With an unknown number of votes left to count, some legislative contests in Southern Arizona remain close:

• In the three-way Democratic primary for two seats in the House of Representatives in District 3, Andres Cano has 35 percent of the vote, while Alma Hernandez has 33 percent. Trailing both is Olivia Cajero Bedford, the longtime state lawmaker who was hoping to move from the Senate to the House. The race remains close; Hernandez leads Cajero Bedford by just 121 votes.

• The race is less close in the Senate primary in LD3, where Rep. Sally Ann Gonzales is outpacing Betty Villegas with 54 percent of the vote. Gonzales is leading Villegas by 1,292 votes.

• In the four-way Democratic primary for two House seats in Legislative District 10, incumbent Rep. Kirsten Engel is way out ahead with nearly 40 percent of the vote. Coming in second is attorney and musician Domingo DeGrazia, who is up over Navy vet Catherine Ripley by just 181 votes. In fourth place is Nikki Lee, who trails Ripley by just 204 votes.

The two winners in that race will face Republican Rep. Todd Clodfelter, who pulled off a win in the Democratic-leaning district two years ago.

• In Legislative District 9, incumbent Reps. Randy Friese and Pamela Powers Hannley are easily outpacing challenger JP Martin. Friese and Powers Hannley will once again face Republican Ana Henderson, who lost to the Democrats in 2016.

In the Senate race in Legislative District 9, former state lawmaker Victoria Steele clobbered Flowing Wells School Board member Jim Love, capturing 82 percent of the vote.

• In Legislative District 2's GOP primary, businesswoman Shelley Kais has a small lead over Bobby Wilson, who scored headlines over his story of how he had to shoot and kill his own mother when she tried to kill him. Kais leads Wilson by 501 votes. The winner will face incumbent Democratic Sen. Andrea Dalessandro.

• In Legislative District 11, incumbent Rep. Mark Finchem and Bret Roberts are out way ahead of Howell "Jonesy" Jones in the Republican primary. On the Democratic side, Hollace Lyons and Marcela Quiroz are clobbering Barry McCain, who has only 14 perfect of the vote.

 

Kirsten Engel gave her acceptance speech for the LD 10 Democratic House primary. She was one of four candidates, and as of Tuesday night has about 40 percent of the vote. Her opponents each have around 20 percent, so it's still too close to know who will go with her to the general to run against Republican Todd Clodfelter.

But she said she doesn't see the others as opponents, a sentiment echoed by each each of them.

“We are going to work for our kids, teachers, schools, environment and an economy that works for everyone," she said. "We fought against a soon to be minority Republican party that is bankrupt, backward and brutal.”

Tucson Weekly interns Daniel Young-Miller and Savanah Modesitt contributed to this post.

Secretary of State Michele Reagan, whose multiple blunders as the state's chief elections officer resulted in numerous bad headlines, is getting crushed by GOP challenger Steve Gaynor, who has 69 percent of the vote.

Gaynor will face Democrat Katie Hobbs, a state lawmaker who was uncontested in her Democratic primary.

While the Secretary of State has the job of overseeing Arizona's elections and other record-keeping tasks, the office has one other key responsibility: The Secretary of State becomes governor if the incumbent leaves office early.

In other statewide races:

• Incumbent Superintendent of Public Instruction Diane Douglas is trailing two Republican challengers, Bob Branch and Frank Riggs. Branch has 22.24 percent of the vote, Riggs has 21.66  percent of the vote, Douglas has 21.09 percent of the vote and Tracy Livingston has 20 percent of the vote.

On the Democratic side of the Superintendent of Public Instruction race, political newcomer Kathy Hoffman has 52 percent of the vote, while former state lawmaker David Scapira has 48 percent.

• In the GOP race for two seats on the Arizona Corporation Commission race, incumbent Justin Olson and one-time Democrat Rodney Glassman are in the lead with 25 and 23 percent of the vote. On the Democratic side, Sandra Kennedy has 45 percent of the vote, while Kiana Sears leads former commissioner Bill Mundell by about 1,000 votes.

• Kimberly Lee has 57 percent of the vote against Jo Ann Sabbagh in the GOP primary for treasurer. She'll face Democrat Mark Manoil, who was uncontested in the Democratic primary.

David Garcia was announced winner in the Democratic primary gubernatorial race. Tucson Unified School District Boardmember Kristel Ann Foster spoke on his behalf at the Pima County Democrats election party.

She said he thanks his two opponents, Steve Farley and Kelly Fryer, for

raising important issues and making him a better candidate.

“And we can’t do this without them, and we can’t do this without you,” she said. "Arizona has declared that it's ready for vision over division."

Ann Kirkpatrick is in the lead for Congressional District 2, beating out six other candidates. She took the stage at the Pima County Democrats election event to say she's ready for the general.

"We won this campaign because we were out there talking to people about a Washington D.C. that has completely gone off the rails."

She said she credits her hundreds of volunteers and great team for her pending win.

"We had energy from so many groups, especially women who met monthly, marched and made phone calls," she said. "We also had 35 young student volunteers. Two of them couldn’t even vote.”

Tucson Weekly intern Daniel Young-Miller contributed to this post.

Victoria Steele was declared the winner of the LD 9 Senate race, winning over her opponent Jim Love with over 82 percent of the vote.

She said the last time she was in this room, at Brother John's where the Pima County Democrats are holding their election party, she lost. And since that experience, she was not going to take this race for granted.

"I'm going to work my heart out for the people of LD 9, whether they voted for me or not" she said.

Running unopposed in the general except for a possible write-in candidate, she said she'll work to protect women's reproductive health, pass an Equal Right Amendment and implement a water policy with a contingency plan.

She feels hopeful the Democrats will take back the state House for the first time in over four decades.

"I'm tired of playing defensive," she said. "We're going to lead." 

In the Democratic primary for governor, David Garcia has 48 percent of the vote in these early results, while state lawmaker Steve Farley of Tucson has 35 percent. Kelly Fryer is, at this point, a distant third with 17 percent.

On the GOP side, to no great surprise, Gov. Doug Ducey is crushing challenger Ken Bennett. Ducey has 70 percent of the vote.

In the hard-fought, seven-way Democratic primary in Southern Arizona’s Congressional District 2, former member of Congress Ann Kirkpatrick has taken an early lead in early ballots out of Cochise County. Kirkpatrick has 41 percent of the vote. Former state lawmaker Matt Heinz has 31 percent; former Pentagon official Mary Matiella has 9 percent; former state lawmaker Bruce Wheeler has 9 percent; political rookie Billy Kovacs has 6 percent; rancher Barbara Sherry has 3 percent; and the disgraced Yahya Yuksel has 1 percent.

On the Republican side, Hispanic Chamber of Commerce CEO Lea Marquez Peterson is in a close race against political newcomer Brandon Martin. Marquez Peterson has 33 percent, while Martin has 29 percent. Casey Welch has 23 percent and Danny DJ Morales has 15 percent.

An hour before the numbers started to come in for the governor's race, Steve Farley said he’s proud of all the work his volunteers did with his campaign, truly showing the voters who he is as a candidate. He says hundred of teachers joined his campaign after they saw him on the House floor, pushing for an increase to education funding during the Red for Ed teacher walkouts.

He said he’s shown he can win elections, with his numerous terms in the Arizona Legislature, and that experience has prepared him to be governor, and he can solve the problems caused by Doug Ducey’s governorship.

He took the stage at the Pima County Democratic Party’s election event and asked his opponent Kelly Fryer to join him the stage.

“Let’s go out and change this together, no matter who wins tonight,” he said

In the U.S. Senate Republican primary, Southern Arizona Congresswoman Martha McSally is cruising to an easy win over former state lawmaker Kelli Ward and former Maricopa County sheriff Joe Arpaio. McSally has 51 percent of the vote, compared to Ward’s 29 percent and Arpaio’s 20 percent.

To no great surprise, in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate, Kyrsten Sinema is easily outpacing Deedra Abboud with 82 percent of the vote.

Sinema's primary victory statement:

For all Arizonans, this week has brought a mix of emotions. As I hear from Arizonans across our state, they tell me they want independent leaders who fight every day to make sure Arizona families can succeed. Arizonans are turning out in record numbers to make their voices heard. The energy we’ve seen from Yuma to Winslow and in between is exciting, and I’m so grateful.

Arizonans are also reflecting on Senator John McCain’s lifetime of service and the example he has set for us. It’s up to all of us to follow his lead of always putting country over party.

Tonight, we look ahead and continue fighting to uphold the values we all share: a fair shot at the American Dream and an unwavering commitment to the Arizona we love.

I’m grateful to everyone who voted today, and now, our work continues. We will spend these next ten weeks earning the vote of Arizonans across our state. Together, we can make sure that all Arizonans have an independent voice in the U.S. Senate.

The primaries have set up a battle of two of Arizona's most ambitious politicians in November.