By Hakan Copur
WASHINGTON (AA) – Democrat Kyrsten Sinema is the apparent winner of the Senate race in Arizona on Monday, six days after the U.S. midterm elections ended.
Sinema beat her Republican opponent Martha McSally by 38,000 votes to becoming the state’s first female senator and first democrat to hold the seat since 1994, according to local media.
Sinema’s election brings the number democrats in the Senate to 47 against the Republican 51 seats.
Two senate races are pending in Florida and Mississippi.
Sinema has held office in the House of Representatives since 2014 and will replace Republican Jeff Flake who is retiring.
Democrats gained the majority in the House for the first time in eight years with last week’s elections. Republicans retained control of the Senate.
