Katie Hobbs doubles her lead after latest batch of Arizona votes

PHOENIX – Another day of counting, another batch of votes, and another increase in Katie Hobbs’ lead.

The Democratic candidate for Arizona secretary of state more than doubled her lead over Republican Steve Gaynor on Thursday.

With around 90,000 ballots remaining statewide, Hobbs has a seemingly insurmountable advantage of more than 13,000 votes.

Her lead was around 6,000 a day earlier. She’s been ahead since surpassing Gaynor on Monday.

Maricopa County added 20,000 votes to the totals Thursday and has 85,000 ballots remaining.

The state’s largest county plans to continue making reports at 5 p.m. daily until all of its votes are counted, through the weekend if necessary.

Pima County, which leans Democratic, revised its outstanding ballot total to 7,000 and has said it will wait until Saturday, when all have been counted, to report again.

Yuma County had only around 250 to go, and all other counties were done tabulating, according to Garrett Archer of the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office.

Arizona outstanding ballot report 11/15 9:32 PM

Maricopa: 85k
Pima: 7k
Yuma: 265

State of Arizona: 92k

All other counties have completed tabulation.

— The AZ Data Guru (@Garrett_Archer) November 16, 2018

Maricopa County Recorder Adrian Fontes told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Bruce St. James and Pamela Hughes earlier Thursday that the reason the counting process is taking so long is because officials are working for accuracy, not speed.

“I will weather whatever criticism I get for being slow as long as I get it right,” he said. “That’s all that matters.”

It’s been a dramatic turnaround for Hobbs since Election Day on Nov. 6, when Gaynor led by 44,000 votes and the Associated Press prematurely called the race in his favor.

Another race that’s become more interesting as more votes have tallied is for the District 28 state Senate seat.

Republican incumbent Kate Brophy McGee’s lead over Democrat Christine Porter Marsh shriveled to 380 votes after the latest update, down from 472 a day earlier.

The race for the second corporation commissioner on the ballot was settled Wednesday, when Rodney Glassman conceded to fellow Republican Justin Olson.

Olson will join Democrat Sandra Kennedy, who locked down the lead earlier in the week, on the commission.

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