Rep. Greg Stanton defeats Kelly Cooper in the 4th Congressional District

Incumbent Rep. Greg Stanton soundly defeated Republican entrepreneur Kelly Cooper in the 4th Congressional District.

The Associated Press called the race at 8:26 p.m. Friday.

This will be Stanton's, D-Ariz., third term in the House. Before serving in Congress, Stanton was mayor of Phoenix.

On Wednesday, more than a week after the election, Stanton signaled on Twitter that he had heard from Cooper.

"Today I received a gracious phone call from my re-election opponent, Kelly Cooper," Stanton tweeted. "He made it clear that though the result was not what he wanted, he believed a concession call was an important action after a hard fought campaign. I wish him and his family all the best."

Cooper had conceded in his own Twitter thread.

"I called Greg Stanton to congratulate him on his victory," he said in one tweet. "While the final result was not what we had hoped for, I am hopeful that our best days lie ahead."

The newly drawn district, which includes parts of Tempe, Mesa, Phoenix and Chandler, was competitive, at least on paper. It votes Democratic 1% more than the country as a whole.

As part of his reelection pitch, Stanton touted legislation passed under the Biden administration: the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the CHIPS and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act. The laws are beneficial for the district and state's economy, Stanton says.

The economy also was a major issue for Cooper, who had never run for public office before. He blames large-scale government spending for widespread inflation, with Stanton and the Biden administration responsible.

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Stanton attacked Cooper for his stances on abortion rights and the 2020 election.

At the sole televised debate, Cooper said he would not support a federal ban on abortion and does not oppose abortion in all cases. However, Cooper has expressed support for restrictive abortion measures during the GOP primary campaign.

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Cooper said at the debate that he would have voted to certify the 2020 election results but has raised concerns in the primary about voter fraud, which have not been proven.

Cooper faced a tough primary, beating out five other candidates to secure the Republican nomination. He was endorsed by former President Donald Trump on Oct. 10.

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Tara Kavaler is a politics reporter at The Arizona Republic. She can be reached by email at tara.kavaler@arizonarepublic.com or on Twitter @kavalertara.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Rep. Greg Stanton reelected in 4th Congressional District