Recount affirms 39-vote win by Yassamin Ansari in CD3 Democratic primary

Yassamin Ansari is almost certainly headed to Washington, D.C., after a mandatory recount cemented her victory in the Democratic primary for the 3rd Congressional District.

The big picture: Ansari, a former Phoenix City Council member defeated former state lawmaker and ex-Arizona Democratic Party chair Raquel Terán by 39 votes of nearly 43,000 ballots cast in the three-way race, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Jennifer Ryan-Touhill announced Tuesday.

• Prior to the recount, Ansari's lead was 42 votes.
• Pediatrician Duane Wooten won about 11% of the vote.

Why it matters: Democrats have a 3-to-1 voter registration advantage over Republicans in the south and west Phoenix-based CD3, so Ansari is virtually guaranteed to win the general election.

• Only two people have represented the district since 1991.

State of play: The seat is currently held by five-term incumbent U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego, who opted to run for the U.S. Senate instead of seeking re-election.

What she's saying: "It's time for us to come together and ensure we secure victories for Democrats up and down the ballot this November," Ansari said in a series of posts on X .

The other side: "This 39-vote difference has been a testament to what we as Democrats already know: Every vote matters," Terán said in a statement .

Catch up quick: Terán held the advantage in outside spending for much of the campaign, but a pro-cryptocurrency super PAC helped turn the tables late in the race.

• Protect Progress backed Ansari with nearly $1.4 million in television ads starting about two weeks before Election Day.

What to watch: She'll face Republican Jeff Zink for the open seat in November.

Flashback: Ansari's win was narrow, but it wasn't the closest margin of victory in an Arizona congressional race in recent years.

• In 2016, a recount certified a 27-vote win by Andy Biggs over Christine Jones in the GOP primary for an East Valley-based congressional district. Prior to the recount, he led by 16.