Kari Lake’s election denial theory in Arizona explained

Kari Lake, the defeated Republican candidate for governor of Arizona, was the most prominent 2022 candidate to run for President Donald Trump’s 2020 presidential election lie, but weeks ago the Associated Press announced that he would be his opponent. He still refuses to accept the requested race.

Most of the other electoral veto candidates who have been up and down and lost across the country in 2022 have acknowledged their race with little fanfare. In a video posted to Social, an almost idiosyncratic voice called her state’s campaign “one of the most rigged elections in Arizona’s history.”

“This failed election should not be accredited,” she added.

Monday was the county-level deadline for proving results. All states approved, except Cochise County, whose Republican-controlled board of oversight delayed approval until Friday, citing concerns about voting machines. Katie Hobbs, a Democrat who won the gubernatorial race in Arizona, sued the county, arguing that the decision could “potentially strip” about 47,000 voters.

AP abandoned the race on November 14 and the result was not within the 0.5 percentage point margin required to trigger a recount. At the current full vote count, Hobbes won the gubernatorial election with his 17,116 votes.

That didn’t stop Lake from questioning the results. She has backed accounts from supporters who allege there was a problem with voting, arguing that Hobbes could not prove his election as governor due to a conflict of interest, and claiming that Maricopa County, Arizona’s largest county, filed a lawsuit seeking to submit various election records in advance. Statewide results canvas scheduled for December 5th.

These documents may help identify people who may not have been able to vote, such as those who checked in at multiple polling places or who submitted a mail-in ballot and attempted to vote in person. contains things. Lake also asks for details of the counted and uncounted votes that were erroneously mixed together. Confusion is a daily problem in elections, and county officials confirmed it happened at several vote centers this year, but it can be fixed.

Trump posted on Truth Social Monday that Lake “should be appointed governor of Arizona” and fell victim to a “criminal voting operation” involving a broken voting machine in a Republican district. argued without evidence. He parallels his false claims about his own 2020 losses. Lake became a key ally of Trump during the campaign and has emerged as his 2024 vice-presidential candidate for Trump, who announced his candidacy a few weeks ago.

“This is almost as bad as the 2020 presidential election. The non-election committee refuses to touch it because they know it’s rigged!” he wrote.

As for whether she plans to drop her claims soon, Lake seems to suggest otherwise. we don’t

Lake has long hinted at challenging his defeat

Well before Election Day, it was clear that Lake intended to contest the result if he lost.

Before Election Day, Lake repeatedly dodged questions about whether she would allow the governor’s race if she lost, saying, “I am going to win the election and I will accept the outcome.” , “fair, honest and transparent” results. During the primary, she said she would contest the results if she lost because it showed “cheating is going on.” And before the race was called, she suggested that election officials in Arizona deliberately limped toward the publication of the results, declaring:i’m 100% going to win“

Her comments were in line with her history of election denial.Corruption, Corruption, CorruptionShe filed a lawsuit that was dismissed by a federal judge, made false allegations about vote-counting machine problems, and asked Arizona officials to hand-count the 2022 ballots.

It set the expectation that other candidates who denied the election, such as Arizona Republican candidate for Secretary of State Mark Finkem, would likewise challenge the results. Almost all of them lost in the end. Republican nominee for Arizona Attorney General Abraham Hamade said the election was “plagued with certain errors and inaccuracies,” but his election is headed for a recount. has not, and as of Monday, the election should be recalled,new election“

Lake’s refusal to concede may be strategic

Lake became a Republican star in the Arizona gubernatorial race. Her attempt to extend her electoral certification in Arizona was simply a ruse to maintain her national profile and create a springboard for the next phase of her political or other career. could be.

She launched an unconventional campaign, a viral campaign full of controversial statements that grabbed national headlines, including comments that appeared to downplay House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s violent attack on her husband. Avoided traditional ad buying for video. All of which have won her the admiration (and endorsement) of Mr. Trump and the admiration of other prominent Republicans, but she still proves to be a divisive figure within the party and thinks she can win. It may be even more so now that he has lost his race.

Kenneth L. Kachigian, Ronald Reagan’s former chief speechwriter, poetically told The Wall Street Journal last month: It’s rude, sincere, and doesn’t wear suggestive language. ’” Trump reportedly sees something of himself in Lake. Even Gov. Doug Ducey, who is currently serving a limited term, accused Lake of “misleading voters” when he endorsed Taylor Robson in her primary, but ultimately gave her showed goodwill. Congrats.

All the praise from Republicans and speculation that she could be Trump’s vice presidential nominee, even though she failed to win the governor, hints at the future of the Republican Party. By keeping people and Trump supporters engaged, she will help Trump mount a tough challenge to Biden in 2024, putting her in a strong position to make it happen, whatever his other political aspirations. put yourself down