David Gowan, who was dogged by allegations that he used state vehicles to boost his failed congressional campaign, led Republican Rep. Drew John in the GOP primary for the Senate in Legislative District 14 Tuesday night.
As of the Arizona Daily Starβs print deadline, Gowan, the former speaker of the Arizona House of Representatives who ran for Congress in 2016, had 40 percent of the vote to Johnβs nearly 35 percent. Lori Kilpatrick, a U.S. Army veteran, pulled nearly 25 percent of the vote.
Gowan raised $75,000 for his comeback campaign, though the vast majority of that was transferred from his previous campaign account. But he was outspent by John, who raised $83,000 for his campaign, and had massive help from outside groups.
Gowan, a Realtor, faced staunch opposition from Realtors, business interests and good governance groups, which launched independent expenditure campaigns against the former speaker, totaling roughly $28,000.
Those groups sent mailers in the district denouncing Gowan as going on a spending spree with public money and noting he was investigated by the Arizona Attorney Generalβs Office after he wrongly collected more than $12,000 in personal travel reimbursements while traveling in a state car to multiple campaign events.
The mailers noted that during his time as speaker, Gowan spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on cosmetic renovations to the chamber, forcing half of his caucus to sign a letter stating they didnβt trust him with the Houseβs funds.
Gowan eventually withdrew from his congressional bid amid the onslaught of criticism.
Meanwhile, outside groups representing education, health care, contractors, truckers and other business interests came heavily to the support of John, spending more than $43,000 to support his campaign.
On the Democratic side, Senate candidate Jaime Alvarez beat out Mendy Gomez to secure a spot on the November ballot. He will face Gowan in November.
LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT 3
In her bid for a ninth term, Democratic Sen. Olivia Cajero Bedford was falling behind two political newcomers in the Democratic primary for two House seats in Tucsonβs Legislative District 3.
Cajero Bedford, who is attempting to return to the House after hitting her eight-year term limit in the Senate, was trailing political newcomers Andres Cano, who had 34.5 percent of the vote, and Alma Hernandez, who had 33 percent of the vote.
As of the Starβs print deadline, Cajero Bedford was trailing with 32.5 percent of the vote.
Meanwhile, Democratic Rep. Sally Ann Gonzales had a strong lead over political newcomer Betty Villegas, who trailed by 10 percentage points, in the Democratic primary for the districtβs Senate seat.
Cajero Bedford spent just a fraction of what her opponents did in the race. She received about $21,000 in Clean Elections funding, and got a boost of $2,250 in outside support from the Realtors. Cano raised more than $81,000, while Hernandez pulled in $42,000 but received nearly $44,000 from independent expenditures on her behalf from the Realtors.
Financially, Gonzalez and Villegas were evenly matched, with both receiving public funding from the Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Commission.
Tuesdayβs results will likely settle the election for Legislative District 3, since no Republicans are running for office there. Beryl Baker, Green Party candidate for the House, will also be on the November ballot.
LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT 9
Former State Rep. Victoria Steele made an easy comeback Tuesday night, beating local school board member Jim Love in the Democratic primary for the state Senate in Tucsonβs Legislative District 9, likely ensuring her return to the state Capitol.
As of the Starβs print deadline, Steele had garnered more than 82 percent of the vote.
And while she doesnβt face a Republican opponent in this competitive district, that could change. Write-in candidate Randy Fleenor needed 363 people to write his name on the Republican primary ballot in order to appear on the November ballot against Steele. Whether he reached that goal Tuesday wonβt be known for at least a week.
The districtβs two representatives in the House both easily coasted to victory over political newcomer J.P. Martin. Democratic Rep. Randy Friese was the top vote-getter, bringing in nearly 46 percent of the vote, while Democratic Rep. Pam Powers Hannley came in second with 42.5 percent of the vote. Martin had less than 12 percent.
The winners of the Democratic primary for the two House seats will face Republican Anna Henderson, who ran unsuccessfully for the seat in 2016, in November.
LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT 10
State Rep. Kristen Engel and political newcomer Domingo DeGrazia were leading the pack in the four-way Democratic primary for two House seats in Tucsonβs midtown Legislative District 10.
Engel, a University of Arizona law professor and former staff attorney with the Environmental Protection Agency who first ran for office two years ago, led the pack with nearly 40 percent of the vote, as of the Starβs print deadline.
DeGrazia, an attorney, had 20.7 percent of the vote, enough to give him a narrow lead over retired U.S. Navy officer Catherine Ripley, who had 20.2 percent of the vote, with early ballots counted. The two were separated by just 150 votes, and the race remained too close to call.
Nikki Lee, an Air Force veteran and IT professional who has been active in education politics but has never sought public office, was right on their heels, with 19.5 percent of the vote.
The two victors of the Democratic primary will face incumbent Republican Rep. Todd Clodfelter in November.
LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT 11
Republican State Rep. Mark Finchem coasted through his primary election race and will be joined on the November ballot by Brett Roberts, an elected constable in Pinal County, in Pima and Pinal countiesβ Legislative District 11.
The two, who teamed up with Republican Rep. Vince Leach as he runs unopposed in the primary for the districtβs Senate seat, were easily beating out political newcomer Howell Jones, with early ballots in Pima and Pinal counties already tabulated.
Finchem was the top vote-getter in this heavily Republican district, with nearly 44 percent of the vote. Roberts garnered more than 37 percent of the vote, with early ballots tabulated. Jones received less than 19 percent of the vote.
Finchem raised more than $71,000 for his campaign, but only spent $25,000. His spending put him roughly on par with Roberts, who received $22,000 in public funding through the Arizona Citizensβ Clean Elections Commission. Both far outspent Jones, who raised a mere $1,100 according to the latest campaign finance reports.
Finchem and Roberts will face Democrats Hollace Lyon and Marcela Quiroz, who emerged victorious from the three-way Democratic primary for the districtβs two House seats. Lyon received nearly 45 percent of the Democratic vote in the district, while Quiroz received nearly 42 percent. Barry McCain received less than 14 percent of the vote.
LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT 2
Bobby Wilson, the Arizona state Senate candidate who garnered national headlines after talking about shooting and killing his own mother, came up slightly short in Tuesdayβs primaries.
As of the Starβs deadline Wilson earned support from 47.5 percent of Republican voters in Southern Arizonaβs Legislative District 2, which runs from the Arizona border with Mexico to southern Tucson. But that wasnβt enough to beat Shelley Kais, who ran unsuccessfully in the GOP primary for Arizonaβs 2nd Congressional District in 2014.
Wilson gained national attention after attending a campaign event hosted by Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, in which he argued the only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is for a good guy to have a gun. He told the crowd his version of how he killed his mother after she allegedly shot at him.
For years, Wilson claimed he had no memory of the events after he woke up. Wilson was tried in court, but found not guilty.
Kais will face Democratic Sen. Andrea Dalessandro in November.
