Pro-gun candidate Martha McSally (R-AZ-2) leads Representative Ron Barber (D-AZ-2) by 161 votes as the recount for Gabby Giffords’ former seat begins.
This is Arizona’s “first-ever congressional recount.”
According to The Arizona Republic, Barber tried to lessen McSally’s lead by “challenging election officials’ rejection of 133 ballots in Pima and Cochise counties.” However, Secretary of State Ken Bennett (R) argued that it seemed strange Barber was fighting the rejection of only these 133 ballots when approximately 800 ballots had been rejected overall.
Bennett believed Barber was simply picking ballots from areas where he believed voters had supported him.
On November 27, US District Judge Cindy K. Jorgenson ruled against Barber, and this means the rejection of the 133 ballots stands.
Jorgenson ruled that the Barber campaign “failed to prove the discounted votes would undermine the integrity of the November 4 elections.” Moreover, Jorgenson pointed out that even if the ballots were counted–and even if Barber won them all–he would still have lost the election by 28 votes.
The recount is expected to take between two and three weeks.
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