UPDATE: Wednesday morning Andy Tobin conceded defeat to Rep. Kirkpatrick. In a statement from her campaign staff, Kirkpatrick said she is "deeply honored" to have been reelected.
Last night’s general election saw sweeping Republican gains across the country in the U.S. Senate and gubernatorial races. But, as Arizona Public Radio’s Ryan Heinsius reports, preliminary results show that Arizona’s First Congressional District may be bucking that trend.
Unofficial numbers from the Arizona secretary of state’s office show Democrat incumbent Ann Kirkpatrick leading by nearly 10,000 votes. Her Republican challenger, state house speaker Andy Tobin, is currently trailing by about 7 percent.
Throughout this year’s election, Arizona’s First Congressional District was widely considered an opportunity for Republicans to pick up a seat in Congress. After a competitive three-way Republican primary, Tobin framed himself as solidly conservative in the general election.
Kirkpatrick, who’s considered a moderate Democrat, spent Tuesday campaigning on the Navajo Nation. CD-1 is about 25 percent Native American and they typically vote Democrat.
Statewide votes are still be being tallied and the CD-1 race has not yet been called for either candidate.
