Tucson’s Congressional District 2 Republican candidate Eli Crane maintained a slight lead over Democrat Tom O’Halleran as of Wednesday morning.
Incumbent O’Halleran and Crane, a business owner, are both vying to represent the newly redistricted CD2, formerly CD1.
Wednesday morning, Crane was ahead of O'Halleran 54% to 46%. He had a nearly 19,000 vote lead over the incumbent.
The district includes a northern slice of Tucson and stretches into the northeast part of the state, including Prescott and Flagstaff, as well as Apache, Coconino, Graham, Greenlee and Navajo counties and parts of Gila, Maricopa, Mohave, Pima, Pinal and Yavapai counties.
The recent redistricting has made the district much more Republican than the current seat O’Halleran holds, according to The Arizona Republic.
Political newcomer Crane is endorsed by Donald Trump and embraces MAGA-style politics. His top issues include enacting more voter ID laws, border security, “defeating cancel culture,” being anti-abortion and anti-gun regulation, and being against vaccine mandates, mask mandates and pandemic-related lockdowns.
O’Halleran has held his seat since he won it in 2016. Before that he served in both the Arizona House and Senate.
He has said his top issues include government transparency and accountability, agriculture and climate issues, expanding broadband access, the economy, national security, tribal sovereignty, education, health care and veterans.
Lines extend outside of the Woods Memorial Library on North First Avenue, one of the 129 centers Pima County voters can vote in person at from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday. Video by Pascal Albright / Arizona Daily Star
