Hiral Tipirneni is hoping to be Democrats’ next Conor Lamb or Doug Jones by beating the odds in a special congressional election this month in Phoenix's conservative West Valley suburbs.

The seat’s former GOP occupant, Trent Franks, ran his last race unopposed, but was forced out by scandal and national Republicans are now spending several hundred thousand dollars in the April 24 election.

“It clearly indicates that they're concerned that they're going to lose this seat,” Tipirneni said in an interview this week. “The energy, the enthusiasm, the momentum is with us... We have a real shot at winning."

Still, the Arizona’s 8th Congressional District voted for President Donald Trump by 20 percentage points and operatives in both parties say the district is less elastic than others, given its older, predominantly white population (it’s home to the massive Sun City retirement community) and lack of Democratic voting history.

Tipirneni's Republican opponent is former state senator Debbie Lesko.

As many as three-quarters of voters are expected to vote by mail, and ballots have already been sent out, limiting Tipirneni chance to ride a surge. But she’d have another shot in November’s regularly scheduled election, which Tipirneni has said she plans to contest.

Tipirneni, a former emergency room physician and first-time candidate, declined to commit to supporting House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi if elected. "I don't know who's going to throw their hat in the ring,” she said.