The Story:
Voters in Arizona’s 8th congressional district, in a special election Tuesday, April 24, kept that seat on the Republican side, voting for Debbie Lesko over her Democratic opponent Hiral Tipirneni. The contest in the west Valley suburbs of Phoenix was closely watched nationwide amid speculation that a Tipirneni upset in this usually very “red” district would be a powerful omen on an upcoming “blue wave” this November.
The Candidates:
Debbie Lesko has been a member of the Arizona State Senate for a little more than three years. Before that she was in the State House of Representatives for six years.
Tipirneni is a physician who worked for ten years in hospital emergency rooms. She was hurt in the closing days of the campaign by reports that it was a malpractice lawsuit in 2007 that drove her to cease practicing medicine.
The Thing to Know:Â
Lesko won by about 5% of the vote. For purpose of comparison, President Donald Trump won this district by 20% a year and a half ago.
