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Kathy Hoffman concedes race for schools chief to Tom Horne

Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman says unless state lawmakers suspend a cap on education spending by March 1, 2023, Arizona's more than 260 school districts could face a $1.4 billion budget cut.
Matt York/AP, file

Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman has conceded the race to Republican Tom Horne.

Hoffman, a Democrat, says her campaign came up short after a hard-fought race and that serving as the state’s schools chief has been among the greatest honors of her life. Hoffman was elected in 2018 and served one term.

Horne, himself a former superintendent and state attorney general, leads Hoffman by less than 1% of the vote in this month’s election.

Counting of Arizona’s more than 2.5 million submitted ballots is nearly complete, but some votes remain to be counted in Maricopa and Pima counties.

Meanwhile, Democrat Kris Mayes has held on to her razor-thin lead over Republican Abe Hamadeh in the state’s attorney general race.

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