Afternoon temperatures could top 110 degrees in Phoenix today as Arizona voters cast ballots in primary contests for governor, the U.S. House and other offices. Besides spontaneous combustion, here are a few things I’ll be watching for.
Read more Epstein accusers urge Tillis, Cornyn not to confirm Blanche after ‘box-checking’ meeting
In the governor’s race, the heat — sorry — is all on the Republican side, where Rep. Andy Biggs is competing with Rep. David Schweikert, along with candidates Ken Miceli and Scott Neely, for the nomination to take on Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs.
Biggs has the backing of President Donald Trump and the MAGA movement, while Schweikert is offering a more traditional Republican approach. Biggs is favored, but MAGA has stumbled in Arizona recently, so Schweikert’s performance bears watching.
The primaries could also tee up a former NFL player to join Congress, with former Arizona Cardinals kicker Jay Feely running to replace Schweikert in the 1st Congressional District, based in affluent Scottsdale. His opponents for the GOP nomination are former state lawmaker Joseph Chaplik and businessman John Trobough, but Feely has the Trump seal of approval, so, again, we’ll see if that makes the difference.
There’s an even more interesting plotline on the Democratic side of that district. The national party’s congressional campaign organization has thrown its weight behind a former Republican — Marlene Galán-Woods, whose late husband, Grant Woods, was once Arizona’s GOP attorney general. Woods was a close confidant of the late senator John McCain (R-Arizona) and turned against the GOP after Trump came to power.
Read more Trump pledges support for Lebanon peace efforts with Israel as clashes continue
Some grassroots Democrats prefer her opponent: emergency room doctor Amish Shah, a former state lawmaker who beat her for the nomination in 2024, then lost the general election to Schweikert.
That seat and one other — the 6th Congressional District, outside Tucson — are considered toss-ups and prime opportunities for Democrats to flip GOP-held districts this fall.
Catch up quickly every weekday morning with a rundown of the 7 most important and interesting stories. Sign up for The 7 newsletter.
Read more Court says conservative think tank can get Biden audiotapes
