US Rep. David Schweikert increases lead over Hiral Tipirneni
Nov 5, 2020, 7:10 PM | Updated: 7:17 pm
Rep. David Schweikert and Dr. Hiral Tipirneni (Facebook Photo/David Schweikert and hiralforcongress.com Photo)
(Facebook Photo/David Schweikert and hiralforcongress.com Photo)
PHOENIX – In Arizona’s tightest congressional race, five-term Republican Rep. David Schweikert continued to increase his lead on Thursday over Democratic challenger Dr. Hiral Tipirneni.
According to an update Thursday evening, Schweikert led Tipirneni 51.36%-48.64%, and the two were separated by 10,338 votes. In an early Thursday morning update, the race was seperated by 6,427 votes.
Tipirneni had emerged from Election Day with a 169,543-167,761 edge, a margin of 1,782 votes.
Schweikert won each of his previous congressional races by double-digit margins.
The suburban 6th District takes in much of north Phoenix, Paradise Valley, Scottsdale and Fountain Hills.
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Democrats saw Schweikert as vulnerable after he admitted to 11 House ethics violations regarding misuse of funds earlier this year. He agreed to pay a $50,000 fine in July following a two-year investigation.
Tipirneni had raised about $5 million as of Oct. 1, well above Schweikert’s $1.9 million. She entered the final four weeks of the campaign with $1.5 million on hand to close the deal, compared with the less than $550,000 in the Republican’s account. Outside groups joined in, backing both candidates.
This is Tipirneni’s third attempt to win a U.S. House seat in a span of just over two years. As a political newcomer in 2018, she ran twice in the 8th Congressional District — in a special election for a vacancy and then in the general election — but lost both times to Rep. Debbie Lesko.
If Tipirneni is elected, she’ll be the first Democrat to represent the state’s 6th Congressional District since 1992.
A Tipirneni win also would likely give Democrats a 6-3 grip on Arizona’s U.S. House delegation for the next two years, as well as two Democratic U.S. Senators.
It’s unlikely that any other Arizona congressional seat will flip.
District 1 is the only other congressional district race that has yet to be called.
CD1 Democratic Rep. Tom O’Halleran led GOP challenger Tiffany Shedd 51.86%-48.14%, as of Thursday. He came out of Election Day with a 159,614-145-664 lead.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
