Apr 24, 2018 - Politics & Policy

Debbie Lesko wins Arizona special election

Haley Britzky

Voters wait in line in front of a polling station to cast their ballots in the 2016 presidential election. Photo: Laura Segall/AFP/Getty Images

Former Republican State Senator Debbie Lesko has secured the victory in Arizona's eighth district against her Democrat opponent, Hiral Tipirneni, 52.9% to 47.1%, reports the New York Times.

Why it matters: President Trump, who endorsed Lesko, won the district by 20 points, per the Times. Republicans poured money into the district after a hot streak from Democrats in recent special elections, although the district wasn't expected to flip.

About the race:

The seat was left empty by former Rep. Trent Franks, who announced he'd be resigning immediately in December, about a month early from his original plan to resign in January after admitting to raising the topic of surrogacy with two female staffers.
Per Axios' Caitlin Owens, the "Republicans' strategy for today's special House election in Arizona was to target digital ads to GOP early voters — and it appears to have paid off."
Politico reports that the GOP "poured more than $1 million into a deep-red slice of the Phoenix suburbs to boost Debbie Lesko."

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Debbie Lesko wins Arizona special election

About the race:

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