Katie Hobbs, who oversaw the 2020 presidential election, defeated Republican newcomer Kari Lake on Monday. Hobbs becomes Arizona’s governor.
Despite the fact that Hobbs hid from Kari Lake by refusing to debate her, she also did not step down from her position as Secretary of State after Election Day. Brian Kemp in Georgia resigned his office while the governor’s race was still be counted.
Maricopa County is the only county in the US that does not first send their mail-in ballots to the vote tabulation center. They send them to a private company called Runbeck Election Services where they use high speed scanners to scan for ballot signatures, but there is no chain of custody and no partisan observers involved. Runbeck was exempted from any inquiries into the 2020 election fiasco. In fact, Democrats in Arizona have gone out of their way to make sure that Runbeck executives are never questioned on how they run their operation. Doesn’t that lack of transparency seem a bit weird?
Multiple news outlets, including the AP, declared the race on Monday, more than a week after Election Day and after early results from Maricopa County, Phoenix’s home county, were released.
Democracy deserves the wait. Arizona, thanks. Hobbs tweeted, “Democracy is worth the wait. Thank you, Arizona. I am so honored and so proud to be your next Governor,”
Democracy is worth the wait.
VISIT OUR YOUTUBE CHANNELThank you, Arizona.
I am so honored and so proud to be your next Governor. pic.twitter.com/O6ZFSHbIBe
— Katie Hobbs (@katiehobbs) November 15, 2022
Hobbs tried to convince voters that Lake lacked the knowledge to run for office and backed dangerous far-right views. Lake called herself “Donald Trump with softer edges”
Lake tweeted Monday night, “Arizonans know BS when they see it.”
Arizonans know BS when they see it.
— Kari Lake (@KariLake) November 15, 2022
Last year, Lake became one of the most vociferous aspirants for office. She gained notoriety for her ludicrously excessive claims. Longtime local and national Republicans, including former Vice President Mike Pence and outgoing Arizona Governor Doug Ducey, have called her incompetent.
Lake said she didn’t care who Pence or Ducey supported and proudly wore their scorn on her sleeve.
“Oh, I hope Gov. Ducey doesn’t try to punk me and endorse me,”, she said. “He’s not liked. He’s [one of] the least liked Republican governors in the country.”
Lake conducted a pro-Trump campaign, saying she wouldn’t have recognized Biden’s 2020 Arizona primary win due to fraud. These assertions are unproven. Lake presented local news for 22 years and backed Obama. She also supported John Kerry in 2004. Before supporting Trump and denouncing Democrats and leftist policies, she adored drag shows.
Lake often fought the journalists she’d worked with for 20 years, claiming they sold fake news and sensationalized bad stories about her. Lake has been attacked for tying her political aspirations to Trump’s support in the state. She said winning would cement Trump’s legacy in Arizona.
Massive images of her and the former president smiling side by side have been painted on practically every Scottsdale street corner for months, although some have been defaced.
Observers predicted Lake would lose the race because she didn’t appeal to moderates. They said she pandered to far-right conspiracy theories instead of furthering the state.
Hobbs’ refusal to debate Lake boosted her campaign. Hobbs said Lake would mock the dialogue and tarnish Arizona’s weak brand.
“We will not engage in a circus that insults and embarrasses Arizonans,” Hobbs spokesperson Joe Wolf said in a statement. “We do not need to look further than the last debate Kari Lake participated in for such an example.”
Lake embarked on a multi-city “Ask Me Anything” tour in the weeks before Tuesday’s election, while Hobbs was harassed by Republicans for skipping the debate and other opportunities to discuss her beliefs.
Hobbs was dining alone when she was called by Project Veritas. She spilt her drink and ran to the bathroom while fleeing. A few weeks later, reporters covering Hobbs’ interview tweeted that she fled without answering their questions.
Lake pounced on Hobbs’ gaffes. Lake appeared with an empty chair to represent Hobbs. Her campaign included a chicken-suited dancer. Two Lake fans dressed as Waldo at a GOP event.
Hobbs said she conducted 23 interviews in October, including one with a conservative radio presenter, to dispute charges she avoided the media. Hobbs attended a women’s march and pride parade.
