Article snippet: Republican Debbie Lesko is the projected winner of Arizona's special election on Tuesday in a contest both parties were watching as a barometer of political strength ahead of the November midterm election. Democrat Hiral Tipirneni performed strongly, which bolsters the party's argument that enthusiasm remains high for their candidates and helps reinforce their argument that a so-called "blue wave" is coming this fall. Lesko had 52.44 percent of the vote, compared to Tipirneni's 47.2 percent, with 86 percent of precincts reporting. The Associated Press called the race. Tipirneni said she would not concede on Tuesday night. But both Democrats and Republicans will dissect the details of the contest — specifically the final margin between the two candidates. Arizona has a competitive Senate race this fall and how independents broke in Tuesday's contest along with how many Republicans crossed over to vote for Tipirneni will be poured over for any indication of how voters may go in November. The early returns also indicated the Democrats' record of overperformance in special elections continues although the large number of white, older, Republican-leaning voters in the district, which is a popular one for retirees, made it tough for Tipirneni to prevail. Even with the numbers against her, Republicans spent heavy and hard in this contest to secure the win. Unlike the March special election in Pennsylvania, where there was a strong suburban population... Link to the full article to read more