Battle of the Ballots Continues in Arizona House Race
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US Congress(WASHINGTON) — All the votes have been counted in Arizona’s 2nd Congressional district, but the battle is still on between Democratic Rep. Ron Barber and Republican challenger Martha McSally.
It’s been one of the most closely watched House races this midterm election, and in no small part due to the razor-thin margin the congressman won by in 2012. But the less than 2,500 more votes he had in that victory seems stout compared to the final vote count in their rematch this year.
The election results place McSally ahead by just 161 votes. According to Arizona law, a candidate must win by a margin of .10 percent. McSally holds a .08 percent edge over her opponent, setting the stage for automatic recount — the state’s first recount in a congressional election, and its closest race in history.
According to the Arizona secretary of state’s office, the recount will not commence until at least Dec. 1. But that didn’t stop McSally from declaring victory: She jetted to Washington, D.C. on Thursday and will have her first full day of House freshman orientation on Friday.
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