Mark Kelly defeats incumbent Martha McSally for US Senate seat
Nov 3, 2020, 10:10 PM | Updated: Nov 4, 2020, 1:06 am
PHOENIX — For the first time in almost 70 years, Arizona will be home to two Democratic senators.
Mark Kelly defeated his Republican opponent Martha McSally in the U.S. Senate race by 7% of the votes, according to the Associated Press.
The result gives Arizona two Democratic senators for the fourth time in state history and first time since 1953.
“I am confident that when the votes are counted, we are going to be successful in this mission,” Kelly said during a speech in Tucson.
Kelly’s win is the reflection of months of polling that had him ahead of his Republican counterpart.
Kelly led McSally 50%-45% in OH Predictive Insights’ final survey of the election cycle released last Tuesday.
That same poll had Kelly leading McSally, 50%-45%, which reflected a 5-point swing in her favor from a September poll.
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Kelly would join fellow Democratic Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, who endorsed the former astronaut in the later stages of the election cycle.
The Senate seat will be up again for election in 2022, however.
The seat belonged to longtime Republican U.S. Sen. John McCain, who won reelection in 2016 and held office until his death on Aug. 25, 2018.
Former U.S. Sen. Jon Kyl assumed the role for about four months before Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey appointed McSally to the position at the start of 2019.
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