Recount Concludes – McSally Defeats Barber

Hand counted sampling is now complete in the Tucson-area congressional district recount in both Pima and Cochise Counties, and Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Katherine Cooper made the results official. Retired Air Force Colonel Martha McSally (R) has defeated two-term Congressman Ron Barber (D) by 167 votes.  In the original count from Nov. 4, McSally led the Congressman by 161 votes. House Republicans, already anticipating that she will join the conference, have appointed McSally to the House Armed Services and Homeland Security committees, the very panels upon which Barber currently serves.  This will be a good fit for the Congresswoman-elect given her military background.  While in active duty, she was the first woman in U.S. history to fly a combat aircraft into enemy territory as well as command a USAF fighter squadron. McSally’s election means that Republicans will control 247 House seats, compared to 188 for Democrats, when the new Congress convenes in January. This gives the GOP its largest House majority since 1931. For more information, please contact David Ashinoff at (202) 547-5013 or ahsinoffd@agc.org.