Katie Hobbs Defeats Election Denier Kari Lake In Arizona’s Governor Race

Democrat Katie Hobbs has defeated Republican Kari Lake in Arizona’s governor race.

Lake, a Donald Trump-backed candidate, has repeatedly denied the results of the 2020 elections without proof and refused to commit to conceding if she was defeated.

After the result was called on Monday night, Lake tweeted, “Arizonans know BS when they see it.”

Hobbs, who is Arizona’s Secretary of State, celebrated the victory and said, “Democracy is worth the wait.” In a statement, she thanked voters.

“I want to thank the voters for entrusting me with this immense responsibility,” she said. “It is truly an honor of a lifetime, and I will do everything in my power to make you proud.”

Lake’s defeat follows the defeat of two other prominent election deniers in the state. Republican Senate nominee Blake Masters and secretary of state nominee Mark Finchem, in a sign that voters in the state rejected their extremist positions.

Even before the result was called, Lake sowed doubts about the election process, accusing officials of “dragging their feet” and delaying the count.

“I hate that they’re slow-rolling and dragging their feet and delaying the inevitable,” she said in an appearance on a right-wing talk show recently. “They don’t want to put out the truth, which is that we won.”

Bill Gates, chairman of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, fired back at Lake’s comments during a press conference on Thursday.

“It is offensive for Kari Lake to say that these people behind me are slow-rolling this when they are working 14-18 hours,” he said, pointing to election workers behind him.