Former State Senator Debbie Lesko was able to fight off a strong push from Democratic newcomer Hiral Tipirneni to win Tuesday’s special election for Arizona’s 8th District.
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The special election in the 8th congressional district – in the greying, conservative suburbs of the state capital, Phoenix – was called when the incumbent, Trent Franks, was forced to resign in December over sexual misconduct. In many other special elections that Democrats have lost, the vote has shifted sharply in their direction compared to the 2016 presidential results.
Hiral Tipirneni, the Democratic candidate for Arizona’s eighth congressional district, believes partial-birth abortion should be legal and said she doesn’t think abortion should be limited in any way, Sunday on MSNBC’s “Kasie DC”. She said that while she believes the USA needs to secure its borders, it also “must remain a land of opportunity for those who are willing to work for it”.
A pending complaint to the Federal Election Commission claims Lesko improperly moved $50,000 in January from a political-action committee that was created to support her state-level career to a newly formed federal PAC that backed her congressional bid. If Democrats enjoy the same enthusiasm gap in those races, Republicans’ control of the House and Senate could be in jeopardy.
Early voting will make up a bulk of the ballots cast in the special election and those results are expected to be released after 11 p.m. EDT.
Lesko will replace Franks, who stepped down in December after he reportedly offered to pay a female staff member $5 million if she would carry his child as a surrogate.
Lesko sees eye-to-eye with Trump on most issues of policy, including the 2017 tax-overhaul law and the easing or repeal of federal regulations.
Despite the fact that there’s not much chance that they’ll pull ahead at this point, Democrats are already spinning the closeness of the race as a victory. Lesko raised $564,404, although Ryan hosted a $70,000 fundraiser for her shortly after the last Federal Election Commission reporting period.
The race was being watched as a potential test of Trump’s popularity after surprising Democratic special election victories in Republican strongholds like Pennsylvania and Alabama.
Tipirneni is an emergency room physician and a cancer research advocate, while Lesko served in the state Senate until recently, representing parts of Arizona’s 8th Congressional District since 2009. Tipirneni – or anyone else – can try to unseat her in November. “If that happens, illegal immigrants will pour right over your border, bringing their drugs and their crime with them, right into your neighborhood, right into your back yard”. “It’s time for us to vote the Republicans out.”. But she wants to win by at least 10%, she said.
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AZ-08 is significantly more Republican than the Pennsylvania district Lamb won last month, with heavy by-mail early voting adding to the demographic advantages the GOP enjoyed (like a district dominated by conservative white retirees).
