top contenders. Former Phoenix City Council member Yassamin Ansari is leading over former state lawmaker Raquel Terán by less than .5 percentage points, prompting the need for a recount under Arizona law. Secretary of State Adrian Fontes confirmed the need for a recount and petitioned the Maricopa County Superior Court to authorize it, with the process estimated to be completed by August 19 if everything goes as planned.
Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Jennifer Ryan-Touhill officially ordered the recount, scheduling a hearing to announce the results on August 20. The winner of the Democratic bid will face Republican Jeff Zink in the November general election in a district that leans Democrat and encompasses parts of Phoenix. The seat was left vacant when U.S. Rep Ruben Gallego decided to seek a U.S. Senate seat. Amid election conspiracies and doubts over the integrity of elections, the certification of primary election results has largely gone smoothly across Arizona this year.
During the public comment session in Maricopa County, some residents questioned the integrity of the primary election and opposed certification, citing concerns of fraud and the use of paper ballots like Russia. In neighboring Pinal County, the all-Republican board of supervisors certified the primary election results after a member alleged inconsistent voting patterns in his failed run for sheriff and other races. Pinal County recorder Dana Lewis refuted the claims of cheating, with some colleagues dismissing them as a “clown show.” The chairman engaged in a heated exchange with the member, who ultimately voted to approve the results “under duress.”
Elsewhere in Arizona, rural eastern Cochise County certified the primary results without drama, while other counties confirmed successful canvasses with a scattering of automatic recounts triggered in close races. Some elections in La Paz and Yuma counties were separated by just three votes, triggering recounts. The state’s canvass is scheduled for later in the week, with officials and government websites in the rest of Arizona’s counties reporting successful canvasses. The report was contributed by Gabriel Sandoval, a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative, which places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
