National Democrats are expanding the list of races at the Arizona legislature they are investing in to attempt to flip one or both chambers to Democrats for the first time in 60 years.
The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee had previously announced it was targeting 15 races across the state, but on Wednesday announced it is adding two more races to that list: Emilia Cortez in the Arizona House of Representatives contest for Legislative District 23 and Amelia Gallitano in the race for the Arizona Senate in Legislative District 2.
Cortez hopes to unseat GOP state Rep.Michele Peña, who two years ago received only 592 more votes than her Democratic seatmate Mariana Sandoval in a district that leans Democratic. Gallitano, meanwhile, is aiming to oust Republican state Sen. Shawnna Bolick in LD2. In 2024, Bolick beat her Democratic challenger by 3,700 votes, or roughly 3.6%.
Arizona’s legislature haslong been a targetof national Democratic organizations seeking to flip either chamber which has been in GOP control since 1966.
“Arizona Democrats are within striking distance of flipping Arizona blue for the first time since the 1960s. The Arizona legislature is home to the nation’s most extreme MAGA Republicans, and Arizonans are sick of their state legislators chasing conspiracy theories and attacking their rights instead of focusing on the real issues,” DLCC President Heather Williams said in a statement announcing the new candidate endorsements.
“Flipping the legislature in Arizona will allow Democrats to drive the agenda for the first time since the civil rights era and will unlock incredible progress for Arizonans. The DLCC has chipped away cycle over cycle at Republicans’ stranglehold, and we are proud to stand by our slate of target candidates to get the job done,” Williams said.
This year, the DLCC plans to target legislative districts 2, 4, 9, 13, 16, 17 and 23. In the Senate they plan to target legislative districts 2, 4, 9, 13, 17 and 23. To do so, the DLCCC said it will be working with the Democratic caucus of both chambers to try to deliver the new majorities, with Democrats running in every legislative district across the state.
The DLCC has not been open about how much it intends to spend in Arizona, but the organization is planning to raise$50 million for its effortsnationwide.
Democrats are comparing it to a similar Republican effort, specifically citing the 2010Republican project REDMAP, which used an influx of money, attack ads, partisan gerrymandering and mapping software to secure wins for Republican candidates across the country.
Arizona is one of seven battleground states being targeted by the DLCC, along with Alaska, Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and New Hampshire.
The following Democratic candidates are listed as being part of the slate of targeted races:
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