PHOENIX — The battle for Maricopa County’s District 3 Board of Supervisors seat may result in a recount as Republican Kate Brophy McGee holds a lead of just 359 votes over Democrat Daniel Valenzuela, according to Tuesday morning’s results from the Maricopa County Election Department. This razor-thin margin of 0.1 percentage points is well below Arizona’s 0.5% threshold required to initiate an automatic recount.
Valenzuela gained ground on Brophy McGee on Monday, reducing his deficit from 701 to 359 votes, intensifying the race for the seat left open by outgoing Republican Bill Gates. District 3 covers parts of central and northern Phoenix, as well as Cave Creek, Anthem, New River, and Paradise Valley.
Meanwhile, in District 1, Republican Mark Stewart declared victory over Democrat Joel Navarro. Stewart, who unseated incumbent Jack Sellers in the GOP primary, had a comfortable lead exceeding 14,000 votes as the county neared the end of its tabulation process. Sellers, following his primary defeat, had endorsed Navarro in the general election, attempting to keep District 1 aligned with his leadership.
As Maricopa County’s Board of Supervisors prepares to finalize results, the potential recount in District 3 could keep voters in suspense a bit longer.
