Rep. David Schweikert takes lead over Jevin Hodge in 1st Congressional District

Tara Kavaler, Arizona Republic
·2 min read
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Republican U.S. Rep. David Schweikert flipped the race and took a small lead on Sunday night over Democratic challenger Jevin Hodge.

Hodge had led Schweikert in the vote tally for several days.

Hodge started with a large lead when the first election results dropped Tuesday, but his lead lessened as more votes were counted.

Republicans analysts feel confident that Schweikert will win as the votes continue to be tallied.

Counting in Maricopa County will continue Monday.

As of Sunday evening, Schweikert was leading Hodge by 894 votes. He has captured 50.1% of the vote, compared with Hodge's 49.9%.

The district, which includes Scottsdale, Cave Creek and Paradise Valley and parts of north Phoenix, is competitive but favors Republicans. The economy is a major issue in the district, which is one of the most affluent in Arizona.

Election Day coverage: Live voting updates | Arizona election results

Schweikert, 60, is a former state legislator and Maricopa County treasurer. He entered Congress in 2011 after defeating incumbent Rep. Harry Mitchell, D-Ariz. He sits on the powerful tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee.

Hodge, 28, is the head of the oldest Head Start Program in Arizona. He defeated Phoenix basketball executive Adam Metzendorf in the Aug. 2 primary. Hodge in 2020 lost a race for the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors.

Hodge has focused his campaign on Schweikert's past campaign finance violations and 11 ethics breaches that led to $175,000 in fines from the Federal Election Commission and Congress.

Schweikert's noncompliance with campaign finance rules is not a new issue. His opponents in past elections, including businessman Elijah Norton in the Aug. 2 Republican primary, have made Schweikert's violations centerpieces of their campaigns.

That tactic was not successful in unseating him.

Tara Kavaler is a politics reporter at The Arizona Republic. She can be reached by email at tara.kavaler@arizonarepublic.com or on Twitter @kavalertara.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: David Schweikert takes lead in 1st District in Arizona