GOP hoping to flip Ariz. House seat
PHOENIX — Republicans hope the victor of a 3-way primary will flip a Phoenix congressional district full of independent voters come November, but with a popular former mayor waiting, Democrats think they will keep it.
Arizona’s 9th Congressional District seat is currently held by Democratic Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, who is running for U.S. Senate to replace retiring Sen. Jeff Flake. Sinema is expected to win her primary. And looking to keep the House seat blue is former Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton, who left his post in May to run for Congress and is unopposed in Tuesday’s primary election. The two-term mayor was first elected in 2011.
The three Republicans former Navy chief medical officer and veteran Steve Ferrara, returning candidate David Giles and longtime resident Irina Baroness Von Behr - will face off Tuesday. The winner will meet Stanton in November.
The sprawling district stretches from Phoenix into suburbs to the east. It is one of two open congressional seats this year in Arizona, a state that national Democrats have their eye on in their quest to win the House of Representatives. Holding onto the 9th District, which went for Hillary Clinton in 2016, is an important piece of the puzzle — but former Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee chair Steve Israel says it’s a likely keep.
“Every single nonpartisan political ratings agency or political ratings organization says that it’s either safe or a likely Democratic district,” he said.
Democrats in Arizona are hoping for a “blue wave” in November, propelled by Sinema at the top of the ticket and a movement for increased school funding that led to a six-day teacher walkout this spring that drew widespread support in places like Phoenix’s eastern suburbs. Democrats consider Stanton “one of the best recruits in the country,” Israel said.
The district has a slight Democratic edge —130,682 registered Democrats, compared to 121,533 registered Republicans. But both parties are outnumbered by 136,635 unaffiliated voters — plus a thousand or so Green Party registrants and more than 4,500 Libertarians.
Stan Barnes, a Republican consultant in Arizona, said while Stanton may have name recognition and strong financial backing, the Republican nominee will have an “issue advantage” due to the Trump administration’s economic gains and border policy. Those could be a factor with average voters who cast their ballots based on their personal experiences, he said.
“There is much to work with if you are a Republican underdog in a congressional district now held by a Democrat in Arizona,” Barnes said.
Ferrara is holding onto the most campaign cash, with almost $735,000 on hand compared to Giles’ $295 and Baroness Von Behr’s $5,108 as of the end of June.
Ferrara has received endorsements from wellknown Republicans, including former U.S. Sen. John Kyl and Barry Goldwater Jr., and state-level leaders like House Speaker J.D. Mesnard and Senate President Steve Yarbrough.