LD2

UPDATE, 10:30 p.m.: 

Republicans Jerry Weiers and Steve Montenegro have survived the LD12 Republican primary in the House and will move on to the general election.  Robert Blendu came in a close third. 

Thayer Verschoor has held off a late charge by Eddie Farnsworth in the LD22 senate race and will hold onto his seat and will likely have the inside edge to become the next senate president. 

Incumbent Barbara McGuire survived her House primary in LD23 and will be joined in the general election by Ernest Bustamante.  Both defeated Dorian Bond,Krista Pacion and Emily Verdugo-Aldrichin the primary. 

State Sen. Albert HaleDespite a challenge by opponent Royce Jenkins, state Sen. Albert Hale (D-Window Rock) is staying on the ballot in the 2nd Legislative District. Jenkins failed to persuade a Maricopa County Superior Court judge that a number of signatures on Hale's nominating petition should be disqualified, based on the signers giving post office box numbers as their addresses.

Yet even though he tried to use the confusion over whether or not a lack of listed physical address can be used to disqualify a ballot signatory, Jenkins agreed with Hale that the system needs to be sorted out.

"It definitely needs to be fixed" said Jenkins of the process.

State Rep. Albert Tom (D-Chambers) has withdrawn his nominating petition, ending his bid for re-election.

Tom's signatures were challenged by Democratic primary competitor Mark Haughwout, who is running for a House seat in the 2nd Legislative District. Haughwout contended, successfully, that many of those Tom got to sign his petition to get on the primary ballot were ineligible to do so.

According to an official at the Maricopa County Superior Court, where the challenge was to be heard, Tom withdrew his petition after it became apparent he did not have a sufficient number of valid signatures to get on the Democratic primary ballot.