AZ House LDs 17, 18, 21 will all be competitive in November general election

Tuesday’s party primaries set which candidates are advancing to the Nov. 8 general election in Tucson-area House Legislative Districts 17, 18 and 21.

All three races will be competitive in November as candidates square off for the two House seats in each district.

Here are the candidates who have emerged from Tuesday’s primaries as the expected winners in unofficial results. Not all votes have been counted, and it’s not certain if any of these races will change in the coming days:

House LD17

Republican candidates Rachel Jones and Cory McGarr both received 25% of the vote to beat out Anna Orth with 19%, Kirk Fiehler with 18% and Sherrylyn Young with 13%.

Jones, of Tucson is a former teacher and business executive who campaigned on supporting “low taxes, the right to bear arms and small government” saying that is what has made Arizona great. She said Arizona values are under attack and is against vaccine mandates, critical race theory and believes “the Socialist Democrats in Phoenix are threatening our rights, families and very way of life.”

Jones says she is part of the “Arizona Freedom Team,” candidates who are conservative fighters in LD17, including fellow nominee McGarr.

McGarr, of Marana, is district manager of a Tucson pest control business. He is involved with anti-abortion organizations and his platform includes “running for the state House to fix the broken election system, to eliminate fraud and to ensure that something like the 2020 election never happens again.” McGarr says “I’m a rock-solid defender of the Second Amendment.”

District 17 includes much of the northwest side, the far eastside and the Rita Ranch area.

Democrat nominees Dana Allmond, of Marana, and Brian Radford, of Tucson, were running uncontested and advance to the Nov. 8 general election.

Voters will pick two representatives from among the four candidates in November.

House LD18

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Political newcomer Nancy Gutierrez received 34% of the vote, and incumbent Chris Mathis received 22% to represent the Democratic Party in the general election.

Gutierrez is a teacher and has taught in Paradise Valley, Sierra Vista and since 2013 has taught yoga at Tucson High Magnet School. Her campaign worked “to ensure that Arizona puts public education, teachers, staff and students as a priority.” She supports reproductive freedom and care for all women, and is a sensible gun candidate who believes guns should never be allowed on any campus, and loopholes must be closed for sales at gun shows.

Mathis was appointed in December to represent District 9 after state Rep. Randall Friese resigned. Mathis is a practicing attorney who teaches health care law at the University of Arizona law school. He campaigned as a legislator to fight back to protect voting rights, women’s reproductive rights, and fully fund public schools.

Gutierrez and Mathis beat out Democratic candidates Nathan Davis with 20% of the vote, Kat Stratford with 20% and Charles “Charlie” Verdin trailing with 4%.

District 18 covers the Catalina Foothills, Casas Adobes and a swath of Tucson north of Broadway, east of Country Club Road and west of Camino Seco.

Republican nominee Linda Evans was uncontested and will automatically advance to the November general election, where voters will pick two representatives.

Arizona House LD21

Democratic candidates Consuelo Hernandez received 46% of the vote and Stephanie Stahl Hamilton came in second with 33%, both leading Akanni “Oye” Oyegbola, a third Democratic candidate with 21%. The three candidates are from Tucson.

Hernandez serves as president of the Sunnyside Unified School District Governing Board and campaigned on her commitment “to restoring funding for education, rebuilding Arizona’s economy, and investing in infrastructure and renewable energy.”

Hamilton is an ordained minister and serves as parish associate at St. Mark’s Presbyterian Church. She was elected in 2020 as a state representative, and last October she was appointed to replace District 10 Sen. Kirsten Engel who resigned to run for Congress. As a result of redistricting, she is running in District 21 as a representative instead of the state senate. She has campaigned to fully fund education, protect the environment, and access to reproductive health care and contraception.

District 21 encompasses western Pima County, about half of Santa Cruz County and the city of Bisbee in Cochise County.

The two Republican candidates, Damien Kennedy of Amado and Deborah McEwen of Rio Rico, were uncontested and will advance to the November general election, where voters will select two candidates to represent the House district.