Arizona judge to announce winner of Democratic primary recount for US House race

PHOENIX — The winner of a Democratic primary election that triggered a recount for an open congressional seat in Arizona will be announced Tuesday.

Former Phoenix City Council member Yassamin Ansari led by 42 votes over former state lawmaker Raquel Terán in the July 30 primary race for Arizona’s 3rd District. Arizona law automatically requires another tally if the margin between the candidates is .5 percentage points or less — and the contest fell into that category.

Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Jennifer Ryan-Touhill will announce the results of the primary race in a courtroom in downtown Phoenix on Tuesday.

Whoever wins will face Republican Jeff Zink in the general election in November.

The recount process began Aug. 12 after the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors certified the results of the primary. Because Ansari and Terán are separated by only 42 votes, Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes petitioned the court to commence the recount.

Ansari, a daughter of Iranian immigrants who previously served as vice mayor of Phoenix, campaigned on a platform of progressive policies, promising to protect democracy and reproductive rights from what she called “MAGA extremists.”

Terán had touted her work as a community activist who helped to keep Joe Arpaio from winning his bid to become Maricopa County sheriff again. She had also emphasized her experience as the former chair of the Arizona Democratic Party.

The Democratic-leaning 3rd District encompasses parts of Phoenix. The seat opened up when U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego announced his campaign for the Senate. He will be facing Republican Kari Lake in that contest.

Arizona already is expected to be one of the most closely contested states in November’s U.S. presidential election and experts are expecting more tight races down the ticket. Ballot measures touching on abortion and immigration also are expected to spur turnout in the battleground state.

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Gabriel Sandoval is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.