Which political party will hold a majority in the U.S. Senate hangs in the balance this election cycle. And who Arizona voters send to Washington D.C. will play an important role in tipping the scale in the congressional chamber and in national politics — deciding seminal federal laws from abortion access to immigration and border policies.
This election, the most closely watched contest is the packed Republican primary. The race includes four Senate candidates. Voters’ options range from a self-described Trump Republican to a Reagan Republican, as well as a local sheriff running on border security politics and a lesser-known write-in candidate.
The July 30 primary election is a crucial step in narrowing the field of candidates. Early voting starts July 3.
The Republican primary is not the only contested election. Green Party voters will see the names of two candidates, both of whom have been rejected by the Arizona Green Party. Instead, the party has endorsed a third write-in candidate from Pima County.
The primary winners will run in the general election against longtime politician and U.S. military veteran U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego, the only Democratic candidate in the Senate race. He is unopposed in his party’s primary.
The seat is currently held by Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, an independent who left the Democratic Party and is not seeking reelection.
Many Arizona voters see the Senate election as the most important national race next to the presidential election. That’s why Arizona Luminaria built this guide to serve voters who want to know more about the candidates, the election rules and what’s at stake in the race to represent Arizonans as their senator in the U.S. Congress.
We’ll continue to listen to what voters want to know, so please reach out with questions and story ideas: ykunichoff@azluminaria.org or info@azluminaria.org
What’s at stake?
The new U.S. Senator from Arizona will likely be a deciding vote in a tightly divided congressional chamber.
Arizona’s elected Senator will serve a six-year term. As part of their role, they can help sink or advance bills key to infrastructure, defense and social services, and vote for or against presidential appointments.
Voting FAQs
Here’s what you need to know to participate in the primary election in Arizona in July 2024.
Key dates
July 1, 2024 – Deadline to register to vote for the 2024 Primary Election
July 3, 2024 – Early voting begins and ballots are mailed to eligible voters on the Active Early Voting List and other eligible voters who have requested a one-time ballot by mail
July 19, 2024 – Last day to request an early ballot-by-mail for the 2024 Primary Election
July 20 – July 23, 2024 – Recommended dates to mail your early ballot back to ensure it is received by county election officials by 7 p.m. on July 30, 2024.
July 26, 2024 – Early in-person voting ends at 7 p.m.
July 30, 2024 – 2024 Primary Election Day
Register to vote or check your registration details
Register to vote by July 1 to participate in the primary election. Use this tool to check whether you’re registered to vote, which party you’re registered with, whether you need to update your address, or whether you’re on the early voting list.
Get a ballot
People who are registered to vote with a recognized political party by July 1 will automatically get a ballot for that specific party, either by mail or in person.
Arizona’s 1.4 million unaffiliated voters, more commonly referred to as independent voters, are the second-largest voting bloc in the state, and can vote in Arizona’s primary election in July 2024. But they will need to take a few extra steps.
Independent voters must request a Democrat or Republican ballot to mail or in person.
As elections officials across the nation, including the Pima County Recorder’s Office, work to be transparent about how the mail-in process works, voters can learn more about the mail-in ballot process here.
Find a polling place
Use this tool to find a polling place and remember to bring ID.
This year, Arizona Sens. Mark Kelly and Kyrsten Sinema helped steer billions in federal funding to address local wildfire prevention, study drought relief methods and invest in clean-energy school buses across the state.
What types of laws get passed, and what areas and issues receive federal funding, depends on the votes of Senate and House representatives at the federal level, as well as which party controls these chambers.
This election year, voters have told Arizona Luminaria that two key areas they want to see a future Senator address are abortion healthcare access and immigration.
Since the U.S. Supreme Court’s conservative majority voted to overturn Roe v. Wade and gut constitutional protections for abortion, the Senate could be one pathway to returning some nationwide access to the medical procedure. A recent bill introduced in the Senate, for example, would keep local governments from limiting access to abortion services when a delay could risk a person’s health.
A pivotal issue in Arizona and across the nation is voters’ views on whether a person’s right to an abortion should be restricted and if so, to what extent.
In May, Noble Predictive Insights polled 1,003 registered Arizona voters. The poll showed that 49% of Arizona voters said abortion should be legal under certain circumstances, 40% said abortion should be legal under any circumstances, and 11% are against abortion access in all circumstances.
A closer look at the 49% of Arizona voters who told pollsters that abortion should be legal “under certain circumstances,” showed that 85% of these respondents supported abortion when the mother’s life is endangered; 82% supported access in cases of rape and 78% in cases of incest.
The poll also addressed possible time frames for abortion. Among voters who want exceptions to legal abortions, 43% said they support abortions up to 15 weeks, while 9% said they support abortions up to 24 weeks. Only 1% supported abortions up to 40 weeks, which is typically considered a full-term pregnancy.
As Arizona ports of entry continue to be among the busiest in the nation, the Senate also plays a crucial role in border-related laws and federal funding, as well as policy changes that can change the future of immigration in America.
Pima County has been using federal funds for years to welcome and orient people seeking asylum released by the Border Patrol. The future of federal funding plays a key role in that effort. From a promise of more border security to investments in immigration reform, Arizona’s Senate candidates are putting forth vastly different visions on federal immigration and border policies that affect local communities.
The candidates are also tasked with convincing Arizonans to vote at a time when disillusionment and distrust of both the Republican and Democratic parties is high.
Who can run in this election?
To serve in the Senate, representatives must be at least 30 years of age, have held American citizenship for at least nine years, and be a resident in the state they seek to represent.
Historically, Arizonans have elected an evenly partisan split of candidates to the Senate: seven Republicans and seven Democrats.
To get their name on the primary ballot, candidates must have submitted a minimum number of signatures from eligible voters and filed their nomination paperwork in the spring. Write-in candidates who filed nomination paperwork and a financial disclosure form do not have their name printed on the ballot, but their names are posted at voting locations.
Who are the Senate candidates?
Republican candidates
Kari Lake
Kari Lake is a former television news anchor for Phoenix channel Fox10 News. She refused to concede her loss in the 2022 gubernatorial election to now-Gov. Katie Hobbs, and is aligned with former President Donald Trump who endorsed her candidacy. Lake has repeated conspiracy theories and personal attacks to deny the results of elections deemed fair and transparent by multiple judicial orders. Lake said she is against abortion but does not support a federal ban on abortion. She has never held elected office and says her lack of political experience will shake up the status quo.
Mark Lamb
Mark Lamb has served as Pinal County Sheriff since 2016. Lamb wants to invest in border militarization and opposes abortion, according to his website campaign priorities. He refused to enforce COVID-19 quarantine orders in the early days of the pandemic. Lamb has aligned himself with Republican election deniers and has promoted Constitutional Sheriff movements lobbying for local jurisdiction over state and federal laws.
Elizabeth “Beth” Jean Reye
Elizabeth “Beth” Jean Reye has a doctorate in neuroscience from John Hopkins University, according to her campaign website. Reye calls herself a Reagan Republican, and warns the party is moving into “self-defeating denialism.” She wants to see more resources for the Border Patrol and calls immigrants with legal status “the lifeblood of our nation,” which aligns with Reagan’s stance. Reye’s platform draws strongly from Reagan’s legacy, which includes signing a sweeping immigration reform bill into law that granted amnesty, a pathway to citizenship, for nearly 3 million people in the U.S. without legal status. Reye supports federal legislation that would guarantee abortion access with restrictions.
Dustin Williams (write in)
Dustin Williams is a write-in candidate for Senate, meaning his name will not appear on the official ballot received by Republican voters but is acceptable as a write-in option. Williams does not have information available online about his candidacy. His nomination paperwork states he is a Maricopa resident. Williams’ name and photo appear on the Citizens Clean Elections Commission website stating that he is a write-in candidate for the U.S. Senate. (The commission was created by law in 1998 and oversees some campaign finance programming and voter education efforts.)
Democratic candidate
Ruben Gallego
Ruben Gallego, who is running unopposed in the primary, has served in the House of Representatives since 2014 and currently represents Phoenix’s District 3. The son of Latino immigrants and a former Marine Corps member, Gallego supports access to abortion healthcare, protecting housing affordability and water supplies, preserving public lands and increased public and financial support for veterans, according to his campaign website. On immigration, Gallego has said he would push for more border enforcement alongside increased funding for border communities. Gallego has been an outspoken critic of Trump. Following the deadly Charlottesville rally in 2017, Gallego said neo-Nazis had been “encouraged and come out of the closet since the presidency of Donald Trump.” Ahead of the former president’s 2019 impeachment, Gallego also warned that Trump was eroding the rule of law and democracy in the U.S.
Green Party candidates
Arturo Hernandez
Arturo Hernandez is a candidate for the Green Party. Hernandez does not have information available online about his candidacy. Public candidate registration forms indicate he is a Yuma resident running for the nomination of the Green Party. He won a lawsuit in April challenging the signatures he turned in to appear on the ballot, KJZZ reported. The Arizona Green Party said on its website and social media that Hernandez is not a formal member of the group.
Michael “Mike” Norton
Michael “Mike” Norton was formerly the director of legal affairs for the Green Valley Transportation Corp. in Knoxville, Tennessee and has worked in transportation services, according to his LinkedIn profile. Norton promises to work toward an Arizona that is “sustainable and climate resilient” and said he believes in social justice and equal opportunity, according to his campaign website. He previously supported the Republican and then Democratic parties, but said he is an “opponent of extreme politics” and is now pushing for grassroots democracy changes outside the two major parties. The Arizona Green Party has denounced Norton, saying he is not a Green Party candidate.
Eduardo Quintana (write in)
Eduardo Quintana is chairperson of the Green Party of Pima County and co-founder of Tucsonans for a Clean Environment. He is endorsed by the Arizona Green Party. Quintana supports stopping the genocide in Gaza, phasing out fossil fuels for renewable energy sources, and introducing proportional taxation. Quintana is a write-in candidate, meaning his name will not appear on the official ballot received by Green Party voters but is acceptable as a write-in option.
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