The too-close-to-call race between Democratic Rep. Ron Barber and Republican Martha McSally in Arizona’s second congressional district could be headed for a recount.
Ms. McSally’s lead over Mr. Barber shrunk to 133 votes Tuesday, and a mandatory recount will occur if either candidate wins by fewer than 200 votes, the Arizona Republic reported.
In a statement, Ms. McSally said she’s confident that once all ballots are in, her lead will hold. There are 200 votes left to count, most of which are “conditional provisionals” where a voter showed up to a polling place with no ID.
Mr. Barber’s camp plans to target 782 provisional ballots in Pima County that were declared invalid in hopes of getting them counted, the paper reported.
A recount would not occur until an election canvass — scheduled to be finalized Dec. 1 — is finished statewide, according to the Secretary of State’s office.
With the Arizona contest and a handful of other races still outstanding, Republicans in the House could still match or surpass the 246 seats they held during the Truman administration more than 60 years ago after padding their majority in last Tuesday’s elections.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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