PHOENIX — Only 311 votes separate two Republican incumbents in a West Valley state House race, triggering an automatic recount, Maricopa County election officials said Wednesday after finishing their ballot count.
Democrat Deborah Howard won the first of Legislative District 27’s two House seats with 40,161 votes, or 37.4%, according to the county’s results reported by Arizona’s Family.
The second seat is too close to call. Rep. Lisa Fink received 33,724 votes, or 31.4%, while Rep. Tony Rivero received 33,413 votes, or 31.1%.
Under Arizona law, a recount is automatic when the margin between candidates falls within 0.5%. A court must order the recount, and it can’t begin until the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors and the Secretary of State certify the election results, officials said.
The Board of Supervisors is scheduled to meet Nov. 18 to canvass the county results, and the official statewide canvass is set for Nov. 23.
Officials said 1,559,706 Maricopa County voters cast ballots in the Nov. 3 election, just over 60% of those eligible.
The county also plans a post-election logic and accuracy test of its election equipment on Friday, a routine check that is open for public viewing.
The recount will decide which of the two incumbents returns to the Legislature in January.
Sources: Arizona’s Family. Thee Arizona Times uses AI-assisted reporting reviewed against the sources listed.
Photo: Paulo O / Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
