Arizona Democratic Primary Race Too Close

— The Democratic primary in Arizona’s 3rd Congressional District remains too close to call, with former Phoenix City Council member Yassamin Ansari leading former state lawmaker Raquel Terán by a mere 67 votes as of Saturday evening. With nearly 44,000 ballots counted, the race is within the threshold for an automatic recount, as Arizona law mandates a recount if the margin is 0.5 percentage points or less. Maricopa County election officials reported that about 99% of the approximately 740,000 ballots cast in Tuesday’s primary had been tabulated and verified by Saturday night. Both candidates have acknowledged the tight race, with Ansari expressing gratitude to voters and emphasizing the importance of counting every vote. Terán, meanwhile, noted that the gap is narrowing and highlighted the potential for more outstanding ballots to be counted. The outcome of this primary is particularly significant, as the winner is expected to be the frontrunner in the November election against Republican Jeff Zink, representing a district that leans Democratic. Ansari, the daughter of Iranian immigrants, previously served as vice mayor of Phoenix and resigned from the council in March to focus on her congressional campaign. Terán, who chaired the Arizona Democratic Party, was in her first term in the Arizona Senate after being elected in November 2022 but resigned in April 2023 to pursue her congressional ambitions. The final results of the primary could be determined as more ballots are counted in the coming days.