Posted on 11/05/2014 7:08:12 AM PST by HiJinx
Republican challenger Martha McSally grabbed a 36-vote lead overnight against Democratic incumbent Rep. Ron Barber in the rematch of a congressional race decided by less than one percent of the vote in 2012.
McSally trailed Rep. Barber after the initial early ballot numbers from Congressional District 2 were released Tuesday night. But those numbers did not include early ballots from Cochise County, the conservative portion of District 2 McSally won with 59 percent of the vote in 2012.
Late Tuesday night the Cochise County elections website posted this message: "Due to technical difficulties the early ballot counting machine did not match the hand count. Therefore, early ballots are in the process of being delivered to Graham County where they will be counted by their equipment."
"We've seen a similar trend we saw in 2012, not to say that's a predictor of 2014," McSally told 9 On Your Side around 10:30p.m when she still trailed. "Look we just need to let the process go and get the Cochise County ballots in and let every vote be counted."
While voters await the results from the recount of Cochise County's early ballots, the results are in from all 145 precints in Tucson and Pima County. Rep. Barber's margin of victory in that area of the district was about 4,300 votes, compared to more than 10,000 in 2012.
"We're the third most expensive House race in the country because the outside forces really wanted this seat. Let me tell you something: we're ahead now and we're going to win this race," Barber said, addressing supporters around 10p.m. when the results showed he was ahead 52-48 percent.
Two years ago, Barber barely beat McSally by 2,454 votes (.84 percent). McSally conceded 11 days after election night, following a trip to Washington D.C. for the House of Representatives freshmen orientation.
"I've mentally prepared myself for any outcome and I think it is just like when you're flying missions in combat," McSally told 9 On Your Side at her election night party.
According to the Cochise County website, the results from the recount should be made available by late Wednesday Nov. 5. Cochise County also encountered technical difficulties during the August primary. Ballots then were also transported to Graham County.
Be sure to stay with KGUN9 on Your Side and KGUN.com for the latest updates in the race for Congressional District 2.
The early ballot mismatch was due to an error introduced by a counting machine service tech. He ran 85 sample ballots prior to Tuesday's election to ensure the machine was working properly. He did not clear the memory before placing the machine in service.
SWEEEEETTTT !!!!
Surely the Democrats can find some misplaced ballot boxes in the trunk of an old car in a junkyard somewhere.
I used to live in that district and every recount or late ballot situation always favored Giffords and company. Would be nice to see that clown commie Barber get the toss.
Nah, Barber is too much the gentleman to stoop to that kind of trickery. Isn’t he?
From your keyboard...
Absentees?............
They could play, but I don’t think there are enough Barber votes in Cochise County absentee ballots to help.
Maybe Tucson, Davis-Monthan? Nah, don’t think so.
I believe that McSally served her Country in the USAF and has all the background to be an awesome representative.
Be on the lookout for older model chevys with fuzzy dice on the mirror and trunks full of ballots.
Agreed!
McSally’s response to the heavily negative ads from her creepy opponent.
(she hit this out of the park! lol!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHogy3deKTg
My family loved that commercial!
“War on Women...Really?”
I think that Martha will win when all the votes are counted. However as a tax payer in Pima County, I am dismayed that the election has been this close, since the superiority of Martha McSally over Barber is so striking.
” However as a tax payer in Pima County, I am dismayed that the election has been this close,”
Romney coming here didn’t help. He is poison.
I know her and her and its ‘all-about-me’ service, a direct affront to the USAF “service before self” ethos.
She may be a capable politicans but she is no honorable officer.
(I’ve posted before on the full story).
Now the RATs know how many votes they need to “find” in a “misplaced” ballot box...
S. Arizona used to be a hotbed of ‘retired’ mafiosi. Just sayin’.
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