As Senate race draws to a close, Kyrsten Sinema hosts get-out-the-vote event in Phoenix

Yvonne Wingett Sanchez
The Republic | azcentral.com
Kyrsten Sinema, the Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate appears at get-out-the-vote event with members of the Veterans for Sinema coalition and volunteers on Nov. 1 in Phoenix.

With Democratic-affiliated early ballot returns higher than normal, U.S. Senate hopeful Kyrsten Sinema thanked volunteers and members of her veterans coalition Thursday for knocking on doors and phoning voters ahead of the midterm election.

Sinema, the Democratic nominee for the open Senate seat, is running neck-and-neck with Martha McSally, the Republican nominee who spent Thursday campaigning alongside Donald Trump Jr. and his girlfriend, Kimberly Guilfoyle, formerly of Fox News. 

Sinema's stop Thursday at the Democratic field office was one of about a dozen stops on her cross-state get-out-the-vote tour that is largely focusing on access to health care. Earlier in the week, she was in Yuma, Flagstaff and the Navajo Nation before returning to Phoenix and Casa Grande on Thursday. She will headline events in Tucson on Friday. 

Flanked with veterans and a little boy wearing a cast, Sinema appeared confident in the closing days of the race. She said she looked forward to celebrating with them on Tuesday night, as election results come in. 

"I am so excited to be standing here with all of you today as we prepare for this victory because the stakes couldn't be higher for Arizona families," Sinema said. She reiterated the contrast between her votes against repealing the Affordable Care Act and McSally's votes to undo the law or roll it back.

She added: "Arizona deserves a senator who will be a voice for all Arizonans, not just one political party or one ideology, but everyone — regardless of what political party they're registered as."

"... And I know we're going to do it," she said. "It's looking so good. I have to tell you, you guys are kicking butt on turnout."

Thursday's gap between Republican-affiliated and Democratic-affiliated ballots had closed on Thursday to 8.6 points, down from 12 points from last week. 

While McSally has been leaning on high-profile Republican allies, such as President Donald Trump and his son to help her win the seat, Sinema has made her case to voters largely on her own.

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