On Thursday, Democrat Katie Hobbs more than doubled her lead over political neophyte and Trumpster Steve Gaynor for Secretary of State with votes from Maricopa and Pima County. She has padded her lead to 13,171 votes. It is unlikely that Gaynor can expect a dramatic turnaround with votes trending in favor of Hobbs over the past week.
The Arizona Capitol Times reports, Hobbs is poised to become secretary of state:
Katie Hobbs is going to be Arizona’s next secretary of state – and a heartbeat away from governor – absent a sudden and unlikely last-minute burst of votes from Maricopa County favoring Steve Gaynor, her Republican opponent.
Vote tallies late Thursday put the Democratic contender more than 13,000 votes ahead of Gaynor.
Close to 89,000 ballots have yet to be counted.
About 4,000 of those are from Pima County, a Democratic stronghold. Given what has been the trend there, Hobbs is likely to pick up 60 percent of those votes.
Gaynor has outpolled Hobbs in Yuma County. But state election officials report that only 265 ballots are left to be counted there.
That leaves about 85,000 of yet-to-be-counted ballots from Maricopa County.
To make up the difference, Gaynor would need to pick up more than 55 percent of those outstanding ballots. But the record to date has shown Hobbs gaining slightly more Maricopa votes each time than her GOP foe.
This race could be called today, Saturday at the latest.
Katie Hobbs won. She was declared the winner of this race. Extremely thrilled about this outcome
Yes, although Republican Steve Gaynor has not conceded, Gov. Ducey has called the Sec. of State race for State Senator Katie Hobbs. Let’s see what her vote tally will be today. She’s ahead by 15,025 votes as of yesterday.
https://tucson.com/news/local/ducey-calls-the-secretary-of-state-race-for-democrat-katie/article_3a3db74e-01eb-55fe-b790-87fd3be5e238.html
UPDATE: Gaynor did concede last night per post this a.m.
Katie Hobbs leading by more today, 15,025 and Sandra Kennedy has declared victory, leading by more as well, 18,458.