United States House of Representatives elections in Arizona, 2012

The 2012 United States House of Representatives elections in Arizona were held on Tuesday, November 6, 2012, to elect the nine U.S. representatives from the state, one from each of the state's nine congressional districts, including the newly-created 9th district following the 2010 United States census. The elections coincided with other federal and state elections, including a quadrennial presidential election, and a U.S. Senate election. Primary elections were held on August 28, 2012.

Overview

The table shows the number and percentage of votes, as well as the number of seats gained and lost, by each political party in the 2012 elections for the United States House of Representatives in Arizona.

Redistricting

Due to population gains reflected in the 2010 United States Census, Arizona's congressional delegation increased from eight members to nine in 2012. In accordance with the Arizona Constitution, the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission produced new congressional district maps for use in the 2012 and subsequent elections. In October, 2011, the commission released a draft map and by November 5 that year had completed a round of public hearings for input on the draft map. The map became final after being cleared for compliance with the Voting Rights Act by the United States Department of Justice, and established the official district boundaries for the 2012 elections.

On November 1, 2011, Arizona Governor Jan Brewer, with the approval of the Arizona Senate, removed Colleen Mathis, the commission's chair, charging Mathis was guilty of "failure to apply the Arizona Constitution's redistricting provisions in an honest, independent and impartial fashion." On November 17, the Arizona Supreme Court overturned Brewer's decision and reinstated Mathis. On November 21, Brewer asked the Supreme Court to reconsider its decision and to temporarily reverse Mathis' reinstatement. The Supreme Court refused. The map was pre-cleared by the U.S. Department of Justice on April 9, 2012, and was effect for the 2012 elections.

;External links

Maps of congressional districts first in effect for the 2002 election

Tentative final congressional maps for the 2012 election

District 1

Based upon the new map, the 1st district is slightly friendlier to Democrats than its predecessor. Incumbent Republican Paul Gosar, first elected in 2010, ran for election in the more conservative 4th district.

Democratic primary

;Candidates
* Wenona Benally Baldenegro, attorney and member of the Navajo Nation
* Ann Kirkpatrick, former U.S. representative for AZ-01 (2009–2011)

Primary results

Republican primary

;Candidates
* Patrick Gatti
* Gaither Martin
* Jonathan Paton, state senator and 2010 Republican nominee for AZ-08
* Douglas Wade

Primary results

Libertarian primary

Primary results

General election

Results

District 2

After redistricting, most of 2nd district was composed of land previously located in the 8th district and was thus more favorable to Democrats. Democrat Gabby Giffords, who had represented the 8th district since 2007, was seriously wounded in a mass shooting in January 2011 and resigned her congressional seat in January 2012. A special election was held in June 2012 under the boundaries of the then current 8th district, with a primary election held in April 2012; in November 2012 another election took place under the new boundaries of the 2nd district, with a primary scheduled for August 2012.

Democratic primary

;Candidates
* Ron Barber, incumbent
* Matt Heinz, State representative

Primary results

Republican primary

;Candidates
* Mark Koskiniemi
* Martha McSally, retired U.S. Air Force Colonel

Primary results

General election

Results

District 3

In the October 2011 redistricting, most of the 7th district became the 3rd district and was more favorable to Democrats. Incumbent Democrat Raúl M. Grijalva, first elected in 2002, said in February 2011 that he had no plans to run for the U.S. Senate.

Democratic primary

;Candidates
* Amanda Aguirre, former state senator
* Manny Arreguin, OB/GYN
* Raul Grijalva, incumbent

Primary results

Republican primary

;Candidates
* Gabriela Saucedo Mercer, conservative activist
* Jaime Vasquez, businessman,

Primary results

Libertarian primary

Primary results

General election

Results

District 4

The new 4th congressional district encompasses most of the rural areas in the old 2nd district, as well as significant portions of the old 1st, 5th, and 6th districts, according to th
final maps
of the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission. The district is heavily-Republican.

In the November 6, 2012, general election, Paul Gosar, who has represented the 1st district since 2011, was the Republican Party nominee. He moved to Prescott in order to run in the district.

Democratic primary

Primary results

Republican primary

Primary results

Libertarian primary

Primary results

Americans Elect primary

Primary results

General election

Results

District 5

With the October 2011 redistricting, most of the 6th district became the 5th district and continued to favor Republicans. Incumbent Republican Jeff Flake, who has represented this district since 2001, sought the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate.

Democratic primary

;Candidates
* Spencer Morgan, student at Mesa Community College

Primary results

Republican primary

;Candidates
* Kirk Adams, former speaker of the Arizona House of Representatives
* Matt Salmon, former U.S. Representative for AZ-01 (1995–2001)

Primary results

General election

Results

District 6

After redistricting, the bulk of David Schweikert's 5th district became the 9th district, while his home in Fountain Hills was drawn into the newly created 4th district. However, as soon as the maps were released, Schweikert announced he would run in the 6th district. That district had previously been the 3rd, represented by fellow Republican freshman Ben Quayle. However, in a statement announcing his re-election plans, Schweikert pointed out that he'd grown up in Scottsdale—most of which had been drawn into the 6th as well—had represented it in both the state house and in Congress, and owned a second home there. A revised map, however, placed Schweikert's home in Fountain Hills into the reconfigured 6th.

Democratic primary

; Candidates
* Matt Jette, business professor at the Thunderbird School of Global Management & Republican gubernatorial candidate in 2010
* W. John Williamson

Primary results

Republican primary

Quayle, whose home in Phoenix had been drawn into the 9th but was just outside the boundaries of the 6th, opted to seek re-election in the 6th as well. During the bitter primary campaign, Schweikert was widely criticised for a mailer that accused Quayle of "going both ways", suggesting that he was bisexual. On the reverse, the mailer listed issues on which it claimed Quayle had taken both liberal and conservative positions. Senator Jon Kyl said that "such campaign tactics insult the voters, degrade politics and expose those who stoop to them as unworthy of high office" and Senator John McCain said the mailer was one of the "worst that I have seen" and that it "crosses the boundary of decent political dialogue and discourse". Quayle's spokeswoman called the mailer "utterly false" and "a sleazy smear tactic". Schweikert's spokesman responded that people "should get their minds out of the gutter" because the mailer was "obviously" referring to "'both ways' – as in liberal and conservative". ''The Arizona Republic'' asked two political scientists to review the mailer, who both said that they had "never seen anybody accuse someone of flip-flopping n political issuesthat way" and said that it was "difficult to believe" that the sexual suggestion was unintentional.

Although the 6th contained almost two-thirds of Quayle's constituents, Schweikert defeated Quayle in the Republican primary—the real contest in this heavily Republican district—by 51.5 percent to Quayle's 48.5 percent.

;Candidates
* Ben Quayle, incumbent from AZ-03
* David Schweikert, incumbent from AZ-05

Primary results

Libertarian primary

Primary results

Green primary

Primary results

General election

Results

District 7

In accordance with the redrawn boundaries, most of the 4th district became the 7th district and remained the most Democratic district in Arizona. Incumbent Democrat Ed Pastor considered a run for the U.S. Senate but decided against it.

State senator Kyrsten Sinema, who considered a bid for Congress and lived in the former 4th district, opted to run in the 9th district.

Democratic primary

Primary results

Republican primary

Fistler did not receive enough write-in votes to appear on the general election ballot as a Republican.

Primary results

Libertarian primary

Primary results

General election

Results

District 8

With the new map, most of the Maricopa County portion of the old 2nd district was renumbered as the 8th district and made more favorable to Republicans. Incumbent Republican Trent Franks, who had considered running for the U.S. Senate, instead ran successfully for re-election.

Democratic primary

Primary results

Republican primary

Primary results

Americans Elect primary

Primary results

General election

Results

District 9

With the new map, most of the old 5th District became the 9th District. It now encompassed portions of southern Phoenix, as well as all of Tempe and parts of Scottsdale, Mesa, Chandler and Paradise Valley. It was not considered safe for either party.

Kyrsten Sinema was officially declared the winner on November 12, 2012, defeating Republican Vernon Parker and Libertarian Powell Gammill.

Democratic primary

;Candidates
* Andrei Cherny, former Arizona Democratic Party chairman
* David Schapira, state senator
* Kyrsten Sinema, state senator

Primary results

Republican primary

Candidates

* Lisa Borowsky, Scottsdale city councilwoman
* Leah Campos Schandlbauer, former CIA officer
* Travis Grantham, Air Force veteran
* Vernon Parker, former mayor of Paradise Valley
* Wendy Rogers, Air Force veteran
* Martin Sepulveda, former Chandler city councilman
* Jeff Thompson, former businessman

Primary results

Libertarian primary

Primary results

General election

Results

References

External links

Elections
at the Arizona Secretary of State
*


United States House of Representatives elections in Arizona, 2012
at Ballotpedia

Arizona U.S. House
at OurCampaigns.com

Campaign contributions for U.S. Congressional races in Arizona
at OpenSecrets

Outside spending
at the Sunlight Foundation

{{2012 United States elections

United States House of Representatives
Arizona
2012