Republican Gabby Saucedo Mercer, who was in the national spotlight after her comments about Middle Eastern people became an internet sensation today, will easily win the Republican nomination to face Congressman Raul Grijalva in November.

Mercer said that the tape that was posted "was taken out of context."

"I am not a racist like they are trying to portray me," Mercer said. "I have nothing against anybody."

Mercer said that Grijalva's posting of the video "tells you what kind of character he has."

"A lot of people are unhappy with him," she said. "I think I have a good chance."

UA journalism student Samantha Cummings contributed to this report.

While hits from the 1970s played in the background at El Casino Ballroom, Pima County Democratic Party Chair Jeff Rogers took turns at the podium announcing different results projects on a ballroom wall from the Arizona Secretary of State website.

U.S. Congressman Raul Grijalva's 66 percent lead over Yuma Democrat Amanda Aguirre received the most cheers this evening, while U.S. Congressman Ron Barber's lead over Matt Heinz by 83 percent received a quiet round of cheers.

No announcement on the CD1 race between Democrats Ann Kirkpatrick and Wenona Benally Baldenegro—but Kirkpatrick is ahead 67 percent with Baldenegro at 32 percent. No word yet of an earlier rumor of an independent run by Baldenegro for the general election.

The room is waiting for the man of the hour, making his way back from Yuma. It's the real victory of the night.

Republican Mark Napier has a huge lead over his GOP challengers as the early votes have been counted, having captured 42 percent of the vote. None of the other candidates have broken 20 percent.

"We worked really hard," Napier said. "I had an amazing group of volunteers. The voters of Pima County heard the message and it looks real good."

Napier said he was looking forward to challenging longtime Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik in November.

"It's time for a new sheriff," Napier said.

UA journalism student Alexa Vogtritter contributed to this report.

Jennifer Eckstrom introduced Richard Carmona, who recalled his life growing up poor and dropping out of high school, remarking "My mom would never have predicted this."

"When I look back on my life I always look back at how lucky I am," he said.

Carmona credited the U.S. Army with saving his life and giving him direction, because he was able to use his GI Bill benefits to go to college.

Carmona, who most likely faces Republican Jeff Flake in the general election, talked about passing the DREAM Act and helping returning US veteran find jobs.

"I'm running because, like you, I am fed up and I want to solve some problems," he said. "Put me back to in active duty because I am ready to work for you and this state."

Pima County Chair Jeff Rogers introduced former U.S. Senator Dennis DeConcini as "the last to really represent the values of this state."

DeConcini urged the crowd to get behind Carmona campaign and took time to recall the past — "First of all, right here," he said, touching his chest, "from my corazon to you."

"You have a great opportunity to do something for Arizona," he said, recalling the party's ability to run grassroots campaigns and organizing.

A glimpse into a world I rarely enter—the Pima County Democratic Party election night celebration.

First, it's packed house at El Casino Ballroom. The usual suspects, along with the candidates. In the house is U.S. Senate candidate Richard Carmona, South Tucson Mayor Jennifer Eckstrom and a few Ron Barber staffers. So far.

Pima County Democratic Party Chair Jeff Rogers just announced that former U.S. Senator Dennis DeConcini is going to address the crowd soon. U.S Congressman Raul Grijalva is making his way to the ballroom from Yuma and is expected to address folks around 9 p.m.

We'll be back.

We're minutes away from the first batch of primary-election results.

I, Jimmy Boegle, will be bring you the results from Weekly World Central. Mari Herreras is at the local Dems' gathering at El Casino Ballroom, while Jim Nintzel and some of his college students have fanned out across the Old Pueblo to get news, reaction and color from the night's events.

Stay tuned to The Range!

• NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
• A chapter of the layered geological history of Mars is laid bare in this postcard from NASA's Curiosity rover. The image shows the base of Mount Sharp, the rover's eventual science destination.

NASA has released new photos from the Curiosity mission on Mars and announced that a human voice has been heard on the surface of the planet.

Rapper Will.i.am is also broadcasting from Mars.

Sad, strange news out of Big Sky Country. A man dressed in a Ghillie camouflage suit, designed to look like a big pile of grass and sticks, was killed after being hit by two cars on a Montana highway on Sunday night.

That's the sad part. The strange part?

From CNN.com (emphasis added):

(The victim, Randy Lee Tenley) was "well into the driving lane," and according to his companions he was "attempting to incite a sighting of Bigfoot — to make people think they had seen a Sasquatch," (state trooper Jim Schneider) said in the KECI report.

According to police, a 15-year-old driver struck Tenley with her car, a second car swerved to miss him, while the third car ran over him.

Apparently, no one had called that evening to report any Bigfoot sightings, which means that not only did a man die for no good reason, he didn't even accomplish what he hoped to do with his final actions. Bad times.

This might be a good time to start stockpiling Slim Jims. From The Guardian:

Leading water scientists have issued one of the sternest warnings yet about global food supplies, saying that the world's population may have to switch almost completely to a vegetarian diet over the next 40 years to avoid catastrophic shortages.

Humans derive about 20 percent of their protein from animal-based products now, but this may need to drop to just 5 percent to feed the extra 2 billion people expected to be alive by 2050, according to research by some of the world's leading water scientists.

"There will not be enough water available on current croplands to produce food for the expected 9 billion population in 2050 if we follow current trends and changes towards diets common in western nations," the report by Malik Falkenmark and colleagues at the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) said.

Read the whole thing here or stock up for the coming meatpocalypse over here.

Talking Points Memo picks up on comments that Republican congressional candidate Gabrielle Saucedo Mercer, who hopes to unseat Congressman Raul Grijalva, made about people from the Middle East. Nick R. Martin reports:

In an interview with a conservative website earlier this year, Saucedo Mercer talked in depth about her views on immigration. A Mexican immigrant herself who became a U.S. citizen, she said the issue was important because people from places other than Mexico were among those coming across the border illegally.

“That includes Chinese, Middle Easterners,” she said. “If you know Middle Easterners, a lot of them, they look Mexican or they look, you know, like a lot of people in South America, dark skin, dark hair, brown eyes. And they mix. They mix in.

“And those people, their only goal in life is to, to cause harm to the United States. So why do we want them here, either legally or illegally? When they come across the border, besides the trash that they leave behind, the drug smuggling, the killings, the beheadings. I mean, you are seeing stuff. It’s a war out there.”

Grijalva follows up with a press release: