Trump-Endorsed Opponent Kari Lake Wins Arizona GOP Gubernatorial Nomination

Former President Donald Trump’s preferred candidate in Arizona has won the Republican primary for governor, meaning all of Mr. Trump’s preferred candidates in the state have won their contests.

Former news anchor Kari Lake beat Karrin Taylor Robson, who had been endorsed by former Vice President Mike Pence and current Republican Gov. Doug Ducey.

Ms. Lake has been one of the most prominent parrots of Trump’s lie that they stole the 2020 presidential election. Despite her victory, Ms. Lake continued to claim voter fraud in her race.

“We voted against the fraud, we didn’t listen to what the fake news was saying,” she said Wednesday when she held a slight lead but her victory was far from clear. The Arizona Daily Mirror mentionted.

Specifically, Ms. Lake and the Republican National Committee complained of difficulties with voting in Pinal County, specifically when many polls the centers ran out of ballots. This led the RNC and the Arizona Republican Party to call for Director of Elections David Fisk to resign, which he eventually did.

Ms Lake will now face Democratic Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, who was instrumental in orchestrating the Arizona election that Trump contested in 2020.

Ms. Lake’s victory also marks Mr. Trump’s complete conquest of the top of the ballot in Arizona. Preferred Senate candidate Blake Masters won the GOP primary to challenge Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly. Meanwhile, the preferred candidate for Secretary of State Mark Finchem, who would oversee the election, won his primary and Abraham Hamadeh won the primary for attorney general.

Elsewhere on the ballot, Arizona House Speaker Rusty Bowers, who testified before the investigating House Select Committee on Jan. 6, lost his primary challenge for a Senate seat.