GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — The Latest on Arizona's 8th Congressional District special election (all times local):
9:50 a.m.
Democrat Hiral Tipirneni is conceding defeat in the special election for Arizona's 8th Congressional District.
Tipirneni released a statement Wednesday congratulating the Republican winner Debbie Lesko and wishing her "good luck in Congress."
PHOENIX (AP) — The Latest on Tuesday's special election for an Arizona congressional seat (all times local):
8 p.m.
Republican Debbie Lesko has won the special election in Arizona's 8th Congressional District, keeping the U.S. House seat in GOP control.
PHOENIX (AP) — In a district Donald Trump won by 21 points in 2016, a Democratic newcomer is trying to pull off an upset victory for an open U.S. House seat in Arizona that has been held by Republicans since the early 1980s.
Hiral Tipirneni, an emergency room physician and a cancer research advocate, is hoping to replicate Democratic wins in Pennsylvania, Alabama and other states in a year where opposition to the president's policies have boosted the party's chances in Republican strongholds.
PHOENIX (AP) — A second complaint alleging federal campaign finance law violations has been filed against the winner of this week's special Republican primary election to replace former U.S. Rep. Trent Franks.
The complaint against former state Sen. Debbie Lesko was filed with the Federal Election Commission on Thursday by the Campaign Legal Center, a Washington-D.C.-based group that supports strong enforcement of the finance laws.
PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona Republicans who slugged it out in a 12-way primary for an open Congressional seat in a race tinged by sexting and charges of campaign fund irregularities set aside their differences to focus on the general election in April.
PHOENIX (AP) — The Latest on the special primary election for a U.S. Congressional District seat in Arizona (all times local):
2 p.m.
A former Arizona state senator who won the Republican primary in a special election to replace former U.S. Rep. Trent Franks in the suburbs west of Phoenix is now looking toward the general election in April.
PHOENIX (AP) — A former Arizona state senator easily outpaced another candidate embroiled in a sexting scandal and 10 other Republicans to win Tuesday's primary to replace a U.S. congressman who quit amid charges of sexual misconduct.
Former state Sen. Debbie Lesko becomes the immediate favorite in the heavily Republican 8th Congressional District to replace former U.S. Rep. Trent Franks, also a Republican.
PHOENIX (AP) — The Latest on a special primary election Tuesday in Arizona's 8th Congressional District (all times local):
10:05 p.m.
Former state Sen. Debbie Lesko has won the Republican primary race to replace former U.S. Rep. Trent Franks.
Lesko pulled out a strong victory Tuesday evening over 11 other GOP candidates and becomes the immediate front-runner in the April general election. Lesko had 36 percent of the vote over former state Sen. Steve Montenegro with 24 percent.
PHOENIX (AP) — The closing days of the Republican primary to replace an Arizona congressman who quit in a sex scandal have included a top contender admitting he received texts from a Senate aide posing topless, and a second favorite fighting claims of campaign funding improprieties.
It remains to be seen what the impact may have on Tuesday's contest to replace Rep. Trent Franks because the state relies heavily on mail-in ballots completed before the revelations surfaced.
PHOENIX (AP) — A former aide to Arizona Senate Republicans expressed regret Thursday that she sent pictures of herself in "various states of undress" to an ex-state senator now running for the U.S. House seat of a disgraced congressman.
Stephanie Holford issued a statement through her attorney, Tom Ryan, saying text messages between her and former state Sen. Steve Montenegro began as professional when she started working last year as a digital media coordinator for the Republican Caucus.
PHOENIX (AP) — A Christian minister seeking the congressional seat of a disgraced Arizona congressman is labeling reports that that he traded suggestive texts with a female staffer who included a topless photo of herself in one of the exchanges as "tabloid trash."
But former state Sen. Steve Montenegro didn't deny that he received the messages.
PHOENIX (AP) — A dozen Republicans are facing off in the special primary election to replace disgraced former U.S. Rep. Trent Franks, and voters may have a hard time distinguishing one from the other.
PHOENIX (AP) — A judge has removed a Democratic candidate from the special primary election ballot for Arizona's 8th Congressional District.
State Elections Director Eric Spencer says the judge removed Gene Scharer Tuesday. The Maricopa County Recorder's Office determined he had just 353 of the required 665 signatures.
PHOENIX (AP) — The Latest on court challenges to Democratic candidates seeking former U.S. Trent Franks' seat (all times local):
6:20 p.m.
A lawsuit challenging signatures qualifying a Democratic candidate for a special congressional election will be dropped.
Attorney Jim Barton said Monday the challenge against his client, Brianna Westbrook, will be withdrawn. That comes after the Maricopa County Recorder's Office determined she has enough signatures.
PHOENIX (AP) — Maricopa County elections officials say they've completed reviews of signatures qualifying two Democratic candidates for a special congressional election ballot and one falls well short.
The review of signatures challenged by a third Democratic candidate shows Gene Scharer has just 353 of the 665 needed signatures.
The Maricopa County Recorder certified Monday that Brianna Westbrook has 669 valid signatures, four above the threshold.
PHOENIX (AP) — Maricopa County elections officials on Friday began reviewing qualifying signatures for two of three Democratic candidates seeking to replace Republican U.S. Rep. Trent Franks.
The review began after a judge set a hearing for next week on the legal challenge to signatures qualifying Brianna Westbrook and Gene Scharer for the ballot.
Westbrook filed 135 more signatures than the required 665, while Scharer filed just one extra.
PHOENIX (AP) — The Latest on challenges to the right of 2 Democratic candidates to appear on the 2nd Congressional District ballot (all times local):
4 p.m.
Maricopa County elections officials are reviewing qualifying signatures for two Democratic candidates seeking to replace Republican U.S. Rep. Trent Franks.
The review began Friday after a judge set a hearing for next week on the challenge to signatures qualifying Brianna Westbrook and Gene Scharer for the ballot. A hearing is set for Tuesday.
PHOENIX (AP) — Lawsuits have been filed challenging the qualifying signatures of two of three Democrats running in the special primary election to replace former U.S. Rep. Trent Franks.
The suits filed Thursday allege enough signatures filed by Brianna Westbrook and Gene Scharer are invalid to bar them from the ballot.
The other Democrat is Dr. Hiral Tipirneni. The lawsuit was filed by a Democratic plaintiff named Lynda Vescio.
PHOENIX (AP) — Maricopa County estimates the special election to replace former Rep. Trent Franks will cost $3.5 million, but the state Legislature is moving to authorize $1 million less than that.
The Senate Judiciary Committee approved $2.5 million on Thursday in the first step to appropriating the cash. Sen. Judy Burges said the county can always come back for more.
PHOENIX (AP) — Thirteen Republicans and three Democrats filed enough signatures to make the ballot for a special primary election to replace former U.S. Rep. Trent Franks, state elections officials said Wednesday evening.
The Republicans include former state Sens. Steve Montenegro and Debbie Lesko, former state Rep. Phil Lovas and former state utility regulator Bob Stump. Also making the GOP primary ballot are Clair Van Steenwyk and former Graham County Sheriff Richard Mack.
PHOENIX (AP) — The Arizona governor on Monday set the dates for special elections to fill the vacancy created when U.S. Rep. Trent Franks resigned over sexual misconduct allegations, setting off a Republican scramble to win a rare open congressional seat.
PHOENIX (AP) — U.S. Rep. Trent Franks, a conservative anti-abortion Republican, has resigned after revealing that he discussed surrogacy with two female staffers. One former aide told The Associated Press that the congressman pressured her to carry his child and once offered her $5 million to be a surrogate mother.
PHOENIX (AP) — U.S. Rep. Trent Franks, a conservative anti-abortion Republican, has resigned after revealing that he discussed surrogacy with two female staffers. One former aide told The Associated Press that the congressman pressured her to carry his child and once offered her $5 million to be a surrogate mother.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A former aide to Republican Rep. Trent Franks has told The Associated Press the congressman repeatedly pressed her to carry his child, at one point offering her $5 million to act as a surrogate mother.
The eight-term lawmaker abruptly resigned Friday, bowing to an ultimatum from House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis. Ryan told Franks that he would refer the allegations to the Ethics Committee and urged him to step aside.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Rep. Trent Franks of Arizona said Thursday he is resigning next month after revealing that he discussed surrogacy with two female staffers.
The eight-term lawmaker, a staunch conservative and fierce opponent of abortion, said in a statement that he never physically intimidated, coerced or attempted to have any sexual contact with any member of his congressional staff.