Arizona’s 3rd District House Race 2026

Bernadette Greene-Placentia, the Democratic candidate challenging incumbent Rep. Abraham (Abe) Hamadeh in Arizona's 8th Congressional District, says she was raped by two unidentified men on Aug. 14 while repairing a campaign sign overnight near 99th Avenue and Bell Road in Sun City, a Phoenix suburb. She told investigators she was struck in the back of the head and knocked unconscious, waking during the assault, and described bruising on her arms consistent with being held down, a bump on her head and other injuries. She said she tried to fight back by kicking her feet, and recalled one attacker wore black boots, had small feet, and used an expletive referencing her political party. She did not seek a hospital exam or SANE kit, later telling investigators she had taken multiple showers and washed her clothing before reporting the attack to police in late August.

Greene-Placentia, 52, a former long-haul trucker, said embarrassment, shock and fear initially kept her silent, but she decided to go public to encourage other survivors to come forward, despite worries it could overshadow her campaign's focus on affordability, Medicare, SNAP, VA funding, education, water shortages and health care. She told her husband and campaign staff within days, and confided in Arizona Democratic Party treasurer Greg Freeman before reporting to police in late August. She said she has faced both support and public skepticism about her motives, which she denies, and has not heard from investigators in several weeks. Hamadeh called for a thorough investigation, including review of camera footage. The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office says detectives continue working to identify the two suspects.

Rebecca Cooke defeated Emily Berge in Wisconsin's 3rd Congressional District Democratic primary, setting up a third consecutive matchup against Republican Rep. Derrick Van Orden. Cooke, who grew up on a dairy farm near Eau Claire and works as a waitress and small-business owner, narrowly lost to Van Orden in 2024 by less than three percentage points after also losing the 2022 primary. She entered this year's primary with backing from the DCCC's "Red to Blue" program, while Berge campaigned as a local alternative skeptical of national party influence. Cooke holds a fundraising edge, having raised about $8.6 million to Van Orden's $7.5 million, though he retains nearly $3 million more cash on hand.

The western Wisconsin district, covering Eau Claire and La Crosse, has trended Republican in presidential races but is rated a toss-up, making it Democrats' top target in the state as they seek to retake the House majority in November. Cooke is campaigning on rural frustration over Trump administration policies, including tariffs that have hurt farm exports, cuts to Medicaid and SNAP, and rising fuel and fertilizer costs tied to the Iran conflict, while Van Orden defends his record backing Trump's agenda. The race is part of a broader Wisconsin battleground that includes the 1st District, where nurse Mitchell Berman will challenge GOP Rep. Bryan Steil, and the solid-red 7th District, won by Sean Duffy's son-in-law Michael Alfonso in the Republican primary.

Jakob Blodgett, a 9-year-old with Type 1 diabetes, died in 2022 after staff at an Arizona group home run by Sunshine Residential Homes missed two doses of his long-lasting insulin and told an employee to give him water instead of medication. He developed brain swelling and died on a ventilator. Despite a licensing violation from the Department of Child Safety, the state imposed no fines, suspension, or license revocation, and no criminal charges have been filed, though a sheriff's investigation continues.

The case has become entangled in Arizona politics ahead of Gov. Katie Hobbs' reelection bid. Sunshine, the state's largest group home provider, made $550,000 in political contributions benefiting Hobbs, including gifts to her inaugural and legal defense funds, before receiving a 30% rate increase. Attorney General Kris Mayes found no evidence of bribery, attributing the increase to Sunshine's leverage as a dominant provider. Republican challenger Andy Biggs has seized on the scandal, while a state auditor general investigation and a county attorney probe remain ongoing. A separate diabetic teen died at another Arizona group home in 2024.

A new HighGround poll shows Democrats ahead in Arizona's top statewide races one week before Election Day. Gov. Katie Hobbs leads Republican Andy Biggs, Democrat Adrian Fontes leads Republican Alexander Kolodin for secretary of state, and Democrat Kris Mayes leads Republican Warren Petersen for attorney general. The results are notable in a state where registered Republicans outnumber Democrats by roughly 300,000 voters.

Leading GOP candidates have embraced or been endorsed by President Donald Trump, which helped in primaries but appears to be a drag in the general election as Trump's approval rating has slipped. Analysts note undecided voters remain limited, though races could still tighten before polls close.

Bernadette Greene-Placentia, the Democratic candidate challenging Republican Rep. Abe Hamadeh in Arizona's 8th Congressional District, says she was knocked unconscious and raped by two men in mid-August while repairing campaign signs overnight in Sun City. She told investigators she fought back by kicking at her attackers and sustained bruises, a head injury and other marks from being held down. She said one attacker used a profanity referencing her political party, though she does not know if the attack was politically motivated or a crime of opportunity.

Greene-Placentia, 52, a former long-haul trucker, told her husband and campaign staff soon after the attack but waited until late August to report it to police, citing shame and shock. She went public this week to encourage other survivors to come forward. The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office declined to comment on its investigation. Hamadeh called the allegations "disturbing" and urged a thorough investigation. The race is for a reliably Republican seat in metro Phoenix.

Bernadette Greene-Placentia, a Democrat challenging Republican Rep. Abe Hamadeh for Arizona's 8th Congressional District, says she was knocked unconscious and sexually assaulted by two men in mid-August while repairing campaign signs overnight in Sun City. She told investigators she was held down, suffered a head injury and bruising, and recalled few details about her attackers beyond one wearing black boots. She does not know if the attack was politically motivated or a crime of opportunity.

Greene-Placentia told a friend and Democratic Party official about the assault days later but did not report it to police until late August, citing shock and embarrassment. The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office is investigating but declined to comment. Hamadeh called the allegations disturbing and urged a thorough investigation. Greene-Placentia, a former long-haul trucker turned political candidate, said she chose to speak publicly to encourage other survivors to come forward.

Utah's U.S. House race is drawing attention ahead of the midterms as Republican Rep. Celeste Maloy debated Democratic challenger Kent Udell on Friday in St. George. Maloy, who has represented Utah's 2nd Congressional District since 2023, is running this cycle in the newly drawn 3rd Congressional District following mid-decade redistricting. She secured the GOP nomination after defeating former state Rep. Phil Lyman in a June primary, triggered when neither candidate won outright at the state convention.

Udell, a retired University of Utah mechanical engineering professor, ran unopposed for the Democratic nomination. The 3rd District spans southern and eastern Utah, including Provo and St. George, and is considered heavily Republican territory, with the Cook Political Report rating it "Solid R." The debate, hosted by the Utah Debate Commission and PBS Utah, gave voters a direct look at both candidates as the race heads toward November, though the contest is not viewed as competitive for control of the House.

Twelve U.S. House seats covering the Dallas-Fort Worth area are on the Nov. 3 midterm ballot, with early voting running Oct. 19-30. Most races feature Republican incumbents—Keith Self, Pat Fallon, Lance Gooden, Jake Ellzey, Craig Goldman, Ronny Jackson, Beth Van Duyne and Roger Williams—facing Democratic challengers, plus a Libertarian in District 26. Three open seats stand out: District 30, vacated by Jasmine Crockett after her Senate run; and Districts 32 and 33, left open by Julie Johnson and Marc Veasey, respectively, after mid-decade redistricting reshaped them from Democratic-leaning to Republican-favored territory. In District 33, Colin Allred faces Patrick David Gillespie. Results are expected after 7 p.m. on Election Day.