Biden Lead Narrows In Arizona: Election Results Latest

ARIZONA — Former Vice President Joe Biden's lead over President Donald Trump in Arizona has narrowed after a new batch of results were released by election officials in Arizona on Sunday afternoon.

Biden and former astronaut Mark Kelly are the projected winners for their races for the presidency and the U.S. Senate respectively, potentially turning Arizona blue in 2020. Biden's projected win in Arizona was called by The Associated Press and Fox News. He is now the president-elect.

It's the first time the state has voted for a Democratic president since Bill Clinton in 1996.

In explaining why they called the race for Biden, the AP said that "after an analysis of ballots cast statewide concluded there were not enough outstanding to allow Trump to catch up."

With Kelly's election, Arizona will send two Democratic senators to the Capitol for the first time since Barry Goldwater won his long-held seat in 1953.

Here are the most recent election results for the presidency, as of Monday at 8 a.m.:

Joe Biden: 1,643,664

Donald Trump: 1,626,679

Here are the most recent election results for the Senate, as of Monday at 8 a.m.:

Mark Kelly: 1,686,882

Martha McSally: 1,603,706

Neither Trump nor McSally have conceded the Arizona races. The vote count will continue throughout the week.

Arizona's senate race has gained national attention this year, as it was one that was seen as key to tipping power in the U.S. Senate currently held by Republican lawmakers towards the Democratic Party. Kelly and former Democratic Governor John Hickenlooper of Colorado are projected to have defeated their Republican opponents while Democratic Sen. Doug Jones lost his seat to Republican challenger Tommy Tuberville in Alabama. Democrats needed to gain four seats in the Senate with the expected loss of Jones to gain control.

The battle between Kelly and McSally has become the state's most expensive political race ever, with the two candidates pulling in over $133.7 million as of Sept. 30.

Republican McSally had raised $50.9 million, while Kelly reported raising $82.8 million by that point, according to FEC reports.

McSally has held the senate seat since she was appointed in 2019 by Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey following the death of longtime Republican Sen. John McCain. McSally previously lost in the 2018 election to Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Arizona. She previously served two terms in the U.S. House of Representatives following an illustrious military career; McSally was the first American woman to fly in combat and the first to command a fighter plane.

Kelly is a veteran himself, serving in the U.S. Navy before becoming an astronaut for NASA. He retired in 2011, shortly after his wife, former Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, was shot in the head while meeting with constituents in Tucson. The assassination attempt left Giffords with lifelong injuries and killed six people. In response, Giffords and Kelly, a former registered Independent, became gun control advocates and formed the Giffords foundation.

Long a Republican stronghold, Arizona has turned blue in 2020, according to the projections. Trump won the state by nearly 4 points in 2016. According to the most recent poll average compiled by FiveThirtyEight, Biden led him by 2.6 percent going into Election Day.

Both campaigns made Arizona a focal point in the weeks before the election. Trump and Vice President Mike Pence both made several stops throughout the Grand Canyon State. Biden and his running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA), made one official visit to Phoenix on Oct. 8, with Harris returning on her own Oct. 28.

Even major Arizona Republican names, including former Sen. Jeff Flake and Cindy McCain, endorsed Biden for the presidency.

Arizona's changing demographics have made it a key state in 2020. The home of late Republican Sens. John McCain and Barry Goldwater has seen a slight shift to the left in recent years, due to an increase in population and an uptick in its registered Latino voters.

But Republicans are still a mainstay in the state, especially in the populous Maricopa County. The county's new registered voters counted more Republicans than any other party.

Arizona ballots are still being counted, though the number is dwindling.

Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs had previously warned that results might not be ready Nov. 3. That is largely due to the high number of mail-in ballots expected this year. Arizona also has a law that gives voters five business days to fix their ballot signatures if they don't match what the election office has on file.

"The election doesn't end on Election Day," Hobbs said at a news conference Oct. 14.