Republican U.S. Rep. Eli Crane narrowly won reelection in Arizona’s 2nd Congressional District, defeating Democratic challenger Jonathan Nez by 49.7% to 48.5%, according to an Associated Press projection on Monday.

The candidates were separated by 3,834 votes when the race was called, despite the seat being rated Likely R by the Fox News Power Rankings before Election Day.

Nez had not conceded; in a Nov. 5 social media post, he said counting every ballot takes time in the large district.

The contest was a rematch: Crane, a Trump-endorsed member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, had defeated Nez, a former Navajo Nation president, by nine percentage points in 2024.

Trump attacked Nez while endorsing Crane, accusing Nez of supporting higher taxes, open borders and transgender participation in women’s sports.

Crane, a former U.S. Navy SEAL, was first elected to represent the district in 2022.

After the race was called, Crane thanked rural Arizonans and his staff, praised Nez for running again and said he would continue opposing what he called the congressional status quo.

The close contest came amid voter dissatisfaction with the economy, the cost of living and U.S. involvement in the Iran war, as Democrats won control of Congress and made historic gains in Arizona, flipping two U.S. House seats and taking control of the Legislature for the party’s first state trifecta since 1966.

Other Republican wins in reliably red Arizona districts were also close: Abe Hamadeh won by less than three percentage points after a 13-point victory in 2024, while Mark Lamb won the seat held by Andy Biggs by three points after Biggs had won it by 21 points in 2024.