New Arizona maps help produce tight election races

By PAUL DAVENPORT
Associated Press

PHOENIX (AP) - Arizona's first general election using new congressional and legislative district maps resulted in several excruciatingly tight congressional races as well as a handful of legislative contests that went undecided for more than a week after Election Day.

Several observers said the results show the state's redistricting commission injected a strong dose of competitiveness in at least its new congressional districts.

However, there's still a partisan divide over the fairness of maps that produced months of political and legal turmoil a year ago and several ongoing lawsuits.

Gov. Jan Brewer and other Republicans denounced the maps drawn by a five-member commission as being drawn to favor Democrats, and Brewer at one point unsuccessfully tried to oust the commission's chairwoman.

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