Vote count: Update still shows razor-thin race for MUSD board

Jim Jordan has widened his lead over Tracie Armstead-Payton to 10 votes in the race for a seat on the Maricopa Unified School District Governing Board.

Pinal County Elections reported updated numbers Thursday afternoon and again Thursday night. There are 32,000 early ballots and 1,800 provisionals left to count, and the elections office said it expected to count 8,000 of those by late afternoon Friday.

In the race for a seat on Maricopa City Council, Amber Liermann is locked in at 55% to Andre LaFond’s 44%, according to unofficial tallies.

Four people are running for three seats on the MUSD board. Incumbents Torri Anderson and AnnaMarie Knorr have a wide lead to claim the first two seats. That has left a nail-biter for Jordan and Armstead-Payton.

For 24 hours, that sat at a two-vote lead for Jordan, who has been serving on the board as an appointee. Now, the numbers stand at 8,909 for Jordan and 8,899 for Armstead-Payton.

Armstead-Payton limited her time at the poll on Election Day, accompanying her daughter to vote early in the morning but staying cautious in the middle of a pandemic that has seen more than 55 new cases in the Maricopa area this week.

“I was hoping that what I had done so far in terms of informing people about my candidacy would be enough,” she said. “I know there are some people even at the last minute at the polls are undecided, but I made a calculated assumption that most people educated themselves enough to go into the polls and make their decision.”

When she saw how tight the race had become between her and Jordan, she called the county to find out about the recount process.

“All they could tell me is they’re still counting and that could take up to a full week,” Armstead-Payton said. “If there is going to be a recount, hopefully someone will notify me.”

OTHER CONTESTED RACES

Pinal County Supervisor District 4
Jeffrey McClure (R) 56% | Marlene Pearce (I) 43%

Legislative District 11 House (vote for 2)
Bret Roberts (R) 34% | Mark Finchem (R) 34% | Felipe Perez (D) 32%

Legislative District 11 Senate
Vince Leach (R) 53% | JoAnna Mendoza (D) 47%

Corporation Commission (vote for 3)
Anna Tovar (D) 18% | Lea Marquez Peterson (R) 17% | Jim O’Connor (R) 17% | Eric Sloan (R) 16% | Bill Mundell (D) 16% | Shea Stanfield (D) 16%

U.S. Congress District 1
Tom O’Halleran (D) 52% | Tiffany Shedd (R) 48%

U.S. Senate
Mark Kelly (D) 52% | Martha McSally 48%

U.S. President
Joe Biden (D) 50% | Donald Trump 48% | Jo Jorgensen (L) 1%

QUESTIONS

Maricopa Prop 452
Yes 72% | No 28%

Maricopa DWID Prop 453
Yes 60% | No 40%

Arizona Prop 207
Yes 60% | No 40%

Arizona Prop 208
Yes 52% | No 48%