Schweikert will challenge Mitchell for CD5 seat

Susan Bitter Smith has conceded in her race for the Republican nomination for Arizona's 5th Congressional District seat.

A spokesman for her campaign said Friday that Bitter Smith realized that there weren't enough uncounted ballots to make a difference.

County election officials have been counting thousands of early and provisional ballots. On Thursday, the vote tally had former Maricopa County Treasurer David Schweikert with 13,616 votes, or 29.5 percent, while Bitter Smith had 12,631, or 27.4 percent.

Schweikert will take on incumbent Democrat Harry Mitchell for the district seat in November.

Schweikert ended the primary night with a slim 790-vote lead over Bitter Smith. He had 30 percent of the vote, while Bitter Smith had 28 percent.

State Rep. Mark Anderson of Phoenix, former state Rep. Laura Knaperek of Tempe, attorney James Ogsbury of Scottsdale and businessman Lee Gentry of Scottsdale also ran for the GOP nomination.

The 5th District includes numerous suburban communities as it sweeps through Fountain Hills, Scottsdale, Tempe, parts of Mesa, Chandler and east Phoenix.

Mitchell took the seat from Republican J.D. Hayworth in 2006.

Mitchell rode into Congress as the nation soured on the Iraq war and as Hayworth was linked to disgraced fundraiser Jack Abramoff.