By Andrew Oxford | Arizona Republic
Rep. Nancy Barto claimed victory Thursday evening in her bid to oust Sen. Heather Carter during a mudslinging Republican primary in their north Phoenix district.
Barto widened her lead from 956 votes on Wednesday to 1,447 on Thursday as county election officials continued counting ballots. More than 31,000 ballots were already counted, and Carter told The Arizona Republic she did not see a way to make up the difference.
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With Carter’s defeat, the state Capitol loses one of the relatively moderate Republicans in the Legislature, and Barto’s victory marks a win for right wing of the party.
