A Republican incumbent running for the state House in the pivotal Legislative District 4 has taken the lead over two Democrat opponents Wednesday. 

Incumbent Rep. Matt Gress, R-Phoenix, leads Democrats Kelli Butler and Karen Gresham at approximately 10 a.m. as the top vote-getter in the race.

Gress has received 26.34% of votes cast in the district. Butler also leads with 25.08% of votes for the second House seat in the district. Gresham has fallen behind with 24.32% after the two Democrats jumped to early leads over Gress Tuesday night.

The other Republican running in the race, Pamela Carter, has 24.26% of votes. 

If results hold, then both parties will have no net gains or losses in the district’s House representation, with the district currently represented by Gress and appointed Rep. Eric Meyer, D-Paradise Valley. 

Gress was first elected in 2022 and has made efforts to reach across the aisle on numerous occasions during his term in office. He was a key figure in getting the state’s 1864 abortion ban repealed in the 2024 legislative session, pushing the measure through with Democrats in the House and losing his seat on the House Appropriations Committee for going against Republican leadership. 

Butler was first elected to the House in 2016 and served until 2022. She is now a governing board member of Maricopa County Community College District but is now seeking election again in the district.

Carter and Gresham are seeking their first terms in the legislature. Democrats didn’t run two House candidates in the district after the state was redistricted for the 2022 election but now they’re trying to pick up Gress’s seat. 

Former Democratic state Rep. Laura Terech won in 2022 with Gress. The other Republican in that district, Maria Syms, trailed Terech in that race by just under 2% of votes. 

LD4 leans slightly Republican with about a 3.5% vote spread favoring GOP candidates. It is one of the highly competitive districts in the state, but Democrats have performed well in the district since 2022 with Terech’s win and Sen. Christine Marsh, D-Phoenix, winning that year’s Senate race as well.