Arizona primaries set the stage for contested fall races in a swing state

Politics Arizona primaries set the stage for contested fall races in a swing state July 21, 20265:00 AM ET Saige Miller Supporters of Rep. Andy Biggs, who is running in the Republican primary for Arizona governor, at a campaign event last week. Ross D. Franklin/AP hide caption toggle caption Ross D. Franklin/AP Arizona is the one state holding primaries Tuesday and offers a look at voter sentiment in a swing state, where Republicans narrowly outnumber independents and Democrats. The state went for President Trump in 2024 but elected a Democratic governor two years before that. Republicans will be trying to flip the governor's office this fall while Democrats hope to pick up a couple seats in the U.S. House, which could determine whether the party can wrest control from the GOP. Republicans hold the House by just a few seats and the party in the White House usually loses seats in the midterms. Sponsor Message Some of the key races could come down to who has the support of President Trump or Turning Point USA, the conservative group founded by the late Charlie Kirk, who lived in Arizona. Democrats vie to flip an open toss-up district  Arizona's First Congressional District is one of only 18 House seats in the country listed as a "toss up" in the Cook Political Report. In the Phoenix metro area, the district is currently represented by Republican Rep. David Schweikert but he opted to run for governor this election cycle. The frontrunners in the Democratic primary are former state lawmaker and emergency medicine physician Amish Shah and former broadcast journalist Marlene Galán-Woods It's a familiar matchup for Arizona voters. Two years ago, Shah beat Galán-Woods in the primary for the district and then Shah lost to Schweikert in the general election. Now, it's a new race. Both candidates say they have what it takes to appeal to independent and swing voters. Galán-Woods was a Republican until 2018 but now has the support of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committe...