A Democratic candidate who made it to the general election ballot because of a write-in campaign in the September election actually leads the ticket in a northeast Phoenix district with a Republican voter registration advantage.

Democrat Eric Meyer holds a 150-vote edge over Rep. Adam Driggs in the District 11 House race with all precincts reporting, according to unofficial results from the Secretary of State's Office. Driggs leads fellow Republican Jon Altmann by 1,600 seats.

Meyer will retain the seat won in 2006 by Mark DeSimone, a Democrat who resigned earlier this year following an arrest for a domestic disturbance. To aid Meyer, the Democratic Party and a variety of labor unions spent $113,000 on campaign mail and phone calls.

Incumbent Barbara Leff appears to be the victor in the Senate race, with 54.4 percent of the vote compared to Democratic challenger Ann Wallack's 45.6 percent, with all precincts reporting,
according to unofficial election results from the Secretary of State's Office.

The District

The major retail center in the district is Phoenix Christown Spectrum Mall. Much of the Phoenix Mountain Preserve including Piestewa Peak and Mummy Mountain lie within the district. 

Politics

This has long been considered a reliably Republican district because of the party's 20 point historical voting advantage. However, in 2006, Democrat tavern-owner Mark Desimone won a seat in the House after an election in which fewer than 2,200 votes (2.5 percent of the total) separated the two Republicans and the one Democrat in the race. DeSimone's arrest in late June of 2008 on a domestic violence misdemeanor resulted in his terminating his candidacy. Democrats chose medical school grad Eric Meyer to run as a write-in for the House race. DeSimone's victory in 2006 showed that a moderate Democrat with credibility within the business community can be competitive against a hard-line, social conservative. Overall, voter concerns here center on fiscal issues and education.

Demographics

President George W. Bush defeated Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry with 54.7 percent of the vote in this district in 2004. And Republicans, with 46,000 registered voters continue to control the district. While the number of registered Democrats has increased throughout the year, the party still ranks second in the district with 32,000 voters. Independents, with 23,000 registered voters, remain a politically significant group.

The Candidates

Senate

Ann Wallack

Age: 54

Party affiliation: Democrat

            Funding: Public        

Barbara Leff (Incumbent)

Age: 61

Party affiliation: Republican

Funding: Traditional

House

Eric Meyer

Age: N/A

Party affiliation: Democrat

Funding: Public

John Altmann

Age: 53

Party affiliation: Republican

Funding: Public

Adam Driggs (Incumbent)

Age: 43

Party affiliation: Republican

Funding: Public