The results of several high-profile races in Arizona remain unknown

Many Arizona primary races remained too close to call three days after Election Day.

Election officials in each of the state’s counties are in the process of tabulating ballots. Many of the ballots that were mailed or delivered early are being counted; mood duration and other factors prolonged that effort.

But it will take even longer to get results from ballots returned to the polls on Election Day, as well as ballots that require signature verification (a process called curing). These are the most important races in Arizona for which no winner had been declared by early Friday:

American president

Arizona’s 11 electoral college votes are up for grabs when voters choose between them former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. The margin between the candidates was among the smallest for swing states, even as Trump defeated Harris nationally early Wednesday.

Throughout the election season, Trump and Harris campaigned aggressively in Arizona, with both candidates visiting the state multiple times. Arizona’s final decision won’t affect the national outcome, but the slim margin reflects the influence of independent voters in the Grand Canyon State.

US Senate

Republican Kari Lake, a former television news anchor, took the lead from Democratic U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego in the U.S. Senate race on Thursday evening.

Gallego took a commanding early lead over Lake in the early results. At a Democratic Party meeting on Election Day evening, Gallego failed to claim victory but said he expected to become Arizona’s first Latino senator.

As the campaigns approached election day, Lake seemed to be gaining ground on Gallegowho has had a lead in the polls since the start of the race. Lake or Gallego will replace Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz announced in March that she would not seek a second term.

Arizona’s first congressional district

U.S. Rep. David Schweikert, R-Ariz, had a narrow lead against Amish Shah, a former state lawmaker, in Arizona’s 1st congressional district.

Schweikert, who has represented parts of Maricopa County including Scottsdale, Paradise Valley and Cave Creek on Capitol Hill since 2011, was widely seen as one of Congress’ most vulnerable incumbents. Schweikert won his seat in 2022 by one percentage point.

Shah, an emergency room doctor and former state lawmaker, defeated a crowded field of Democrats for that party’s nomination. His campaign emphasized abortion rights, immigration issues and public education.

Arizona’s 2nd congressional district

Incumbent Rep. Eli Crane has held a strong lead over his Democratic challenger for Congressional District 2 since Election Day.

Although Crane, R-Ariz., has not lost any ground to his Democratic rival, former Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez, a winner has not yet been declared.

Several prominent political analysis firms predicted that Crane would win, but that the race was closer than they expected.

Crane, who calls himself an “outsider” and former military sniper, has endorsed former President Donald Trump. Nez’s campaign marks the first time an Arizona Native American candidate advanced past the primary in a congressional race.

Arizona’s 4th congressional district

Incumbent Rep. Greg Stanton, D-Ariz., has maintained a substantial lead over Republican candidate Kelly Cooper but has yet to be declared the winner. Stanton ran unopposed for the Democratic Party nomination, while Cooper defeated three other candidates in the Republican primaries.

Stanton has represented Arizona’s 4th District since 2019, which includes major cities in Maricopa County, including Tempe and large parts of Mesa and Chandler. He also served as mayor of Phoenix from 2012 to 2018.

Cooper criticized Stanton in a televised debate Last month he said he had shown little during his six years as president.

Arizona’s 6th congressional district

In a 2022 rematch, Incumbent Rep. Juan Ciscomani, R-Ariz., faces Democratic former state lawmaker Kirsten Engelan environmental lawyer whom he defeated by less than two percentage points. The two traded leads a few times as the results trickled out Thursday, though Engel finished the night on top.

Ciscomani is an at-large Republican and served as an aide to former Arizona Governor Doug Ducey, also a Republican. The race is judged as a toss-up. Arizona’s congressional delegation has a Republican advantage of six to three, so flipping this seat and the 1st Congressional District seat would tilt the delegation in favor of Democrats.

Mesa mayor

Mesa mayoral candidate Mark Freeman held a lead over Scott Smith on Thursday night.

With no major differences between the two establishment candidates, the race comes down to the nuances of their backgrounds, vision of the city and ideology. The race has remained largely civil and without controversy.

Throughout the campaign, Smith, a former mayor, criticized the city for not being business-friendly enough. In response, Freeman defended his eight years on the council.

Freeman declared victory on Thursday night, but Smith has not given up on the race. More than 472,000 remain uncounted in Maricopa County, where Mesa is the second-largest city after Phoenix.

This story will be updated as election results are announced.

Reach Richard Ruelas at 602-444-8473 or at [email protected]. Follow him at @ruelaswritings on X. Hannah Dreyfus is an investigative journalist for The Arizona Republic. Reach her out [email protected]. Follow her on X @Hannah_Dreyfus or Wires @hannahdreyfus.