Republican primary voters from Tucson's northwest side, far east side and Rita Ranch area are embracing the party's MAGA wing, preliminary results for state Senate District 17 show.
With nearly all precincts reported as of midday Wednesday, Justine Wadsack, who described herself as a "Pro Trump America First" conservative, was poised to defeat Vince Leach, a state senator seeking a third term, by an unofficial margin of about 1,200 votes.
Wadsack, a real estate agent, captured 40% of the 25,605 ballots cast. Leach received 35.5%, according to the state's elections website. A third contender, Robert Barr, received 24% of the vote. Results are not yet official.
Leach, 73, is the current state senator for District 11 and is the senate's President Pro Tempore, the second-highest-ranking leadership position. He also serves as vice chairman of the appropriations committee and the finance committee.
Wadsack, 48, opposes abortion rights, the teaching of critical race theory and mask requirements to prevent the spread of COVID-19. She participated in storming a Vail school board meeting last year to protest mask requirements. Her endorsements included the Arizona Tea Party; Purple for Parents, an online group formed in opposition to the Red for Ed movement; and a group called Tucson Trump MAGA.
She has appeared in election ads with Kari Lake, the Trump-backed choice for governor.
Wadsack did not respond to a text message seeking comment on the results. Leach did not respond to a voicemail left at the phone number listed on his election website.
Wadsack will compete in November against Democrat Mike Nickerson, 72, of Tucson, a retired pastor. The expansive district stretches from southern Pinal County down to southeast of Tucson.
Dems choose climate activist
An environmental law professor will carry the banner for Democrats this fall in Senate District 18, which includes the Catalina Foothills, Casas Adobes and a swath of Tucson north of Broadway, east of Country Club Road and west of Camino Seco.
Priya Sundareshan, 37, who teaches at the University of Arizona, won the nomination with 53% support, compared to 47% for challenger Morgan Abraham, 30, an affordable housing developer and intelligence officer in the Army Reserve. Nearly 27,000 ballots were cast in the primary race.
Democrate candidates for Arizona Senate, District 18, in 2022. Priya Sundareshan and Morgan Abraham
Though results are not yet official, Abraham conceded to Sundareshan in a phone call the morning after the election. Abraham has been a member of the Arizona House of Representatives since December when he was appointed to fill a vacancy in the District 10 House seat.
Sundareshan's top issues include climate change, the state’s dwindling water supply and increasing public investment in green energy sources such as solar and wind power. She supports “common-sense” gun safety laws, access to abortion, and measures to make voting easier such as restoring and improving the permanent early voter list. She holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and two University of Arizona degrees, a juris doctor and a masters in natural resource economics.
In a Twitter post, Sundareshan said her win "proves Southern AZ is ready for a climate change champion to represent them in the state."
Her candidacy was backed by several prominent local Democrats including Tucson Mayor Regina Romero, U.S. Rep. Raul Grijalva and his daughter Adelita Grijalva, a Pima County supervisor and president of Tucson Unified School District's governing board.
Sundareshan will run in November against Republican Stan Caine, 59, a retired employee of the U.S. Department of Defense.
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