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Yassamin Ansari wins Democratic primary for Ruben Gallego's Congressional seat

By , and Gabriel Sandoval
Updated  August 20, 2024 6:47pm MST
2024 Election
Associated Press

Ansari wins tight primary for Ruben Gallego's seat

Three weeks after the Arizona primary, former Phoenix City Councilmember Yassamin Ansari was officially declared the winner in the Democratic primary for the Congressional seat currently held by Ruben Gallego. FOX 10's Lauren Clark reports.

PHOENIX (AP) - Yassamin Ansari, a former Phoenix City Council member, clinched the Democratic nomination for an open congressional district in Arizona, defeating her opponent by 39 votes after the tight race triggered a recount in the state that's expected to be pivotal in November's general election.

Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Jennifer Ryan-Touhill announced the results of the primary race in a courtroom in downtown Phoenix on Tuesday, declaring Ansari the winner over former state lawmaker Raquel Terán.

"I’m honored to be in this fight for you, thank you so much for being here–onward to November!" Ansari said during a speech she made to her supporters.

Terán also issued a statement in the aftermath of the results. In it, she thanked supporters and congratulated Ansari.

"Though we came so incredibly close, this time, we lost," the statement reads, in part. "This 39-vote difference has been a testament to what we, as Democrats, already know: that every vote matters."

Close race prompted recount

The recount process began Aug. 12 after the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors certified the results of the July 30 primary. Arizona law automatically requires another tally if the margin between the candidates is 0.5 percentage points or less. With Ansari and Terán falling into that category, separated by 42 votes - or 0.1 percentage points - Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes petitioned the court to commence the recount. 

Ansari, a daughter of Iranian immigrants who previously served as vice mayor of Phoenix, campaigned on a platform of progressive policies, promising to protect democracy and reproductive rights from what she called "MAGA extremists."

Terán had touted her work as a community activist who helped oust Joe Arpaio from Maricopa County's sheriff post. She had also emphasized her experience as the former chair of the Arizona Democratic Party. 

The Democratic-leaning 3rd District encompasses parts of Phoenix. The seat opened up when U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego announced his campaign for the Senate. He will be facing Republican Kari Lake in that contest. 

As for Ansari, she will be facing Republic Jeff Zink in November. We reached out to Zink's campaign for comment, but they have yet to respond.

Arizona already is expected to be one of the most closely contested states in November's U.S. presidential election and experts are expecting more tight races down the ticket. Ballot measures touching on abortion and immigration also are expected to spur turnout in the battleground state.