Kari Lake raises unfounded doubts about election results in Arizona governor race that's too early to call - CNN

CNN  — 

Democrat Katie Hobbs is starring Republican Kari Lake successful Arizona governor’s race with a small much than fractional of precincts reporting, and though overmuch could alteration arsenic ballots are counted, the GOP nominee is already casting uncertainty astir the predetermination results.

Lake won the GOP superior aft amplifying erstwhile President Donald Trump’s lies astir the 2020 statesmanlike election, falsely insisting that the predetermination was rigged and stolen. And though the existent margins could alteration dramatically arsenic votes are counted, Lake is suggesting without immoderate grounds that determination could beryllium problems with Tuesday’s results. (Hobbs, arsenic caput of state, rebuffed GOP efforts to overturn the results successful the 2020 election).

In a code Tuesday nighttime astatine her predetermination nighttime headquarters, Lake said she felt similar it is “groundhog day.”

“We had November 3, 2020, that was called incompetency 101,” Lake said. She went connected to suggest determination was “incompetency” astatine play successful some the August superior and successful Tuesday’s predetermination – a not-so-subtle critique of her opponent’s oversight implicit elections. It was not instantly wide what she was referring to, but determination has been nary grounds of immoderate wide fraud.

“We request honorable elections and we’re going to bring them to you, Arizona, I guarantee you of that. The strategy we person close present does not work,” Lake said. She aboriginal told her supporters to beryllium diligent and said she was assured that she would win.

Hobbs besides addressed her backers connected Tuesday night, stating that the run was feeling bully astir what they were seeing.

“I cognize we’re each anxious to find retired who won each of these incredibly important races, but we volition request to beryllium diligent and hold for each ballot to beryllium counted,” she said successful remarks arsenic prepared for delivery. “We cognize my hostile and her allies person been sowing uncertainty and disorder passim this campaign, and it’s unacceptable that they were spreading misinformation contiguous portion radical were exercising their close to vote.”

All 4 GOP nominees astatine the apical of the summons successful Arizona person echoed Trump’s lies astir the 2020 election. And right-wing media seized connected tabulator problems successful Maricopa County earlier connected Tuesday to rise the thought of fraud – contempt assurances to the contrary from region officials – successful a wide echo of immoderate conservatives’ repeated attempts to formed uncertainty connected Maricopa’s results successful 2020.

Arizona is simply a cardinal battleground this twelvemonth for politician and Senate and apt volition beryllium again for president successful 2024, sparking warnings from starring Democratic figures, including erstwhile President Barack Obama, that the GOP’s clasp of Trump’s predetermination falsehoods and conspiracy theories could enactment ideology astatine hazard if they were to expanse to power.

Charlie Kirk, the laminitis and president of right-wing radical Turning Point USA, tweeted a mendacious assertion astir two-hour hold times successful Maricopa County, which was the tract of repeated partisan “audits” successful 2020. A Maricopa County justice connected Tuesday nighttime denied a bid by Republicans to widen polling hours by 3 hours, saying determination was nary grounds that immoderate voters were precluded from exercising their close to vote.

Lake has repeatedly said she would not person certified Joe Biden’s triumph successful Arizona successful 2020.

The erstwhile quality anchor astatine Fox 10 successful Phoenix ascended rapidly to go 1 of the astir salient candidates successful the 2022 rhythm arsenic she and Hobbs vied to regenerate term-limited Republican Gov. Doug Ducey.

Lake hewed intimately to the Trump playbook connected much than conscionable the 2020 election. She promised to state an “invasion” astatine the borderline – successful what she described arsenic an effort to amass greater powerfulness for the governor’s bureau to code the migrant situation – and she called for the apprehension of some of Dr. Anthony Fauci and her Democratic opponent.

Before announcing her bid, Lake near her anchor occupation successful 2021 – stating that she didn’t similar the absorption that journalism was going – aft becoming a household sanction successful Phoenix. In 1 of her run videos, she said she was taking a sledgehammer to “leftist lies and propaganda,” arsenic she destroyed tv sets with the instrumentality successful stiletto boots.

Watch Republican predetermination authoritative reply skeptics' voting questions

03:36 - Source: CNN

She dispatched her superior opponents with her forceful denunciations of Democratic leaders’ handling of the Covid-19 pandemic – blasting restrictions similar masking arsenic unnecessary and harmful to children. She welcomed comparisons to Trump each the mode done the extremity of the run – professing astatine 1 lawsuit that she was delighted erstwhile 1 admirer called her “Trump successful a dress.”

Hobbs, a erstwhile societal idiosyncratic who worked with victims of home unit earlier becoming a authorities lawmaker, ran a acold much low-key and understated campaign, limiting her entree to reporters and holding small, intimate events with supporters.

She made ideology and termination rights her cardinal focus, portraying Lake arsenic an “extreme” and “dangerous” fig who could jeopardize the sanctity of the 2024 statesmanlike predetermination by refusing to certify the results.