Former Republican state Sen. Debbie Lesko won the special election in Arizona's 8th District on Tuesday night, but by a relatively slim margin in a district that President Donald Trump easily carried in 2016.
With most of the votes counted, Lesko had 53 percent of the vote to 47 percent for Democrat Hiral Tipirneni, according to the Arizona Secretary of State's office. The seat opened up after former GOP Rep. Trent Franks resigned in December amid allegations of sexual misconduct.
Lesko and Tipirneni could face off again in November. Both have said they plan to file to run again for a full term. The primary for that race is Aug. 28.
Ahead of Tuesday's election, Democrats noted that a single-digit margin of victory for Lesko could indicate trouble in the fall for other Republicans in Arizona and across the country, especially considering Trump carried the district by 21 points.
Tiprineni, a former emergency room physician, raised $740,000 through the first quarter, surpassing Lesko's haul of $564,000, according to Federal Election Commission documents. The fundraising edge helped her compete on the airwaves with a barrage of spending by outside GOP groups.
Republicans came to Lesko's aid in hopes of avoiding another Democratic upset, after recent shock special election losses in Alabama and Pennsylvania. Groups including the Republican National Committee; the National Republican Congressional Committee; and the Congressional Leadership Fund, a super PAC aligned with House GOP leadership, spent a combined more than $1 million for the GOP nominee.
Lesko was endorsed by the House Freedom Caucus, though not every candidate endorsed by the hard-line conservative group joins its ranks. If Lesko is invited and decides to join, she would be the only woman in the bloc.
Throughout the campaign, the former state legislator stressed her support for Trump's immigration policies, including building a wall on the Southern border. She also touted her support for the GOP tax overhaul.
Lesko was first elected to the Arizona state House in 2008, later moving to the state Senate in 2014. She served as the Senate president pro tempore until she resigned from the chamber in January to focus on her congressional bid.
She becomes the second Republican woman elected to Congress from Arizona, after Rep. Martha McSally, who is vacating her 2nd District seat to run for Senate. Campaigning with Lesko over the weekend, McSally noted the outsize attention the race had drawn, urging voters to help the former state senator "win big."
