Politics
Kari Lake misses Arizona recount threshold, undecided on whether to concede
The threshold was increased to 0.5% in May with bipartisan support.
November 16, 2022 4:32pm
Updated: November 16, 2022 5:53pm
Arizona Republican Kari Lake has failed to receive enough votes to force a recount in the state’s gubernatorial race and is deciding on whether or not to challenge the results, according to reports.
The former TV news anchor fell 17,209 votes short of her Democratic opponent, Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, as of Wednesday afternoon with 100% of precincts reporting. Hobbs finished at 50.34% of the vote, compared to Lake’s 49.66% - a 0.68% margin.
In May, the state legislature passed a bill expanding the threshold for automatic recounts to 0.5% with bipartisan support. It was signed into law by Gov. Doug Ducey, a Republican.
The Wall Street Journal reports that Lake has not conceded and was not yet sure how to proceed as of Wednesday, citing a source familiar with the matter.
The Republican aligned herself strongly with former President Donald Trump and repeated his debunked claims that the 2020 election had been “stolen” from him. Trump-aligned advisors are suggesting Lake follow in his footsteps and contest the results, according to the report.
But others in the state GOP seem eager to move on. Gov. Doug Ducey already called Hobbs on Tuesday to congratulate her on her victory, according to a spokesman for the Republican governor.
Lake’s campaign said earlier Wednesday that the “election was irreparably compromised by voter disenfranchisement,” referring to a problem with ballot printers in Maricopa County, home to Phoenix and the state’s most populous county.
"The appropriate thing to do would be to let Maricopa County cast their votes again," the tweet continued.
Two smaller state races are headed to a recount after failing to meet the new threshold. Democrat Kris Mayes reportedly edged out her Republican opponent Abraham “Abe” Hamadeh by just 732 votes, according to the state’s election office – a difference of about 0.02%.
In the state’s race for state superintendent, Republican Tom Horne beat Democrat Kathy Hoffman by 8,672 votes, 50.17% to 49.83%.
