ARIZONA (TIP): Indian American Democrat candidate Hiral Tipirneni has failed in her second bid to capture a House of Representatives seat from Arizona losing in a close contest to sitting Republican David Schweikert.

Tipirneni called her defeat a “heartbreaking loss” but conceded the race as Schweikert pulled ahead with a 52% to 48% vote. He will continue to represent Arizona’s 6th District that he first won in 2011.

Leading up to the election, many polls showed that the race was a toss-up between the two candidates. With Tipirneni’s defeat, “samosa caucus,” the Indian American members of the House call themselves will remain four strong. All the sitting members, Democrats Raja Krishnamoorthi, Pramila Jayapal, Ro Khanna and Ami Bera, have retained their seats. This marks the second time Tipirneni ran as a district representative in Arizona and lost to a Republican nominee. In 2018 Tipirneni was defeated by Republican Debbie Lesko for District 8 which covers suburban areas north and west of Phoenix including Peoria, Surprise, Sun City and New River.

“From the very beginning, this race was about fighting for the issues that impact Arizona families,” she stated after calling Schweikert to concede on Saturday.

“It was never about partisanship. It was about rooting out corruption and making the tax code more fair for middle-class Arizona families, small businesses, and retirees,” Tipirneni stated.

“I ran for Congress with one ultimate goal in mind: to ensure that every single American has access to quality, affordable healthcare…”

“Even today, after this heartbreaking loss, I stand by my decision to run wholeheartedly. And I’m proud to have joined the countless other women leaders nationwide who stepped up and demanded better,” she stated.

Tipirneni said, “We need more women in positions of power. We need more women in politics. Their empathic voices, their ability to problem-solve, and their diversity of backgrounds and experiences will change this country for the better. Run and run hard – this country needs you…”

“We have made an immense impact, make no mistake,” she stated hoping her constituents “use your voice, your passion, and your vote to create ‘the change you want to see in the world.’ I know I will.”

Tipirneni, who is an emergency room doctor, immigrated to the US at the age of three with her family.

Her campaign raised a record $5.4 million to Schweitkert’s r $2.1 million, according to Ballotpedia. In the Democratic primary, Tipirneni defeated journalist, Anita Malik to win the party nomination. Schweikert had been investigated by the House Ethics Committee on allegations that he misused official resources for re-election and violated campaign finance rules. He admitted to misconduct and paid a $50,000 fine, but that did not affect his reelection.