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October 26, 2008
In Arizona, Democrats Mount Strong Challenge
By RANDAL C. ARCHIBOLD
PHOENIX — The prospect of a red state going blue. Democrats flush with cash. Republicans fighting to hold on.

It is an increasingly familiar situation in the presidential campaign as Senator John McCain strives to hold or gain ground in battleground states. But in this case, the fight is over the Congressional delegation in Mr. McCain’s home state of Arizona.

Few doubt that Mr. McCain will win Arizona’s 10 electoral votes. But less clear is whether he will have the coattails to rescue his party from Democratic advances in the state.

Democrats — and privately, some leading Republicans — say they believe that the Democrats can pick up one and possibly two Congressional seats now held by Republicans. That would give them a majority of Arizona’s Congressional delegation — now with eight members — for the first time since 1966.

“I don’t think that there is probably any seat in the country for Republicans this year that is safe, and particularly not in light of the spending disparity,â€