O’halleran upended in House race in Arizona

3-term Democrat loses to Trump’s GOP choice

PHOENIX — His Democratic-leaning district remapped into one that leaned heavily Republican, U.S. Rep. Tom O’halleran could have just retired and ceded the sprawling Arizona district he was virtually certain to lose to the Republican who ended up victorious in Tuesday’s election.

He didn’t.

“That’s not who I am,” the threeterm Democrat said Friday from his home in Sedona. “I could have said no. I felt that we needed to try to defend it because of the needs of not only the state but the country. Sometimes you win some, sometimes you lose some. At least you get into the game.”

O’halleran was the most vulnerable incumbent in Arizona’s nine-member congressional delegation and lost to businessman and former Navy Seal Eli Crane, who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump. The Associated Press called the race late Thursday after additional votes were counted.

Crane banked on redistricting making it easy to knock off O’halleran. His victory helps Republicans as they eye taking control of the U.S. House as more votes are counted from the election that concluded Tuesday.

Late Friday, Democratic Rep. Greg Stanton defeated Republican Kelly Cooper to win a third term representing the 4th District that includes parts of Tempe, Mesa, Phoenix and Chandler.

The district has been held by Democrats since being created a decade ago, but Stanton faced a tougher fight after redistricting added more GOP voters to what had been a solidly Democratic district.

Cooper is a restaurant owner and Marine veteran. He is a political newcomer who won the backing of former President Donald Trump.

Two other Arizona districts remain too early to call, with Republican Rep. David Schweikert trying to hold his Phoenix-area seat against Democratic challenger Jevin Hodge and Republican Juan Ciscomani and Democrat Kirsten Engel locked in a tight race for a southeastern Arizona district now held by the retiring Democratic Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick.

Arizona’s five other seats were held by incumbents who faced little or no opposition.

Crane will now represent the sprawling 2nd Congressional District, which covers much of northeastern Arizona and dips south to the northern Tucson suburbs. Redistricting remade it into one that strongly favors the GOP by drawing in the Prescott area.

Crane did not return messages seeking an interview, but his campaign issued a statement where he thanked his wife, Jen, and two daughters, and said he was proud of the campaign and volunteers and staff.

“In Congress, I will never forget whom I serve or why the people sent me to represent them,” Crane’s statement said. “I will always be your voice.”

He said his victory was a message from the “America First” movement pushed by Trump.

“Now begins the real work of getting the country we love back on track,” he wrote.