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Notable Arizona races, 2016
| Notable Arizona Races | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Primary | August 30, 2016 |
| General | November 8, 2016 |
| 2016 Notable Races | |
|---|---|
| Choose a state below: | |
Ballotpedia identified three notable Arizona state legislative races in 2016.
Overview
- Main articles: Arizona House of Representatives elections, 2016 and Arizona State Senate elections, 2016
All 60 state House seats and all 30 state Senate seats were up for election in 2016.
| Partisan breakdown of the Arizona Legislature | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Republicans | Democrats |
| Arizona House | 36 seats | 24 seats |
| Arizona Senate | 18 seats | 12 seats |
Republicans had held a state government trifecta since 2009, meaning they controlled the governorship and both chambers of the state legislature. They aimed to keep total control of the state government following the November election. Gov. Doug Ducey (R) was not up for election in 2016, and Democrats would have had to gain seven seats to win a majority in the House and four seats to win a majority in the Senate.
A vulnerable Republican incumbent faced a primary challenger in Senate District 18.[1] The open race in Senate District 28, one of the few swing districts in the state, attracted a competitive general election field.[1][2] Senate District 29 saw a repeat rematch in the Democratic primary; the Democratic incumbent and challenger had faced off twice before.[1][3][4]
What makes a race notable?
Ballotpedia uses these criteria to identify notable races:
- Incumbents facing more conservative or liberal challengers
- Rematches between candidates
- Races that receive considerable media attention
- Races that could significantly affect the state's partisan balance
- Competitive races involving party leaders
- Open, competitive races with Republican and Democratic primaries
- Races that capture money and attention from outside groups, including key endorsements
Know of an interesting race we should include here? Email us!
Notable primary elections
Senate District 18 - Republican primary
| A Republican candidate challenged the vulnerable Republican incumbent. |
Republican candidate and Gulf War veteran Frank Schmuck defeated Sen. Jeff Dial (R) in Senate District 18 in 2016.[1][5] The conservative group Americans for Prosperity targeted Dial in 2015 for voting against the state budget.[6] Dial, a former Army Reservist who has touted his military experience during his campaigns, faced questions about his military record from The Arizona Republic.[7] Schmuck faced Sean Bowie, who ran unopposed in the Democratic primary, in the November general election.[1]
Sean Bowie defeated Frank Schmuck in the Arizona State Senate District 18 general election.[8][9]
| Arizona State Senate, District 18 General Election, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Sean Bowie |
51.44% | 53,962 | |
| Republican | Frank Schmuck | 48.56% | 50,935 | |
| Total Votes | 104,897 | |||
| Source: Arizona Secretary of State | ||||
Frank Schmuck defeated incumbent Jeff Dial in the Arizona State Senate District 18 Republican Primary.[10]
| Arizona State Senate, District 18 Republican Primary, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Frank Schmuck |
53.43% | 11,483 | |
| Republican | Jeff Dial Incumbent | 46.57% | 10,008 | |
| Total Votes | 21,491 | |||
Senate District 29 - Democratic primary
| A Democratic candidate challenged the Democratic incumbent to a rematch. |
Sen. Martin Quezada (D) defeated former Rep. Lydia Hernandez (D) in the Democratic primary.[1][3][4] Then-Rep. Hernandez fended off a challenge from Quezada in House District 29 in 2012 before losing to him by just 90 votes in Senate District 29 in 2014.[3][4] She made another bid for the Senate District 29 seat in 2016.[1] Sen. Quezada faced Crystal Nuttle, who ran unopposed in the Republican primary, in the November general election.[1]
Incumbent Martin Quezada defeated Crystal Nuttle in the Arizona State Senate District 29 general election.[8][9]
| Arizona State Senate, District 29 General Election, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Martin Quezada Incumbent |
68.52% | 29,638 | |
| Republican | Crystal Nuttle | 31.48% | 13,615 | |
| Total Votes | 43,253 | |||
| Source: Arizona Secretary of State | ||||
Incumbent Martin Quezada defeated Lydia Hernandez in the Arizona State Senate District 29 Democratic Primary.[11]
| Arizona State Senate, District 29 Democratic Primary, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Martin Quezada Incumbent |
66.17% | 4,661 | |
| Democratic | Lydia Hernandez | 33.83% | 2,383 | |
| Total Votes | 7,044 | |||
Notable general elections
Senate District 28 - General election
| A Democratic candidate and a Republican candidate competed for the open seat in a swing district. |
Sen. Adam Driggs (R) did not run for re-election to his seat in swing Senate District 28 in 2016.[1][2] Two members of the state House—Rep. Kate Brophy McGee (R) and Rep. Eric Meyer (D)—competed for the open seat.[1] Brophy McGee and Meyer both ran unopposed in their respective primaries.[1]
Kate McGee defeated Eric Meyer in the Arizona State Senate District 28 general election.[8][9]
| Arizona State Senate, District 28 General Election, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Kate McGee |
51.17% | 50,436 | |
| Democratic | Eric Meyer | 48.83% | 48,124 | |
| Total Votes | 98,560 | |||
| Source: Arizona Secretary of State | ||||
Freshman legislators
The following is a list of challengers who won election on November 8.
- Athena Salman (Democratic), .Arizona House of Representatives, District 26
- Becky Nutt (Republican), .Arizona House of Representatives, District 14
- Cesar Chavez (Arizona legislator) (Democratic), .Arizona House of Representatives, District 29
- Daniel Hernandez Jr. (Democratic), .Arizona House of Representatives, District 2
- David Cook (Arizona) (Republican), .Arizona House of Representatives, District 8
- David Stringer (Republican), .Arizona House of Representatives, District 1
- Mitzi Epstein (Democratic), .Arizona House of Representatives, District 18
- Don Shooter (Republican), .Arizona House of Representatives, District 13
- Drew John (Republican), .Arizona House of Representatives, District 14
- Eric Descheenie (Democratic), .Arizona House of Representatives, District 7
- Isela Blanc (Democratic), .Arizona House of Representatives, District 26
- Jamescita Peshlakai (Democratic), .Arizona State Senate, District 7
- Jesus Rubalcava (Democratic), .Arizona House of Representatives, District 4
- Juan Mendez (Democratic), .Arizona State Senate District 26
- Karen Fann (Republican), .Arizona State Senate, District 1
- Kate Brophy McGee (Republican), .Arizona State Senate, District 28
- Kelli Butler (Democratic), .Arizona House of Representatives, District 28
- Kevin Payne (Republican), .Arizona House of Representatives, District 21
- Kirsten Engel (Democratic), .Arizona House of Representatives, District 10
- Lisa Otondo (Democratic), .Arizona State Senate, District 4
- Maria Syms (Republican), .Arizona House of Representatives, District 28
- Michelle Udall (Republican), .Arizona House of Representatives, District 25
- Pamela Powers Hannley (Democratic), .Arizona House of Representatives, District 9
- Paul Mosley (Republican), .Arizona House of Representatives, District 5
- Ray Martinez (Arizona) (Democratic), .Arizona House of Representatives, District 30
- Sean Bowie (Democratic), .Arizona State Senate, District 18
- Sonny Borrelli (Republican), .Arizona State Senate, District 5
- Steve B. Montenegro (Republican), .U.S. House, Arizona, District 8
- Todd Clodfelter (Republican), .Arizona House of Representatives, District 10
- Tony Navarrete (Democratic), .Arizona House of Representatives, District 30
- Travis Grantham (Republican), .Arizona House of Representatives, District 12
- Warren Petersen (Republican), .Arizona State Senate, District 12
- Wenona Benally (Democratic), .Arizona House of Representatives, District 7
Defeated incumbents
The following is a list of incumbents who were defeated on November 8.
- Barbara McGuire (Democratic), .Arizona State Senate, District 8
- Bob Robson (Republican), .Arizona House of Representatives
- Eric Meyer (Arizona) (Democratic), .Arizona House of Representatives, District 28
- John Ackerley (Republican), .Arizona House of Representatives, District 2
- Stefanie Mach (Democratic), .Arizona House of Representatives, District 10
See also
- Arizona House of Representatives
- Arizona State Senate
- Arizona State Legislature
- State legislative elections, 2016
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 Arizona Secretary of State, "Legislative Candidates," August 12, 2016
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 The Arizona Republic, "Roberts: Nine Arizona Campaigns Worth Watching," February 15, 2016
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Arizona Secretary of State, "2012 Primary Election - August 28, 2012," September 10, 2012
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Arizona Secretary of State, "2014 Primary Election - August 26, 2014," September 5, 2014
- ↑ Schmuck for Arizona Senate, "About Frank," accessed August 12, 2016
- ↑ The Arizona Republic, "Very Early 2016 Election Hit Targets Arizona Sen. Jeff Dial," December 18, 2015
- ↑ The Arizona Republic, "Arizona Sen. Jeff Dial's Military Record Questioned," June 2, 2016
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Arizona Secretary of State, "General election ," accessed September 9, 2016
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Arizona Secretary of State, "2016 official general election results," accessed November 11, 2016
- ↑ Arizona Secretary of State, "2016 Election Information - Primary Candidate List," accessed June 3, 2016
- ↑ Arizona Secretary of State, "2016 Election Information - Primary Candidate List," accessed June 3, 2016
