Nothing is official yet, but prospects look dim for Arizona Democrats’ hopes of flipping the Legislature.
Plan B — to knot up the state Senate in a 15-15 tie — is also looking like a distant prospect.
Ever since election night, when Democrats in key swing districts started off in the lead, Republicans have gained ground.
As of Friday, GOP candidates for the House and Senate have overtaken their rivals in almost every race. Yet there are still more than 628,000 ballots to count statewide as of 6:53 p.m. Friday, according to a tracker maintained by the secretary of state’s office.
Based on races called and outstanding unofficial election results as of Friday evening, Republicans appear poised to boost their one-seat House majority.
In the Senate, the GOP seems set to at least maintain its one-seat majority, with the potential to expand that margin with pickups in outstanding races.
The Legislature’s one-seat margins in both the House and Senate bolstered confidence that this was the year to make a run for a Democratic majority. The national Democratic Legislative Leadership Committee made Arizona one of its top targets for a takeover, and has poured millions into 12 races in six of the state’s 30 legislative districts.