Judge rejects Republican Kari Lake’s challenge in her loss in the Arizona governor’s race to Democrat Katie Hobbs.
Posted on December 25, 2022 December 25, 2022
A judge in the US state of Arizona has rejected Republican candidate Kari Lake’s attempt to overturn the results of her defeat in the state’s gubernatorial election.
In Saturday’s decision, Superior Court Judge Peter Thompson said the court had not found clear and convincing evidence of widespread misconduct that Lake claimed influenced the outcome of the 2022 general election.
Lake said she would appeal the verdict.
The 53-year-old, who lost to Democrat Katie Hobbs by just over 17,000 votes, was among the most vocal Republicans in 2022 touting former President Donald Trump’s campaign lies, which she made a centerpiece of her campaign.
While most other election deniers around the country conceded after losing their races in November, Lake did not.
Instead, she asked a judge to either declare her the winner or order a recount in Maricopa County, home to more than 60 percent of Arizona voters and where she claimed “hundreds of thousands of illegal ballots tainted the election.”
In Saturday’s ruling, the judge acknowledged the “anger and frustration” of voters who were inconvenienced at the polls and noted that overturning election results “has never happened in the history of the United States.”
“But the duty of this court is not merely to lend an ear to public outcry,” the judge continued. “It is subjecting the plaintiff’s claims and the defendant’s actions to the light of the courtroom and the scrutiny of the law.”
But Lake’s witnesses had no personal knowledge of intentional misconduct, he said
“The court cannot accept speculation or assumptions instead of clear and convincing evidence,” he added.
The order’s findings were consistent with rulings against Abe Hamadeh and Mark Finchem, the unsuccessful Republican nominees for attorney general and secretary of state, respectively, who also contested their losses.
A court hearing is scheduled for Thursday to present the results of the recount in the races for attorney general, state supervisor and a seat in the state legislature.
