WITH PATTERSON OUT, NO HOUSE INCUMBENTS IN CURRENT LD 29

posted by Andrea Kelly

Neither House incumbent in Legislative District 29 is seeing reelection in the fall, leaving two open seats on the south side of Tucson in the upcoming elections.

Daniel Patterson resigned from the Arizona House this week. Rep. Matt Heinz, the other LD 29 House member, is running for Congress in the fall.

That means there are two open seats for potential candidates on the south side of Tucson. Of course, a replacement will be named for Patterson, but the appointed person will serve less than half a term before asking voters for support, assuming the appointed replacement also decides to run in the fall.

In other legislative districts, incumbents are facing the opposite problem. Redistricting has thrown some legislators into head-to-head battles with former allies.

On Tucson's northwest side, just such a situation cropped up when Sen. Al Melvin and Sen. Steve Smith were drawn into the same new legislative district. The new lines would pit the two against each other in a Republican primary if they both seek reelection in the Senate.

Instead, Smith is running for House in the same district, ceding the Senate seat to Melvin. The two have joined Adam Kwasman to run as a Republican slate for the three legislative seats in that district.