Low turnout in Arizona’s Tuesday, Sept. 2, primary election probably cost a four-term legislator his District 1 state senate seat.

All results are “unofficial” pending a full counting of all outstanding ballots, Yavapai County Recorder Ana Wayman-Trujillo said.

LD1 – State Senate
By a vote of 12,831 to 11,528, Republican rancher Steve Pierce of Prescott defeated Sen. Tom O’Halleran [R-Sedona] in the Arizona primary election for the Legislative District 1 state senate seat. Pierce won more than 52 percent of the district’s Republican vote.
The results mean O’Halleran leaves state government after three terms as a state representative and one term in the state senate.
Though no Democrat was officially entered in the Legislative District 1 state senate primary race, Pierce might still face a challenge from the Democrats in the general election if enough write-in votes were cast for a single candidate, Wayman-Trujillo said.
More than 1,700 write-in ballots from Yavapai County Democrats must still be counted before Pierce learns if he faces opposition Tuesday, Nov. 4, Wayman-Trujillo said.  Almost 400 are needed to qualify for the November ballot, she said.
Provisional and early ballots are also still being counted in Yavapai County, Wayman-Trujillo said, with final election results expected Friday, Sept. 5.
Only 29 percent of registered Republicans turned out to vote in the primary, according to the Arizona Secretary of State, though the percentage was slightly larger in Yavapai County.
Just 25 percent of Democrats turned out, the state reported.

CD1 – The race to replace Renzi
In other election results, former state representative and county prosecutor Ann Kirkpatrick won her race to represent the Democrats in the Congressional District 1 general election against Republican Sydney Hay.
“Tonight, we are one step closer to bringing real change to Washington and it feels great,” Kirkpatrick stated Tuesday. 
“I grew up in Arizona and raised my family here.  I love Arizona and I’ve had the honor of serving my home state as a prosecutor, teacher, community volunteer and state representative,” Kirkpatrick stated.
Kirkpatrick defeated her three opponents easily, winning 47.3 percent of the vote, according to the Arizona Secretary of State’s office.
Kirkpatrick’s closest competitor was Mary Kim Titla, who won 32.5 percent of the district’s Democratic voters.
In Yavapai County, Kirkpatrick swept 60 percent of the vote, Wayman-Trujillo reported.
Hay, on the other hand, carried the day for her party with just 38.7 percent of the Republican vote, followed closely by Sandra Livingstone, who took 34.4 percent.
Hay could not be reached for comment as of press time.
Kirkpatrick and Hay will face each other in the Nov. 4 general election to replace Rep. Rick Renzi in Congress. Renzi, who is retiring, faces a federal indictment on numerous charges and decided not run for another term.

Yavapai County Sheriff
In the race for Yavapai County Sheriff, Steve Waugh handily defeated Ernie Cox, 5,224 to 2,499, according to county election records.
For more election results, go to www.co.yavapai.az.us for Yavapai County results and www.azsos.gov for statewide results.