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Voting is your ultimate check on political power, which is exactly why it is under attack. A nationwide suppression effort is currently underway to shrink the electorate by targeting mail-in access and pushing the SAVE Act—a bill demanding in-person proof of citizenship that threatens to disenfranchise over 21 million eligible Americans who lack ready access to such documents. Despite these deliberate hurdles, your vote remains your most powerful tool. This edition breaks down the latest primary results, historic firsts, and pivotal updates in California, Iowa, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, and South Dakota.


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    Welcome back from a short break. Arizona voters went to the polls Tuesday, July 21, in one of the most closely watched primary nights of the cycle, with results in the governor’s race and three competitive U.S. House seats.

    Primary elections are often the most important in an election cycle, but too many Americans don’t bother to vote in them. Emgage Action’s goal is to help Muslims stay informed and engaged!

    ARIZONA

    Governor
    Representative Andy Biggs, a prominent member of the Sharia-Free America Caucus, won the Republican nomination for governor, defeating fellow Representative David Schweikert by a wide margin (about 71.5% to 16%). Biggs has represented Arizona’s 5th Congressional District since 2017 and is a former president of the Arizona state Senate. Gov. Katie Hobbs ran unopposed for the Democratic nomination and will face Biggs in November.

    U.S. House: District 4
    Rep. Greg Stanton defeated progressive challenger Kai Newkirk, endorsed by Emgage Action, in the Democratic primary, 68.1% to 31.9%. Newkirk centered his campaign on Stanton’s acceptance of corporate donations, his vote for the Laken Riley Act, and his support for military aid to Israel, making Israel and AIPAC key issues. Stanton will face Republican Zuhdi Jasser in the general election.

    U.S. House: District 1
    Former Cardinals kicker Jay Feely won the Republican nomination with about 49.7%, ahead of former state legislator Joseph Chaplik at 35.6%. On the Democratic side, Amish Shah, a former state lawmaker and emergency room physician, was leading former television anchor Marlene Galán-Woods by nearly 10 percentage points (about 5,700 votes) in a race that remained too close to call as of Tuesday night. The DCCC backed Galán-Woods while the NRCC backed Feely. This open seat (vacated by Schweikert) is considered one of the most closely watched races in the country and potentially pivotal to control of the House.

    U.S. House: District 5
    Former Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb won the Republican primary with about 58.7% despite allegations of sexual impropriety and claims he does not live in the district. Nurse Elizabeth Lee won the Democratic primary with about 64.4%. This is a heavily Republican district, and the GOP nominee is considered all but certain to win in November.

    Why it matters?

    Arizona’s primary delivered one of the cycle’s most closely watched Democratic contests, as Rep. Greg Stanton turned back a well-funded progressive challenge. Following a series of Democratic Socialist-backed victories in New York and Colorado earlier this year, some observers viewed Arizona’s 4th District as a potential opportunity for another upset. Stanton’s decisive win suggests that dynamic did not carry over, underscoring the limits of applying national trends to individual districts.

    Looking ahead to November, Arizona’s 1st Congressional District remains one of the nation’s premier battlegrounds, with control of the U.S. House potentially hinging on the outcome. As of this morning the Democratic primary between Amish Shah and Marlene Galán-Woods remained too close to call.

    Meanwhile, Arizona’s 5th District is unlikely to be competitive given its strong Republican lean. Still, Republican nominee Mark Lamb enters the general election under the shadow of allegations that surfaced during the primary, which could remain a point of scrutiny throughout the campaign.

    What's next?

    • July 28: Georgia special election
    • August 4: Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Washington, Virginia head to the polls
    • August 6: Tennessee
    • August 8: Hawaii
    • August 11: Alabama, Connecticut, Minnesota, Vermont, Wisconsin
    • August 18: Alaska, Florida, Wyoming, plus the outcome of the CA-14 special election
    • September 1: Massachusetts, New Hampshire
    • September 9: Rhode Island
    • September 15: Delaware

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    And that's it from us, folks. We will see you next week!
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