Democrats Lead in Four GOP-Held Arizona Congressional Districts as Early Results Arrive

Democrats jumped out to early leads in four Republican-held Arizona congressional districts Tuesday night, including two closely watched battleground seats, as the first unofficial results from the November 3 midterm election arrived.

Meanwhile, the Associated Press projected Democratic incumbents Yassamin Ansari, Greg Stanton and Adelita Grijalva to win reelection in the state’s 3rd, 4th and 7th congressional districts.

The most closely watched contests remained uncalled, with substantial numbers of ballots still outstanding.

Shah Leads Feely in CD1

In Arizona’s 1st Congressional District, Democrat Amish Shah held approximately 54.9% of the early vote compared with 43.2% for Republican Jay Feely, according to KTAR.

The open seat, which includes Scottsdale and northeastern Phoenix, became available when longtime Republican Congressman David Schweikert abandoned his reelection campaign to seek the Republican nomination for governor.

Shah, an emergency room physician and former state legislator, unsuccessfully challenged Schweikert in 2024.

Feely, a former NFL kicker endorsed by President Donald Trump, switched from the 5th District race to the 1st earlier this year.

Outside organizations spent more than $25 million on the contest following the primary election.

Nez Holds Narrow Lead Over Crane in CD2

In a potentially significant development in northern Arizona, former Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez held a narrow early lead over Republican Congressman Eli Crane.

According to KJZZ, Nez had approximately 49.5% of the vote compared with Crane’s 48.3%.

Crane defeated Nez by roughly 10 percentage points in 2024, while Trump carried the sprawling rural district by approximately 15 points.

The race remained too close to call Tuesday night.

Lee Leads Lamb in CD5

Democrat Elizabeth Lee also held an early advantage over Republican Mark Lamb in Arizona’s 5th Congressional District, another open seat.

Lee had 52.2% of the preliminary vote compared with 47.6% for Lamb, the former Pinal County sheriff, according to KTAR.

The seat was previously held by Republican Andy Biggs, who ran for governor rather than seek another congressional term.

Lamb, who received Trump’s endorsement, substantially outraised Lee but faced criticism during the campaign for declining to participate in the general election debate.

Lee, a nurse and former Republican, campaigned on health care and affordability issues.

Mendoza Opens Substantial Lead Over Ciscomani in CD6

In southern Arizona, Democratic challenger JoAnna Mendoza held approximately 58% of the early vote compared with 40% for Republican incumbent Juan Ciscomani.

The 6th District was among the nation’s closely watched congressional battlegrounds, with Democrats seeking to unseat the two-term Republican.

Ciscomani addressed supporters Tuesday evening as the first returns arrived, acknowledging that the outcome could take several days to determine.

“It’s gonna take a few days probably for this to get called,” Ciscomani told supporters, according to the Arizona Daily Star.

The district includes portions of Tucson and southeastern Arizona, extending into Pinal County.

Three Democratic Incumbents Win Reelection

The Associated Press projected that Democratic Representatives Yassamin Ansari in CD3, Greg Stanton in CD4 and Adelita Grijalva in CD7 had secured reelection.

Grijalva, who won a special election in 2025 following the death of her father, longtime Congressman Raúl Grijalva, will serve her first full congressional term.

Ansari, a former Phoenix City Council member, was first elected in 2024. Stanton, a former Phoenix mayor, has served in Congress since 2019.

Other Congressional Contests

In the 8th Congressional District, Republican incumbent Abe Hamadeh faced Democrat Bernadette Greene-Placentia.

In western Arizona’s 9th District, Republican incumbent Paul Gosar faced Democrat Danielle Sterbinsky, along with independent write-in candidates.

Reliable updated vote totals or election-night calls for those two districts were not available at the time of this report.

Although the first returns favored Democratic candidates in several Republican-held districts, Tuesday night’s results were preliminary. The early releases included a substantial share of ballots cast before Election Day, while additional ballots remained to be counted.

Several competitive contests could remain undecided beyond election night as county election departments continue tabulating votes.