Rep. Greg Stanton (D-AZ) crushed his Democratic Socialists of America-backed opponent, Kai Newkirk, taking two-thirds of the vote in Tuesday’s Democratic primary.
Stanton has presided over what is now Arizona’s 4th Congressional District, following 2022 redistricting, which includes most of Phoenix. In an election cycle that has seen the Democratic Party’s left flank make serious inroads against establishment incumbents, Arizona proved a bridge too far, with the DSA’s prime candidate being fully routed.
Stanton, a former Phoenix mayor, claimed 65% of the Democratic vote with 83.4% of the vote counted Wednesday morning, compared to Newkirk’s 35%.
In a post on Facebook, Newkirk said he called Stanton to concede the race and pledged his support for him against Republican Zuhdi Jasser, who ran unopposed in his primary.
“Although tonight’s outcome is painful for me and all of us who worked so hard in this campaign, I am proud of the grassroots campaign we built so quickly and the voice we gave to thousands of Arizonans who are hungry for a different kind of leadership and an end to a corrupt status quo that has failed us,” he wrote, apologizing for “coming up short this time.”
His conciliatory tone was different from that taken throughout the campaign, when he repeatedly bashed Stanton for issues ranging from his support for Israel to alleged corruption to his support for the Laken Riley Act.
“He has refused to do anything to try to hold the extremist Israeli government accountable for its genocide in Gaza, for the war crimes around the region,” Newkirk said of Stanton during the campaign.
He was particularly harsh over the Democratic incumbent’s vote for the Laken Riley Act, one of 46 House Democrats to support the bill, which he said, “gave Trump a green light for his authoritarian mass deportation campaign and began this erosion of due process.”
The 2025 law requires federal immigration enforcement to detain illegal immigrants who are charged with serious crimes.
In Stanton’s statement after the race was called, he made a plea to Newkirk’s supporters, thanking Newkirk and his supporters for their “passion and energy.”
“Our campaign welcomes Arizonans from all political stripes – liberals, conservatives, independents alike – who love this country, believe in its promise, and refuse to let extremism define its future,” Stanton said. “If you believe the same, there is room for you in this campaign.”
Newkirk was Stanton’s first Democratic primary challenger since he first ran in 2019.
Newkirk’s campaign was plagued by rumors of sexual misconduct in the final weeks, though actual claims against him never materialized, according to Azcentral.
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Despite a lack of concrete allegations going public, the rumors were worrying enough that the Arizona Young Democrats publicly rescinded their endorsement of him on July 9, citing a “concerning pattern of behavior.” Other power players stuck by him, including Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Our Revolution, a group founded by Sanders.
Newkirk was the DSA’s headline candidate in Arizona’s primaries, and his lopsided loss puts a check on the increasing energy that has seen the group triumph in over 30 primaries nationwide.