Arizona Watcher
Early returns in Arizona’s Democratic primary for CD5 show Elizabeth Lee with 22,377 votes, about 65% of the first roughly 35,000 ballots reported by the Secretary of State, giving her a commanding early lead.
Chris James trailed in the initial batch with 7,692 votes (about 22%), and Brian Hualde had 4,609 votes (about 13%) in the three‑candidate, winner‑take‑all contest.
In the hours after the first returns, Chris James’ campaign sent an email beginning, “We didn't get the results we wanted,” language that appeared to acknowledge Lee’s early advantage.
The Secretary of State’s first report came immediately after polls closed and largely reflected the first tranche of mail‑in and early ballots processed and reported by counties.
Officials stressed the initial snapshot does not constitute a final, certified result; additional processing and certification steps remain before a nominee can be formally declared.
The Associated Press has projected Elizabeth Lee the Democratic nominee; she will face Republican Mark Lamb in the Nov. 3 general election in a district rated about R+10, a challenging partisan terrain for Democrats.
Early returns in Arizona’s Democratic primary for Congressional District 5 show Elizabeth Lee with a substantial advantage after the first batch of ballots was reported. One opponent’s campaign sent an email appearing to concede while official results have not yet been certified.