PHOENIX (AP) - The Latest on the election for U.S. Senate in Arizona (all times local):
7:05 p.m.
Democrat Kyrsten Sinema is citing a Republican as her example as she prepares to become Arizona’s first female senator.
Sinema declared victory in her race against Republican Martha McSally Monday night. There was a delay because the contest was close and Arizona takes a long time to count votes.
McSally called Sinema to concede the race. Sinema opened up a narrow but insurmountable lead.
Sinema spoke to reporters at a Scottsdale hotel and declared victory. She cited the example of John McCain, who died in August. She said she would try to follow his example and “put country before party.”
Sinema ran as a nonpartisan centrist. McSally unsuccessfully tried to paint her as a liberal Democrat.
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5:56 p.m.
Republican Rep. Martha McSally is conceding Arizona’s Senate race to Democrat Kyrsten Sinema.
McSally made the announcement in a video posted to Twitter. She says: “I just called Kyrsten Sinema and congratulated her on becoming Arizona’s first female senator after a hard-fought battle.”
The race dragged into overtime because of its narrow margins and Arizona’s traditionally slow pace of counting votes. But Sinema piled up an insurmountable lead over McSally.
Sinema will appear in public shortly at an event with supporters
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5:42 p.m.
Democratic Rep. Kyrsten Sinema has won Arizona’s open U.S. Senate seat, beating Republican Rep. Martha McSally.
The race between Sinema and McSally was one of the most closely watched in the nation. Sinema was declared the winner Monday as her lead grew insurmountable during Arizona’s lengthy vote-count.
Sinema is a former liberal activist who became a centrist member of Congress. Her win follows years of Democratic shutouts at the statewide level in Arizona and shows that the longtime Republican bastion is becoming a swing state.
McSally hammered Sinema over her former liberal stances and claimed she was pretending to be a centrist.
Sinema criticized McSally’s vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act and kept her distance from national Democrats.
Sinema succeeds Republican Sen. Jeff Flake, who opted not to run.
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