Copper State Showdown: Here Are the Elections to Watch

Matt Vespa | July 21, 2026 7:00 PM

It’s Election Day in Arizona, and we’ll soon find out who will come out bloody and battered in Arizona’s first congressional district. That race has turned into a complete disaster for Democrats, and it’s a must-win for them if they want to flip the House in the 2026 midterms. The two Democrats fighting it out have spent an incredible amount of money tearing each other apart, and whoever ‘wins’ might find themselves in a situation similar to King Pyrrhus when he invaded southern Italy during his war with the Romans.

AZ Democrats concerned about aftermath of #AZ01 primary with a “lot of attacks going back and forth”

Democrat consultant: “My biggest concern is ... how these candidates recover, whoever wins this primary has to pivot immediately and shake off the mud”

“It’s nuts” pic.twitter.com/C8NrWeQWw1
— Ben Petersen (@bennpetersen) July 21, 2026

The showdown in Arizona one is making the rounds, with even local reporters calling the race insane. Democratic operative Stacey Pearson rightly called the Democratic primary a “circus,” veering into nutty territory.

Here are other races to watch (via AZ Family):

Governor — Republican primary:
Rep. Andy Biggs
Rep. David Schweikert
Scott Neely
Ken Miceli
The winner will represent the GOP in the gubernatorial race in November. Gov. Katie Hobbs is running uncontested on the Democratic side.
Attorney general — Republican primary
State Senate President Warren Petersen
Rodney Glassman
The winner will face Democratic incumbent Kris Mayes in the general election.
Congressional District 1 — Republican primary
Former Arizona Cardinals kicker and football analyst Jay Feely
Joseph Chaplik
John Trobough
Congressional District 1 — Democratic primary
Marlene Galán-Woods
Former state Rep. Amish Shah
Rick McCartney
Jonathan Treble