Republican Martha McSally was declared the winner in Arizona’s 2nd congressional district race Wednesday, defeating Democratic Rep. Ron Barber by 167 votes out of about 220,000 cast.
The election marks a turnaround from 2012, when Mr. Barber, who was wounded along with former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords in a January 2011 shooting incident in Tucson that claimed the lives of six people, defeated Ms. McSally, a former Air Force combat pilot.
Mr. Barber, an aide to Ms. Giffords at the time, later won a special election to fill out the remainder of her term before winning a full two-year term in 2012.
Ms. McSally had led Mr. Barber by 161 votes after election day last month, but the margin triggered an automatic recount.
Judge Katherine Cooper announced the results in court Wednesday before lawyers for the candidates and there were no objections, according to the AP, which also noted that Republicans will now control 247 seats in the next Congress, their largest U.S. House majority in more than 80 years.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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