Kari Lake files a lawsuit challenging Arizona Gubernatorial Race’s loss

• Kari Lake filed a lawsuit on Friday challenging her loss at the Arizona gubernatorial race.
• Lake wants to be named the winner or to have a new vote in Maricopa County.
• Last month, Katie Hobbs, the governor-elect, narrowly defeated Lake in a general election 50.3%-49.7%.

Kari Lake, a fiery Trump-backed Republican, was defeated in the Arizona gubernatorial election in November. On Friday, she filed a lawsuit against state election officials challenging the certification.

After parroting ex-President Donald Trump’s false claims of voter fraud in the 2020 elections, Lake rose to stardom in GOP circles and filed the suit with Maricopa County Superior Court. The suit was filed after Monday’s certified results for the November general election.

The suit is named for Katie Hobbs (Democratic Gov.-elect), who defeatedLake was re-elected as Arizona’s secretary for state last month. She is also still in her current position in Maricopa County. Lake, along with other top officials in Maricopa County, has claimed that a large number of GOP voters were “disenfranchised” following issues at several polling stations on Election Day.

Lake is asking for an order “declaring Kari Lake the winner of 2022 Arizona gubernatorial elections” or, as a separate option, tossing county gubernatorial results and mandating that officials conduct a new vote.

Maricopa County, which includes the state capital of Phoenix, is by far the most populous county in the state — containing roughly 60% of Arizona’s population.

Hobbs won the general election by 51%-49% over Lake in Maricopa County. He racked up roughly 42,000 votes out of 1.5 million ballots.

Hobbs won the state 50.3%-49.7% election, or by just over 17,000 votes from nearly 2.6 million ballots.

Lake had previously claimed that long lines and printer malfunctions adversely affected voters who voted on Election Day. However, he also stated that there was no evidence that votes were illegally cast.

Lake in November filedA public records lawsuit was filed to request additional information on uncounted or counted ballots that might have been accidentally mixed during the election counting process. According to the Associated Press Maricopa County stated there were several such occurrencesOfficials said that it happens in many elections, and that it can be resolved.

Lake: “If the procedure was illegitimate then the results will be the same.” tweetedAfter announcing the Maricopa County suit, he was able to walk on Friday. “Stay tuned, folks.”

Hobbs’ campaign manager issued a statement on Friday in which she called her former opponent’s latest lawsuit a “nuisance.”

“Kari Lake needs attention like a fish needs water — and independent experts and local election officials of both parties have made it clear that this was a safe, secure, and fair election,” the statement read. “Arizonans voiced their opinions and elected Katie Hobbs to be their governor. We are focused on ensuring that Katie Hobbs’ administration is a success next year, and no nuisance lawsuit will change this.