Incumbent Republican Sen. T.J. Shope is leading Democratic challenger Stacey Seaman in Legislative District 16, a seat Republicans need to hold onto to keep control of the state Senate. 

Shope is up by 53.9% of the vote so far, compared to Seaman’s 46.1%.

Shope is a longtime lawmaker with experience in both legislative chambers. He is currently serving as Senate pro tempore and made headlines earlier this year for voting with Democrats to repeal the state’s 1864 abortion ban.

Seaman is the daughter of Rep. Keith Seaman, a Democrat who is running for re-election in the same district. She is a former educator who put her PhD dissertation on hold to run for office. 

LD16 encompasses parts of Maricopa, Pima and Pinal counties and has a slight Republican advantage.

The Independent Redistricting Commission has labeled LD16 as competitive, and the district currently has one Republican and one Democrat (Keith Seaman) representing it in the House. However, consultants have previously told the Arizona Capitol Times that Shope is the favorite to win because of his deep ties and experience in LD16 and the Legislature. 

Seaman, a newcomer to politics in the state, outraised Shope in recent campaign finance reports, a reflection of Democrats’ efforts to flip the Senate. The body currently has a narrow 16-14 majority in favor of Republicans.