Apr 25, 2018

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."

Go deeper

Axios

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

  1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 1 p.m. ET: 1,381,014— Total deaths: 78,269 — Total recoveries: 292,973 — Map.
  2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 1 p.m. ET: 378,289 — Total deaths: 11,830 — Total recoveries: 20,003 — Map.
  3. Trump administration latest: Trump removes watchdog overseeing rollout of $2 trillion coronavirus bill
  4. Federal government latest: Senate looks to increase coronavirus relief for small businesses this week — Testing capacity is still lagging far behind demand.
  5. States update: New York death toll surged to its highest one-day total as state predicts a plateau in hospitalizations.
  6. 🎧 Podcast: The race to reopen America
  7. What should I do? Pets, moving and personal health. Answers about the virus from Axios experts — What to know about social distancing — Q&A: Minimizing your coronavirus risk.
  8. Other resources: CDC on how to avoid the virus, what to do if you get it.

Subscribe to Mike Allen's Axios AM to follow our coronavirus coverage each morning from your inbox.

Keep ReadingArrowUpdated 11 mins ago - Politics & Policy
Jacob Knutson

Trump removes watchdog overseeing rollout of $2 trillion coronavirus bill

Glenn Fine, acting Pentagon watchdog

President Trump on Monday replaced the Pentagon's acting Inspector General Glenn Fine, who had been selected to chair the panel overseeing the rollout of the $2 trillion coronavirus relief bill passed last month, Politico first reported.

Why it matters: A group of independent federal watchdogs selected Fine to lead the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee, but Fine's removal from his Pentagon job prevents him from being able to serve in that position — since the law only allows sitting inspectors general to fill the role.

Go deeperArrowUpdated 21 mins ago - Politics & Policy
Miriam Kramer

What a post-pandemic space industry might look like

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

The economic downturn caused by the coronavirus pandemic could spell major trouble for dozens of small companies working to break into the space industry.

The big picture: SpaceX, United Launch Alliance and other companies are well-established with strong customer bases and robust portfolios, but the prospects for the industry's growth hinge on smaller companies.

Go deeperArrow38 mins ago - Science