Rep. Nancy Barto, R-Phoenix declared victory over incumbent Sen. Heather Carter Thursday evening, in a win for ideological purity over the pragmatism practiced by the more moderate Carter.

Struggling incumbents in too-close-to-call races didn’t see much change as county elections officials began making a dent in the roughly 210,000 mail ballots that remained to be counted after Tuesday’s primary.

Former House Majority Leader Steve Montenegro is struggling to mount a successful comeback in Legislative District 13, trailing behind both of the district’s incumbents in tonight’s Republican primary.

We have work to do to protect women’s health. I spent much of my career caring for pregnant teens, women at high risk for substance abuse and those in poverty. I know first-hand the challenges we face and the work we have yet to do. We must protect the lives of women in Arizona by crafting legislation to address domestic violence and IPV. We must address our provider shortage, which severely impacts care, especially in rural areas. We must work to tackle the increasing maternal morbidity and mortality rates in our country and state, especially for women of color. That should be the one true focus for all who govern and care about women and families in Arizona.