A former California congressman is poised to secure the GOP nomination in the Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction race.
Frank Riggs on Wednesday had 359 votes more than professor Bob Branch. And he led incumbent Superintendent Diane Douglas by more than 3,000 votes in a five-way primary.
A final tally will be released Monday.
Riggs worked on education issues in Congress and was the CEO of a nonprofit that assisted charter schools with funding.
The Democratic nominee is speech therapist Kathy Hoffman.
Education is a key issue for Arizona voters after teachers went on a historic six-day walkout to demand increased funding.
Republican and Democratic candidates claimed Douglas failed to effectively lead the Arizona Department of Education at a time when educators were frustrated enough to storm the Capitol.
