Pub. 8 2018 Issue 3

13 ISSUE 3. 2018 Under the Copper Dome 2018 Elections: Some Things Change, Some Things Stay the Same A S ELECTION YEARS GO, THIS HAS BEEN A PARTICULARLY INTERESTING ONE. ON TOP OF HAVING THE ENTIRE LEGISLATURE AND ALL STATE-WIDE OFFICES UP FOR ELECTION, ARIZONA IS HOME TO ONE OF THE MOST CLOSELY-WATCHED U.S. SENATE RACES IN THE COUNTRY. THE GENERAL ELECTION BATTLE BETWEEN U.S. REPRESENTATIVES KYRSTEN SINEMA AND MARTHA MCSALLY POTENTIALLY AFFECTS THE BALANCE OF POWER IN THE U.S. SENATE AND COULD IMPACT THE POLITICAL LANDSCAPE IN ARIZONA FOR YEARS TO COME. THAT’S NOT THE ONLY EXCITING RACE THIS YEAR, HOWEVER – NOW THAT THE PRIMARY ELECTION IS OVER, WE HAVE A BETTER IDEA OF WHAT TO WATCH GOING INTO NOVEMBER. Arizona’s primary yielded some surprising results, although most of the races ended with predictable outcomes. In the surprising catego- ry, we saw veteran state legislators Darin Mitchell (R-Goodyear), a potential next House Speaker, and Ken Clark (D-Phoenix) lose their primaries. We also saw lead-footed state Rep. Paul Mosley (R-Lake Havasu City) lose his bid for re-election up in Mohave County. In state-wide races, arguably the largest upset was Secretary of State Michele Reagan’s loss to relatively unknown businessman Steve Gaynor. The race for Superintendent of Public Instruction also proved interesting: incumbent Republican SPI Diane Douglas lost her primary to challenger Frank Riggs, while long-time politician David Schapira lost to political newcomer Kathy Hoffman in the Democratic primary. Most of the primary races went exactly as expected, however. Both Kyrsten Sinema and Martha McSally easily beat primary challeng- ers. Governor Doug Ducey cruised past former Secretary of State Ken Bennett to clinch his party’s nomination, while David Garcia, as expected, became the Democratic nominee for Governor. On the legislative side, State Senator Sine Kerr (R-Buckeye) fended off a challenge from disgraced former lawmaker Don Shooter, State Rep. Eddie Farnsworth (R-Gilbert) narrowly slipped past Jimmy