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Democratic Party primaries in Arizona, 2018
- General election: Nov. 6
- Voter registration deadline: Oct. 9
- Early voting: Oct. 10 - Nov. 2
- Absentee voting deadline: Postmark Nov. 6
- Online registration: Yes
- Same-day registration: No
- Voter ID: Non-photo ID
- Poll times: 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Democratic Party primary elections were held in Arizona on August 28, 2018, in order to select the party's candidates for Arizona's 2018 elections. These primaries included elections for the U.S. Senate, all nine of the state's seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, governor, attorney general, and secretary of state.
Arizona State University professor David Garcia won the Democratic gubernatorial primary against two challengers. Garcia supported free college education, abolishing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and water use restrictions in face of a statewide drought.[1] His top challenger, state Sen. Steve Farley, opposed these policies and said he was "not hearing people say 'go to the left as far as you can,'" emphasizing his appeal to moderate and independent voters. Garcia faced incumbent Gov. Doug Ducey (R) in the general election.
The Democratic primary for the 2nd Congressional District was another race to watch. Former 1st District Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, who was backed by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, defeated former state Rep. Matt Heinz and five others. The swing seat was left open when incumbent Rep. Martha McSally (R) announced she would run for U.S. Senate.
National background
Primary elections—in which registered voters select a candidate whom they believe should run on their party's ticket in the general election—can reflect internal conflict over the direction of a party.
Heading into the 2018 election, the Democratic Party sought to increase its power at the state and federal levels under the Trump administration. Its membership, however, disagreed on several major policy areas, including healthcare, free trade, education funding, a federal job guarantee, and a proposal to abolish U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).[2][3]
Candidates endorsed by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee won 31 of 33 primaries in 2018.[4] Democratic Socialists of America member Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's (D) primary victory over incumbent Joseph Crowley (D) in New York's 14th Congressional District was a notable victory for progressive activists.[5][6][7]
Democrats also won a U.S. Senate seat in Alabama for the first time in 30 years and flipped longtime Republican seats in the Wisconsin state Senate and Pennsylvania's 18th Congressional District. A record number of Republican congressional retirements also led to large Democratic fields for typically non-competitive seats.[8]
Battleground primaries
Battleground elections are those that Ballotpedia expected would either be more competitive than other races or attract significant national attention.
- Arizona's 2nd Congressional District election (August 28, 2018 Democratic primary)
- Arizona gubernatorial election, 2018 (August 28 Democratic primary)
- Arizona state legislative Democratic primaries, 2018
Federal elections
U.S. Senate
U.S. Rep. Kyrsten Sinema (D) entered the U.S. Senate race in Arizona on September 28, 2017, and was endorsed the following day by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), the party committee dedicated to increasing the number of Democratic senators in Congress.
Sinema faced Deedra Abboud in the August 28, 2018 Democratic party primary.
Sinema raised $3.3 million in the second quarter of 2018, and reported $5.3 million cash on hand.[9]
Sen. Jeff Flake announced he would not seek re-election in 2018 in October of 2017.[10] The open seat and toughly fought Republican primary contributed to Democrats viewing the Arizona race as one of the party's best chances to flip a seat in 2018.[11] CNN listed it among 10 U.S. Senate seats it considered most likely to flip in 2018.[12] Three race raters—Cook Political Report, Nathan Gonzales of Inside Elections, and Sabato's Crystal Ball—have all adjusted the race to a "toss-up," even though no Democrat has held a Senate seat in the state for more than 20 years.
To see a full list of candidates in the Democratic primary, click "Show more" below.
Democratic primary candidatesU.S. House
District 1
Democratic primary candidates- Tom O'Halleran (Incumbent) ✔
District 2
Democratic primary candidates
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection surveyDistrict 3
Democratic primary candidates- Raúl Grijalva (Incumbent) ✔
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection surveyDistrict 4
Democratic primary candidates
District 5
Democratic primary candidatesDistrict 6
Democratic primary candidates = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection surveyDistrict 7
Democratic primary candidates- Ruben Gallego (Incumbent) ✔
- Catherine H. Miranda
District 8
Democratic primary candidatesDistrict 9
Democratic primary candidates
State elections
Arizona Party Control: 1992-2025
No Democratic trifectas • Twenty-two years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D |
| Senate | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | S | S | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| House | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
Gubernatorial election
Democratic primary candidates
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
- Mirza Fareed Baig (write-in candidate)
Attorney general election
Democratic primary candidates
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
Secretary of state election
Democratic primary candidates
Did not make the ballot:
State party overview
- See also: Democratic Party of Arizona
State political party revenue
State political parties typically deposit revenue in separate state and federal accounts in order to comply with state and federal campaign finance laws. The following table displays the Democratic Party of Arizona's revenue over a six-year period from 2011 to 2016. Revenue totals are broken down by account type and year. The data was compiled through publicly available state and federal campaign finance reports.
| Democratic Party of Arizona revenue, 2011 to 2016[13] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Federal account | State account(s) | Total |
| 2011 | $813,713.43 | $322,090.48 | $1,135,803.91 |
| 2012 | $3,815,140.76 | $1,263,673.04 | $5,078,813.80 |
| 2013 | $577,254.07 | $542,353.45 | $1,119,607.52 |
| 2014 | $4,389,278.35 | $928,194.11 | $5,317,472.46 |
| 2015 | $804,396.07 | $495,791.68 | $1,300,187.75 |
| 2016 | $5,248,302.48 | $1,499,210.13 | $6,747,512.61 |
Arizona compared to other states
The Democratic Party and the Republican Party maintain state affiliates in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and select U.S. territories. The following maps display total state political party revenue per capita for the Democratic and Republican state party affiliates from 2011 to 2016. The blue map displays Democratic state parties and the red map displays Republican state parties. Click on a state below to view the state party's revenue per capita totals:
Total Democratic and Republican state political party revenue per capita in the United States, 2011-2016
Voter information
How the primary works
A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Arizona utilizes a semi-closed primary system. Unaffiliated voters may choose which party's primary they will vote in, but voters registered with a party can only vote in that party's primary.[14]
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.
Poll times
In Arizona, all polling places are open from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time. Anyone in line when the polls close must be allowed to vote.[15][16]
Registration requirements
- Check your voter registration status here.
To vote in Arizona, one must be a citizen of the United States and a resident of the county listed on the person's registration. A voter must be 18 years or older on or before Election Day. Arizona also requires voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship to vote for state and local elections[17]
To be eligible to vote in an election, one must register at least 29 days before the election.[18] Individuals can register online, in person at the county recorder's office, or by mail.[19]
Automatic registration
- See also: Automatic voter registration
Arizona does not practice automatic voter registration.[20]
Online registration
- See also: Online voter registration
Arizona has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.
Same-day registration
- See also: Same-day voter registration
Arizona does not allow same-day voter registration.[21]
Residency requirements
Arizona law requires 29 days of residency in the state before a person may vote.[22]
Verification of citizenship
Arizona requires voters to submit proof of citizenship with their voter registration application to vote in state and local elections. According to the Arizona Secretary of State's website: "A registrant who attests to being a citizen but fails to provide proof of citizenship and whose citizenship is not otherwise verified will be eligible to vote only in federal elections (known as being a "federal only" voter)."[17] Accepted proof of citizenship include:[17]
- An Arizona Driver's License/Identification Number
- Indian Census Number, Bureau of Indian Affairs Card Number, Tribal Treaty Card Number, or Tribal Enrollment Number
- A photocopy of U.S. naturalization documents
- A photocopy of a birth certificate and supporting legal documentation (i.e., marriage certificate) if the name on the birth certificate is not the same as your current legal name.
- A photocopy of a U.S. passport.
- A photocopy of a Tribal Certificate of Indian Blood or Bureau of Indian Affairs Affidavit of Birth.
All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment.[23] Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. One state, Ohio, requires proof of citizenship only when registering to vote at a Bureau of Motor Vehicles facility. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.
Verifying your registration
The Arizona Voter Information Portal, run by the Arizona Secretary of State's office, allows residents to check their voter registration status online.
Voter ID requirements
Arizona requires voters to present photo identification or two forms of non-photo identification while voting.[24][25]
The following were accepted forms of identification as of November 2025: Click here for the Arizona Secretary of State's page on accepted ID to ensure you have the most current information.
| “ |
When you arrive to vote at the polls on Election Day you will announce your name and place of residence to the election official and present one form of identification from List #1 or two different forms of identification from List #2 or 3 ... Valid identification is also required prior to receiving a ballot at any in-person early voting location or emergency vote center or from a special election board. #1: Sufficient Photo ID including name and address (One Required)
Please note: Members of federally-recognized tribes are not required to have an address or photo on their tribal identification in order to cast a provisional ballot. List #2 - Sufficient ID without a photograph that bears the name and address (Two Required)
List #3 - Mix & Match from Lists #1 & #2 (Two Required)
|
” |
Early voting
Arizona permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.
Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.
Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia permit no-excuse early voting.
Absentee voting
All voters are eligible to vote absentee/by-mail in Arizona. There are no special eligibility requirements for voting absentee/by-mail.
To vote absentee/by-mail, an absentee/mail-in ballot application must be received by elections officials by 5:00 p.m., 11 days before the election.[27] A returned absentee ballot must then be received by elections officials by 7:00 p.m. on Election Day.[28][29]
Pivot Counties
- See also: Pivot Counties by state
Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states. No counties in Arizona are Pivot Counties.
Donald Trump (R) defeated Hillary Clinton (D) in the 2016 presidential election. Trump won 48.7 percent of the vote, while Clinton won 45.1 percent. Arizona was one of 12 key battleground states in 2016. Of the 30 states won by Trump in 2016, Arizona had the fifth closest margin. From when it became a state in 1912 to 2016, Arizona voted Republican in 66.7 percent of presidential elections. It voted Republican in all presidential elections from 2000 to 2016.
Presidential results by legislative district
The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state House districts in Arizona. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.[30][31]
| In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won 12 out of 30 state House districts in Arizona with an average margin of victory of 25 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 14 out of 30 state House districts in Arizona with an average margin of victory of 27.5 points. Clinton won two districts controlled by Republicans heading into the 2018 elections. |
| In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 18 out of 30 state House districts in Arizona with an average margin of victory of 22.9 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 16 out of 30 state House districts in Arizona with an average margin of victory of 21.5 points. |
| 2016 presidential results by state House district | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District | Obama | Romney | 2012 Margin | Clinton | Trump | 2016 Margin | Party Control |
| 1 | 30.1% | 68.2% | R+38.2 | 28.6% | 66.9% | R+38.3 | R |
| 2 | 57.2% | 41.6% | D+15.7 | 59.4% | 36.1% | D+23.2 | D |
| 3 | 70.0% | 28.1% | D+41.9 | 70.2% | 24.4% | D+45.8 | D |
| 4 | 54.3% | 44.2% | D+10.2 | 56.8% | 38.2% | D+18.7 | D |
| 5 | 28.1% | 70.0% | R+41.9 | 22.2% | 73.5% | R+51.3 | R |
| 6 | 42.2% | 55.6% | R+13.4 | 41.7% | 52.1% | R+10.4 | R |
| 7 | 63.2% | 35.4% | D+27.8 | 59.8% | 34.1% | D+25.7 | D |
| 8 | 44.7% | 53.5% | R+8.8 | 40.2% | 54.6% | R+14.4 | R |
| 9 | 53.4% | 44.9% | D+8.4 | 56.8% | 37.9% | D+18.9 | D |
| 10 | 51.8% | 46.5% | D+5.4 | 52.9% | 41.6% | D+11.4 | D |
| 11 | 39.7% | 59.0% | R+19.3 | 40.6% | 54.5% | R+13.9 | R |
| 12 | 32.5% | 65.9% | R+33.4 | 34.8% | 59.3% | R+24.5 | R |
| 13 | 33.5% | 65.1% | R+31.6 | 34.1% | 61.1% | R+27 | R |
| 14 | 35.7% | 62.5% | R+26.8 | 33.6% | 59.9% | R+26.2 | R |
| 15 | 36.4% | 61.9% | R+25.4 | 39.1% | 55.7% | R+16.6 | R |
| 16 | 35.0% | 63.1% | R+28.1 | 32.9% | 61.3% | R+28.4 | R |
| 17 | 42.1% | 56.2% | R+14.2 | 45.1% | 49.2% | R+4.1 | R |
| 18 | 48.1% | 50.0% | R+1.9 | 51.9% | 41.5% | D+10.4 | R |
| 19 | 66.4% | 32.1% | D+34.3 | 67.4% | 27.2% | D+40.3 | D |
| 20 | 42.4% | 55.3% | R+12.9 | 42.7% | 50.7% | R+8 | R |
| 21 | 40.6% | 58.0% | R+17.4 | 39.8% | 55.0% | R+15.2 | R |
| 22 | 33.4% | 65.4% | R+31.9 | 33.7% | 62.1% | R+28.4 | R |
| 23 | 35.9% | 62.9% | R+26.9 | 41.2% | 54.6% | R+13.3 | R |
| 24 | 63.2% | 34.4% | D+28.8 | 65.9% | 27.7% | D+38.3 | D |
| 25 | 33.1% | 65.1% | R+31.9 | 35.1% | 58.7% | R+23.6 | R |
| 26 | 58.3% | 38.5% | D+19.8 | 59.4% | 31.9% | D+27.5 | D |
| 27 | 75.2% | 23.2% | D+52 | 74.1% | 20.6% | D+53.5 | D |
| 28 | 44.6% | 53.6% | R+9 | 49.9% | 44.6% | D+5.3 | R |
| 29 | 64.7% | 33.6% | D+31.1 | 65.0% | 29.3% | D+35.7 | D |
| 30 | 61.3% | 36.7% | D+24.7 | 62.2% | 31.7% | D+30.5 | D |
| Total | 44.6% | 53.7% | R+9.1 | 45.5% | 49.0% | R+3.6 | - |
| Source: Daily Kos | |||||||
See also
| Federal primaries in Arizona | State primaries in Arizona | Arizona state party apparatus | Arizona voter information |
|---|---|---|---|
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Footnotes
- ↑ Governing, "In Tight Race for Arizona Governor, Focus Is on Education Funding," August 21, 2018
- ↑ CNN, "Why a 'federal jobs guarantee' is gaining steam with Democrats," April 26, 2018
- ↑ The Atlantic, "What ‘Abolish ICE’ Actually Means," July 11, 2018
- ↑ CNBC, "Despite Ocasio-Cortez upset, Democratic primaries have not gone as far left as some argue," June 28, 2018
- ↑ New York Times, "There Is a Revolution on the Left. Democrats Are Bracing." July 21, 2018
- ↑ New York Times, "Democrats Are Moving Left. Don’t Panic," July 23, 2018
- ↑ Time, "How Democrats in Congress Responded to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's Surprise Win," June 28, 2018
- ↑ CNN, "9 Democratic primaries to watch in 2018," October 26, 2017
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Senate Fundraising 2017-18," accessed February 1, 2018
- ↑ Politico, "Flake retiring after 2018," October 24, 2017
- ↑ The New York Times, "Southwest Rises as 2018 Senate Battleground," August 17, 2017
- ↑ CNN, "The 10 Senate seats most likely to flip in 2018," January 3, 2018
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Candidate and Committee Viewer," accessed May 2016 (Search terms Arizona Republican Party and Arizona State Democratic Central Executive Committee)
- ↑ Arizona Legislature, "Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 16-467," accessed November 25, 2025
- ↑ Arizona Legislature, "Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 16-565," accessed November 25, 2025
- ↑ Arizona generally observes Mountain Standard Time; however, the Navajo Nation observes daylight saving time. Because of this, Mountain Daylight Time is sometimes observed in Arizona.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 Arizona Secretary of State, "Voters," accessed November 25, 2025
- ↑ Arizona Secretary of State, "Arizona Voter Registration Instructions," accessed November 25, 2025
- ↑ Arizona Secretary of State, "Registering to Vote," accessed November 25, 2025
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Automatic Voter Registration," accessed November 25, 2025
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Same-Day Voter Registration," accessed November 25, 2025
- ↑ Arizona Secretary of State, "Voter Registration Procedures," accessed November 25, 2025
- ↑ Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
- ↑ Arizona Secretary of State, "Election Day Voting," accessed November 25, 2025
- ↑ Arizona Legislature, "Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 16-579," accessed November 25, 2025
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Arizona Secretary of State, "Ballot-by-mail & Active Early Voting List Request Form," accessed November 25, 2025
- ↑ Arizona Legislature, "Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 16-541," accessed November 25, 2025
- ↑ Arizona Legislature, "Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 16-547," accessed November 25, 2025
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017
