The QAnon Shaman won't make Arizona's 2024 congressional ballot, but here's who will

The QAnon Shaman will not be making a return to the U.S. Capitol next year, at least not as a congressman.

Jacob Chansley failed to submit nomination petitions to the Arizona Secretary of State by the April 1 deadline, canceling his aspirations to run as a Libertarian in Arizona's 8th Congressional District. Chansley rose to prominence for his costumed role in the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol.

But 261 other state and federal candidates did make the deadline, setting up a busy ballot for the July 30 primary and creating several high-profile and competitive primary races.

Key among them are a six-way Democratic primary in Congressional District 1, a six-way GOP battle for the Congressional District 8 nomination, and several contested Republican primaries for the Arizona state Senate.

State Sen. Anthony Kern, R-Glendale, made his choice clear by the filing deadline: He is running for Congress. Kern had also filed to run for a seat in the state House of Representatives. Kern is one of the 11 fake electors who is under investigation by the state attorney general for falsely declaring former President Donald Trump won the 2020 presidential race in Arizona.

The filings show several former lawmakers are attempting a comeback bid. Chief among them is Leezah Sun, a Phoenix Democrat who resigned the state House of Representatives in late January in the face of a likely expulsion vote for her disruptive behavior.

Sun is seeking a Senate seat in Legislative District 22 and will face off against incumbent Sen. Eva Diaz, a Tolleson Democrat. Sun did not return a call seeking comment, nor did Chansley reply to an email query about his decision to not run.

The No Labels party did not field any candidates for Congress or the Legislature. The party gained ballot status in Arizona primarily to secure a place for a potential presidential candidate, and it rebuffed attempts to accept other candidates who wanted to run under the No Labels banner.

The Green Party, which regained ballot status last year, has two candidates seeking to be their party's U.S. Senate candidate: Arturo Hernandez and Michael Norton.

The filings were due by 5 p.m. Monday.

Last in, first out

Jeremy Spreitzer was the last one through the door at the state Capitol. He said he used every last possible minute to get the required number of signatures, plus a cushion in case of errors, to qualify as a state Senate candidate in the northwest Valley's Legislative District 28.

"The engagement is difficult," said Spreitzer, who is running as a Democrat after abandoning an effort to run as an independent in Congressional District 8. Voters are inundated with text messages urging them to use the state's online signature site, E-Qual, to nominate candidates for office.

Plus, the heavily Republican district makes it hard to find Democrats, combined with what he said is continued election skepticism from many voters.

Despite his efforts, Spreitzer fell short of his signature goal, according to the Secretary of State's office. His name was not on the list of candidates who turned in signatures.

Also missing was a mother-daughter duo in the state House. Neither Barbara Parker, a freshman Republican from Mesa nor her daughter Jacqueline, a second-term Republican from San Tan Valley, filed nomination petitions. They did not return messages seeking comment on their decisions.

Other Republicans have stepped up to run for the open seats created by lawmakers who decided to step aside. For example, Ralph Heap has filed for a House seat in Mesa's LD10 that is being vacated by his son, Rep. Justin Heap. The younger Heap is seeking the GOP nomination for Maricopa County recorder.

Comeback bids

Also running in LD10 is Justin Olson, a former Arizona Corporation Commissioner and, before that, a Republican state representative.

Olson is one of several former lawmakers hoping to return to the Capitol. In Chandler, Republican Jeff Weninger is making a comeback bid in LD13, considered one of the state's most competitive districts.

Former state Rep. Kelli Butler, a Democrat, jumped into the race just two weeks ago after Rep. Laura Terech, D-Phoenix, said she would not seek a second term. Butler served six years in the House before leaving in 2022.

In southern Arizona, former GOP Sen. Vince Leach is vying for the Senate seat held by Justine Wadsack, R-Tucson. Wadsack won an upset victory over the long-serving Leach in 2022.

Must-watch primary races

The Leach-Wadsack matchup is one of several must-watch GOP primary races.

In north Phoenix's LD2, Sen. Shawnna Bolick will face off against Josh Barnett, a MAGA candidate who previously ran for Congress. The winner will compete against Democrat Judy Schwiebert in what is considered a race that could determine control of the state Senate.

In Prescott, incumbent Sen. Ken Bennett faces two GOP rivals: former Secretary of State nominee Mark Finchem and Steve Zipperman, whom Bennett defeated in 2022.

And in the sprawling LD7, which runs from Flagstaff to north Tucson, GOP Sen. Wendy Rogers will defend her seat against Rep. David Cook, a Globe Republican.

Signatures: Online or in person?

Candidates made heavy use of the state's online system for collecting voter signatures. Republican Kari Lake gathered all her 10,120 signatures to qualify for a U.S. Senate seat via the state's E-Qual program. Likewise, Republican U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs gathered all his signatures electronically, records show.

Most candidates took a hybrid approach: Collecting signatures both on paper petitions and online.

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There's a benefit to the paper petitions, said Rep. Analiese Ortiz, a Phoenix Democrat who is seeking a state Senate seat this fall.

"You get to have to have those face-to-face conversations with people," she said. Plus, her west Phoenix-based district has a lot of Latinos and older voters, who are wary of the E-Qual requirements to list their driver's license number and the last four digits of their Social Security number.

Monday's filing is not the final word. The secretary of state is sending the petitions to appropriate county recorders to verify the signatures of those who signed the petitions. There's always the possibility that there will be legal challenges to the petitions, as opponents look for errors in the process or for fraudulent signatures.

Reach the reporter at maryjo.pitzl@arizonarepublic.com or at 602-228-7566 and follow her on Threads as well as on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter @maryjpitzl.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: QAnon Shaman fails to qualify for Arizona's 2024 congressional ballot