Election results finalized - news wrapup

Arizona's election results have been finalized. Harry Mitchell has officially won CD-5, as has Warde Nichols in LD21. No surprises there.

Here are a few articles with the latest, including an interesting quirk that resulted in Harry Mitchell getting a sweet office in DC!

1. It’s finally official — Mitchell’s the winner

Congressman-elect Harry Mitchell finally will deliver the acceptance speech he had hoped to give two weeks ago.

Election officials finalized the vote count in Arizona’s 5th Congressional District on Sunday, formally giving the victory to Mitchell, the Democratic challenger.

Republican incumbent J.D. Hayworth conceded a week ago, but Mitchell held off declaring victory until all the votes were tabulated.

Through an odd quirk, the delay played to Mitchell’s advantage in a time-honored congressional tradition. Mitchell was assigned Hayworth’s office suite, a piece of political real estate that no freshman would ever expect to acquire.

2. Tim Wilson's take on it:

All the votes are in...

Every provisional and absentee ballot in Maricopa County has been counted. Definite props to the election workers. According to AZCentral, they were working 12 hour shifts.

So, with the end of vote tallying comes the end results.

Mitchell- 101,838 (50.4%)
Hayworth- 93,815 (46.4%)
Severin- 6,357 (3.1%)

3. Tedski got the scoop about Mitchell getting Hayworth's office:

J. D. Hayworth ☼, being a long time member and one that was moving up in the House leadership, had swanky digs in the Rayburn House Office Building. The office was not only on an upper floor, but in a corner with a nice view. For a number of reasons, not least being that his re-election bid was officially up in the air, Hayworth's office was never entered in the lottery. Oops.

So, Hayworth's old office was allocated to the member that defeated him, Harry Mitchell.

4. Harry Mitchell makes his victory statement:

Dear Friends,

I want to thank the people of Arizona's Fifth Congressional District for electing me to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives. I am humbled by your trust and confidence.

With their vote, Arizonans sent Washington a clear message: it's time for both Republicans and Democrats to put the people's work before partisanship.

They believe, as I do, that we cannot address our nation's most important challenges unless we work together. We have an obligation to secure our borders, invest in embryonic stem cell research, restore fiscal discipline, and demand a plan for victory in Iraq.

5. Nichols declared winner in District 21 legislative race

Republicans managed to hang on to legislative District 21 after all. A final count of votes from the Nov. 7 election shows incumbent Warde Nichols defeated Democratic challenger Phil Hettmansperger by 863 votes to represent the district that covers most of Chandler, the Sun Lakes community, and portions of west Mesa and Queen Creek.