Republicans in position to expand majorities in both chambers of Arizona Legislature
Nov 11, 2024, 1:52 PM
Republicans are on their way to maintaining control of the Arizona Legislature. (KTAR File Photo)
(KTAR File Photo)
PHOENIX – The race to control the Arizona Legislature is coming into focus, and Republicans have to like what they see.
The trends have been good for the GOP since last week, putting the party on the path to expanding its majorities in the Senate and House. However, several races in each chamber are still too close to call.
A key domino fell Sunday when Democratic incumbent Sen. Christine Marsh conceded to challenger Carine Werner in District 4, putting a 15th Senate seat into the probable GOP win column.
LD4: It has been the honor of a lifetime representing you.
While I am saddened by the outcome of the election, I wish the best of luck to Carine Werner. My full thoughts: pic.twitter.com/AJCMjGB3MK
— Senator Christine Marsh (@ChristinePMarsh) November 11, 2024
It’s also looking more likely that Republican Shawnna Bolick will defeat Judy Schwiebert in District 2, which would clinch the GOP majority in Senate.
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Three other Senate races were still close enough to be considered undecided as of midday Monday, according to the Arizona Secretary of State’s results page. But those outcomes will likely only determine how large the Republican advantage will be during the second legislative session under Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs.
Of those three races, Democrats appeared to be in good shape in Districts 9 and 23, while District 17 could be heading to an automatic recount with Republican Vince Leach nursing a lead of just a few hundred votes over John McLean.
If all the Senate leads from Monday hold up, Republicans will return to the Capitol with a 17-13 majority, expanding their 16-14 advantage from the last two sessions.
What’s the status in the lower chamber of the Arizona Legislature?
The picture is more complicated over in the Arizona House, where up to two candidates from each party are battling over two seats per district.
However, Republicans appeared to have a firm grasp on 33 of the 60 seats, although a few could still be classified as too close to call as counties continue counting ballots.
Additionally, Democrats weren’t out of the woods in Districts 2 and 9, meaning the GOP could potentially tack on up to two more seats with a swing of a few hundred votes.
Regardless of the final margin, Republicans are on their way to winning their largest House majority since the 2016 election, when they came out with a 35-25 advantage. The GOP held narrow 31-29 majorities each of the last three legislative sessions.
