Recount Ordered in Arizona House District 27 Race
Lisa Fink and Tony Rivero are separated by 311 votes for the second House seat in Maricopa County's Legislative District 27.
Updated on Nov. 12, 2026 in Elections
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Maricopa County election workers finished counting ballots for the Legislative District 27 House race, and a recount is automatically required for the second seat. Republican Lisa Fink trails Republican Tony Rivero by 311 votes, a margin within 0.5%.
Why it matters
A margin this close triggers a required recount that could determine who holds a seat in the Arizona House. The outcome will shape which candidates represent the district in the state legislature.
Democrat Deborah Howard won the first seat with 40,161 votes (37.4%), while Fink and Rivero are separated by 311 votes for the second seat, a gap that falls within the 0.5% threshold requiring a recount. The recount cannot start until certification is complete and a court orders it.
The players
Lisa Fink
Lisa Fink is a Republican candidate in Arizona's Legislative District 27 who trails Tony Rivero by 311 votes for the second House seat.
Tony Rivero
Tony Rivero is a Republican candidate in Arizona's Legislative District 27 who leads Lisa Fink by 311 votes for the second House seat.
The details
Election workers completed the count for the Legislative District 27 House race in Maricopa County, where the margin between the two Republican candidates for the second seat is 311 votes. State law requires an automatic recount because the margin is within 0.5%, but election officials must certify the results before a court-ordered recount can begin.
Timeline
Nov. 3: Election held; 1,559,706 Maricopa County voters cast ballots.
Nov. 11: Election officials announced the recount requirement for Legislative District 27.
Nov. 13: Maricopa County conducts a post-election logic and accuracy test on equipment.
Nov. 18: Maricopa County Board of Supervisors meets to canvass the results.
Nov. 23: The official statewide canvass takes place.
Legal Context
Arizona's automatic recount law requires a recount whenever the margin between candidates falls within 0.5%, a rule that applies to this close second-seat contest in Legislative District 27. Under that statute, the recount proceeds only after county and state certification and a court order, which is the sequence this race now follows.
Voters in Legislative District 27 will not know who represents them in the second House seat until the recount is finished and certified. The result determines which candidate serves in the state House.
The takeaway
Close races can remain unsettled for weeks after Election Day, so voters should check official county and state canvass dates before assuming a result is final. Following certification timelines is the most reliable way to track when a race is decided.
What happens next
The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors meets Nov. 18 to canvass the results, and the official statewide canvass follows on Nov. 23, after which a court can order the recount for the second seat.
Further reading
For more on how close contests are decided, see Arizona Elections coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by AZfamily.
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