Kari Lake Wins Primary After Days of Vote Counting

After an arduous two days of vote counting in Arizona, Trump-backed Republican Kari Lake Thursday night was declared the winner of the state’s Republican gubernatorial primary.

“Though the results took longer than they should have, Arizonans who have been forgotten by the establishment just delivered a political earthquake,” Lake said in statement after the race was called in her favor. “My opponent Katie Hobbs had one job in government, and that was to ensure an efficiently-processed election. She failed spectacularly, and yet just like every other failed establishment politician, she now wants a promotion. Arizona just sent a clear message: our state is done with failed politicians like Katie Hobbs.”

“This is more than an election – it is a beautiful movement by so many people across our beautiful state to finally put America First,” Lake said. “Our renewed Republican Party is now coming together to fight for a brighter and more prosperous future for every Arizonan.”

The race was called with Lake leading by a margin of 46.8 percent to 44 percent over primary opponent Karrin Taylor Robson, largely viewed as the Republican establishment’s preferred candidate.

Votes have been being tallied since Tuesday night when polls closed. The painstaking process saw only 5360 of more than 125,000 outstanding votes counted Wednesday, with Maricopa County lagging behind in its count. That county has been scrutinized for its handling of the 2020 election results.

Lake will square off against Democrat Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, whose office did not recuse itself from vote counting despite a conflict of interest, in the general election in November.

Lake’s campaign was confident in its lead after Tuesday night’s vote count, despite having to wait another two days for the race to be called.

“We knew early in the night [Tuesday], despite a 9.8% deficit, that Kari Lake would be the Republican nominee,” Lake Chief Strategist Bill Grant told The Arizona Sun Times Wednesday morning. “It’s time to unite Arizona and bring the Republican Party together to defeat Katie Hobbs in November.”

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Pete D’Abrosca is a reporter at The Arizona Sun Times and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Kari Lake” by Kari Lake.

 

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