PHOENIX β The latest returns from the state's two largest counties has given Kyrsten Sinema the lead in her bid for U.S. Senate β barely.
New figures from the Secretary of State's Office find the Democrat has opened up a 9,600-vote edge over Republican Martha McSally. That is a sharp reversal from just 24 hours earlier when Sinema trailed by about 15,000.
Those newly counted ballots also have given Democrat Kathy Hoffman the lead in her race for state superintendent of public instruction. She is now up by 20,348 over Republican Frank Riggs; a day ago he was up by 7,200.
The change in fortune comes as the Arizona Republican Party and four of its county affiliates is trying to get a judge to block election officials in Maricopa, Pima, Coconino and Apache counties from counting some late-cast early ballots. Voters in those four counties all were breaking for the Democrat contenders.
But some of those may already be in the mix.
The new tallies also trim the margin that state Sen. Kate Brophy McGee, R-Phoenix, has over Democrat challenger Christine Marsh.
