Ariz. House GOP primary headed to recount

by Nikita Vladimirov - 09/03/16 11:20 AM ET

An Arizona House GOP primary is headed to a recount after the final total showed just a nine-point difference between the candidates.

State Sen. Andy Biggs defeated businesswoman Christine Jones in the primary for Arizona’s 5th District by single-digit votes, according to The Arizona Republic.

{mosads}Jones led for most of the way until the final votes were tallied early Saturday morning. The final total was 25,228 votes for Biggs and 25,219 for Jones. The tight race triggers an automatic recount.

Biggs, who pitched himself as an anti-establishment conservative, called his victory one of the most “remarkable electoral turnarounds” in history of the state.

“We cannot thank our volunteers and supporters enough for making this happen,” Biggs said in a statement. “The fight does not end now. We will now focus on winning the general election in November so we can continue fighting in Congress and change Washington from the inside-out.”

Biggs was backed by the House Freedom Caucus and the conservative Club for Growth, while the his opponent Jones ran a mostly self-funded campaign.

The Jones campaign raised issue with the appointment of Briggs campaign official Cesar Ybarra to oversee the ballot counting process.

“Obviously, it’s a little unsettling to know your opponent has access to inside information and you don’t,” said Jones senior advisor Chad Heywood.

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