[Primary Election: Sept. 2, 2008]

Presidential Preference Election -- Tuesday, February 5, 2008

Democrats 67 Delegates (56 Pledged and 11 Unpledged) and 9 Alternates. 1.65% of the 4,049 Delegate Votes. Organization: Clinton  |  Obama former: Edwards  |  Richardson Official Results +Hillary Clinton 229,501 50.37% Chris Dodd 484 0.11% John Edwards 23,621 5.18% Mike Gravel 370 0.08% Dennis Kucinich 1,973 0.43% Barack Obama 193,126 42.39% Bill Richardson 2,842 0.62% Others (17) 3,718 0.82% 455,635 24 total candidates on the ballot.

Republicans 53 Delegates: 3 RNC; 26 at-large; 24 by CD (3 x 8 CDs) and 50 alternates 2.23% of the 2,380 Delegates. At-large and CD delegates allocated winner-take-all in the primary. Organization: Huckabee  |  McCain  |  Paul  |  Romney former Giuliani - announced Lisa James as state chair on Dec. 7, 2007 Hunter - endorsed by U.S. Rep. Trent Franks (AZ-02)   (Oct. 30, 2006) + Official Results Rudy Giuliani 13,658 2.52% Mike Huckabee 48,849 9.03% Duncan Hunter 1,082 0.20% Alan Keyes 970 0.18% +John McCain 255,197 47.17% Ron Paul 22,692 4.19% Mitt Romney 186,838 34.53% Fred Thompson 9,492 1.75% Others 2,257 0.42% Total 541,035 24 total candidates on the ballot.

Setting the Primary Date
Statute sets out the date of the presidential preference election as the fourth Tuesday in February, but the Governor can issue a proclamation to move the date forward (as happened in 2004).  On Aug. 21, 2007, Gov. Napolitano took that step, setting the date of the 2008 primary as February 5, 2008.

[Also Note.  Arizona Democrats were among the ten state parties along with DC that applied [PDF] to the DNC, at the Rules and Bylaws Committee meeting on April 20, 2006, to go in the pre-window period; however, the DNC selected Nevada to hold an early caucus].

Presidential Preference Election (Secretary of State)
"The filing period for candidates in the Presidential Preference Election begins on November 27, 2007, and ends December 17, 2007, at 5:00 p.m.."

-Registration closes Jan. 7, 2008 at midnight.

-"In 2007, the Arizona Legislature moved the beginning of the Presidential Preference Election early voting period from 15 days to 26 days before the election. See Ariz. Sess. Laws 2007, Ch. 168."

On Dec. 18, 2007 the Secretary of State certified the ballot order.
 

General Election -- Tuesday, November 2, 2004

Registration closed October 4, 2004 at midnight.
Early voting began September 30, 2004.

Official Results  Kerry/Edwards (Dem.) 893,524 (44.40) Badnarik/Campagna (Lib.)  11,856 (0.59) +Bush/Cheney (Rep.) 1,104,294 (54.87) w/in Cobb/LaMarche 138  -  w/in Nader/Camejo 2,773 (0.14) Total........2,012,585 Registered voters:  2,643,331 Total ballots cast:  2,038,069  Turnout:  77.10 %

2004 Overview Although Arizona was classified as a battleground state, Bush more than doubled his plurality, winning by 210,770 votes (10.47 percentage points).  480,569 more votes were cast in the presidential race in 2004 than in 2000, a 31.4% increase.  As in 2000 Bush carried 11 counties including the largest, Maricopa County, while the Democratic ticket won in four counties (Apache and Coconino in the North and Pima and Santa Cruz in the South) (results by county). General Election Details Kerry/Allies  |  Bush-Cheney '04

(Primary Election: September 7, 2004)

Past Results

1996 Clinton (Dem.)......653,288 (46.52) Dole (Rep.)...........622,073 (44.29) Perot (Ref.)..........112,072 (7.98) Browne (Lib.).........14,358 (1.02) Write-ins.................2,614 (0.19) Total........1,404,405 1992 Bush (Rep.)..........572,086 (38.47) Clinton (Dem.)......543,050 (36.52) Perot (Ind.)...........353,741 (23.79) Others (4+w/in)......18,098 (1.22) Total........1,486,975	2000 Gore/Lieberman (Dem.) 685,341 (44.73) Nader/LaDuke (Grn.) 45,645 (2.98) Smith/Suprynowicz (Lib.) 5,775 (0.38) Hagelin/Goldhaber (NLP) 1,120 (0.07) Buchanan/Foster (Ref.) 12,373 (0.81) +Bush/Cheney (Rep.) 781,652 (51.02) Phillips/Frazier (Write-in) 110 (0.01) Total........1,532,016 Registered Voters:  2,173,122 Total ballots cast 1,559,520 Turnout as a percentage of registered voters:  71.76% According to the Committee for the Study of the American Electorate, Arizona had the second lowest turnout as a percentage of voting age population of any state including the District of Columbia: 42.26%.  (U.S. avg. 53.76%).	2000 Overview In the 1992 and 1996 presidential elections, Arizona ended up as one of the closest states; Bush won by about 30,000 votes or less than 3% in 1992 and Clinton won by about 30,000 votes or less than 3% in 1996.  This time around the state went a bit more solidly back into the Republican column as Gov. Bush won with a plurality of 96,311 votes (6.29 percentage points).  Libertarian Harry Browne was kept off the ballot in the state where he achieved his strongest 1996 showing because of a conflict that split the state party into two factions.  In addition to candidate races, Arizona voters faced 14 propositions on the Nov. 7 ballot.  General Election Activity

• Specifications for the presidential preference election in Arizona are set out in Arizona Revised Statutes Title 16 Chapter 2, Article 4.  This is a state-run primary.  Candidates must file complete nomination papers with the Secretary of State by the Dec. 24, 2003 deadline.  (Note: There is a provision in the statutes [16-242.C] that states, "A person who is not qualified for primary matching monies is not eligible to be a candidate in the presidential preference election."  However according to the Secretary of State's office an Attorney General opinion issued in the mid-1990s determined that A.R.S. 16-242(C) cannot be construed or applied in a constitutional manner.  Thus, the matching monies provision is disregarded in determining a candidate's qualification for the presidential preference.)

• Presidential Preference Election Partisan Candidate Filing: Nov. 25, 2003-Dec. 24, 2003 at 5 p.m.

• 18 names appeared on the ballot; ballot order determined by drawing of lots on Dec. 26, 2003. Arizona Revised Statutes § 16-245(B)

• Last day to register to vote in the Presidential Preference Election: January 5, 2004.

• Early Voting Begins: January 19, 2004.

2004 page >
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Copyright © 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 Eric M. Appleman/Democracy in Action.