Next Tuesday, Aug. 24, Arizona voters head to the polls to vote in the primary election, determining which candidates running for a variety of offices will make it through to the general election in November.
In this part of the Verde Valley, voters will have to head to one of three polling places set up since voting locations were consolidated.
Voters in the Beaver Creek area will cast their ballots at the Beaver Creek Adult Center, 4250 E. Zuni Way.
For voters in the Camp Verde 1, Camp Verde 2 and Verde Lakes voting districts, voting will be held at the Camp Verde United Methodist Church, 480 S. First St.
In the Montezuma and Middle Verde Districts, the Camp Verde Seventh Day Adventist Church, 1406 N. Boot Hill Drive, will serve as the polling place.
Voters registered as either Democrat or Republican will vote in their party’s primary. Voters registered independent or unaffiliated will be allowed to choose which primary they want to vote in.
Ten people are vying for the opportunity to represent Arizona in the U.S. Senate, five Democrats, three Republicans and one candidate each from the Libertarian and Green parties.
Republican incumbent John McCain is attempting to hold off challenges from former Congressman J.D. Hayworth and Jim Deakin, a Phoenix businessman identified with the Tea Party movement.
The Democratic race puts John Dougherty, Cathy Eden, Rodney Glassman and Randy Parraz against write-in candidate William Koller.
Jerry Joslyn is running on the Green Party ticket; David Nolan is the Libertarian candidate.
In Congressional District 1, incumbent Democrat Ann Kirkpatrick stands alone on her party’s ballot. She will face one of eight Republicans running for the seat — Bradley Beauchamp, Rusty Bowers, Paul Gosar, Joe Jaraczewski, Jon Jensen, Steve Metha, Thomas Zaleski and Sidney Hay. Hay unsuccessfully ran against Kirkpatrick two years ago.
Another Republican candidate, Paul Burton, withdrew his name from the race. Nicole Patti is running for the seat as a write-in candidate for the Libertarian party.
For the Arizona governor’s race, incumbent Republican Jan Brewer faces a few other names on the ballot, but most have either withdrawn from the race or have stopped actively campaigning. Only Matthew Jette, a Chandler resident, continues to campaign against Brewer. Attorney General Terry Goddard is the only name on the Democrat ticket, while four people are seeking the Libertarian nomination: Ron Cavanaugh, Barry Hess, Bruce Olsen and Alvin Ray Yount.
One Democrat and one Republican are seeking to represent the area in the Arizona Senate: Cornville Democrat Bob Donahue and Prescott Republican Steve Pierce. Three Republicans are seeking to represent the area in the State House of Representatives: Noel Campbell, Karen Fann and Andy Tobin. They will face the lone Democrat running, Prescott resident Lindsay Bell.
Republican Secretary of State Ken Bennett is the only name on his party’s ticket this year. Two Democrats are hoping to get their name on the ballot in November: Chris Deschene and Sam Wercinski. Michelle Lochmann is a write-in candidate for the Green Party.
In the attorney general race, three Democrats and two Republicans are seeking the office. David Lujan, Vince Rabago and Felecia Rotellini are running as Democrats while Tom Horne and Andrew Thomas round out the Republican ticket.
Other statewide races in the primary election include state treasurer, superintendent of public instruction, state mine inspector and a seat on the state’s corporation commission.
None of the Yavapai County primary races that have an effect in the Verde Valley are contested except for the race for constable, which sees Cornville Republican Jay Parkison against Camp Verde resident Monte Reimer. Constables in Yavapai County serve papers issued by a justice of the peace.
Yavapai County Elections Director Lynn Constabile said her office is still looking for qualified residents to volunteer to serve as alternates on election day in case a poll worker is unable to carry out his or her duties. For more information, call the Elections Office at 771-3250.
