Election Update

Arizona U.S. Rep. Jeff Flake handily won the Republican nomination for Senate, despite a competitive challenge early on from wealthy businessman Wil Cardon. Flake dominated the primary, beating three candidates with almost 70 percent of the vote. In the general election, Flake will compete against Democratic nominee Richard Carmona who ran unopposed in the primary. While Carmona has an impressive resume and Hispanic growth in Arizona could tilt the race in his favor, the high number of registered Republican voters gives Flake the advantage in the general election. In Arizona’s 6th congressional district (CD), two freshmen faced off in a Republican member-member primary. The son of a two-term Vice President – Rep. Ben Quayle – lost to Rep. David Schweikert 47.3 percent to 52.7 percent. In what was a very negative primary race, Quayle’s pedigree and greater representation of the district were not enough to defeat Schweikert, who will likely be reelected this fall. Other races worth mentioning in Arizona are CD 4, where AGC PAC-backed candidate Rep. Paul Gosar (R) survived a primary challenge; CD 5, where AGC PAC-backed candidate and ex-Congressman Matt Salmon (R) won the nomination over ex-AZ House Speaker Kirk Adams in an open seat; and CD 9, the newly added congressional district, where state Senator Kyrsten Sinema (D) won a 3-way primary. Oklahoma U.S. Rep. Dan Boren announced his retirement last summer, leaving an open seat in Oklahoma’s 2nd Congressional district. Boren, a conservative Democrat, cousin to VP candidate Paul Ryan’s wife, and the only Democrat in Oklahoma’s congressional delegation, will be replaced by either Republican plumbing contractor Markwayne Mullin (AGC member), or former prosecutor and Democratic nominee Rob Wallace. Both candidates won their runoff elections Tuesday night. The demographic makeup of this district gives Republicans the electoral advantage in November. Alaska and Vermont Alaska and Vermont also held primaries on Tuesday. Vermont did not have any contested primaries except on the GOP side of the Senate race. John MacGovern won the nomination and will face Independent incumbent Bernie Sanders in November. In Alaska, the current U.S. Representative of the at-large district Don Young (R) won his 3-way primary and his general election opponent Sharon Cissna (D) won a 5-way Democratic primary. For more information, please contact David Ashinoff at (202) 547-5013 or ashinoffd@agc.org.