The race for Arizona’s 3rd Congressional District Democratic primary is razor-thin, with a mere 67 votes currently separating the top contenders, former Phoenix City Council member Yassamin Ansari and former state lawmaker Raquel Terán. This tight margin, drawn from almost 44,000 ballots tallied, could trigger a recount as per Arizona election law, according to 12 News.
Ansari's slim lead, which was 89 votes as of Friday, falls well within the state's automatic recount margin of 0.5 percentage points. Maricopa County election officials reported that with about 99% of the 740,000 ballots from Tuesday’s primaries processed, the final count is inching closer to completion, anticipating more votes by Sunday night, as stated by The Guardian.
In statements obtained by 12 News, both candidates acknowledged the close race. "We are still hard at work ensuring that every vote is counted," Ansari said, expressing gratitude toward the voters. On the other side, Terán said, "We’re narrowing the gap" and stressed the importance of counting every ballot, anticipating additional outstanding votes.
This election cycle holds particular significance as the winner will likely face Republican Jeff Zink in November in this Democratic-leaning district. With current Representative Ruben Gallego vacating the seat to pursue a U.S. Senate bid, the race to represent central and southwest Phoenix becomes even more vital. As reported by The Guardian, Ansari, an Iranian immigrant's daughter who served as vice mayor, and Terán, former Arizona Democratic Party chair and state senator, have both stepped down from previous positions to focus on this congressional bid.
