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Longtime Republican lawmaker Nancy Barto concedes to Democrat Christine Marsh

State Sen. Nancy Barto, who has served in the Arizona Legislature since 2007, conceded to Democrat Christine Marsh in the competitive District 4 race.

PHOENIX — Republican lawmaker Nancy Barto, who has served in the Arizona Legislature for the last 15 years, admitted defeat Tuesday to Democrat Christine Marsh in a competitive race representing north Scottsdale.

As of Tuesday, Barto was losing by 1,255 votes and the GOP candidate acknowledged the unlikelihood of her winning the seat in District 4. 

"This is a disappointing outcome,” Barto said Tuesday. “But we left it all on the field and I’m proud of the campaign we ran. I congratulate my opponent on her victory. This was a hard-fought race and both campaigns stayed focused on the issues.”

Marsh, a public school teacher, narrowly defeated her Republican opponent in 2020 to win a seat in District 28. The legislative districts were re-drawn last year, resulting in Marsh facing off against Barto in the newly-drawn District 4.

Barto was first elected to the Legislature in 2006 and has easily won re-election since then. 

District 4 was the last Arizona Senate race to be called but Barto's defeat likely won't strip away her party's control of the chamber. 

Republican senators currently outnumber Democrats 16-14, affording the party control over the Senate for the upcoming legislative session.

Voters in District 4 notably elected one Republican and one Democrat to represent them in the Arizona House of Representatives.

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