Most of Lake’s appeal rejected
State high court revives one claim by GOP governor hopeful
PHOENIX — The Arizona Supreme Court declined to hear most of Republican Kari Lake’s appeal in a challenge of her defeat in the governor’s race but revived a claim that was dismissed by a trial court.
In an order Wednesday, the state’s highest court said a lower court erroneously dismissed Lake’s claim challenging the application of signature verification procedures on early ballots in Maricopa County. The court sent the claim back to a trial court to consider.
Lake said late Wednesday that she is thrilled with the ruling.
“The signature verification process in Maricopa County is a house of cards,” Lake said in a statement. “Thanks to this ruling my team will get the chance to topple it.”
The state Supreme court declined to review six of the seven legal issues presented by the former TV news anchor’s lawyers, including a claim that centered on Lake’s allegation that over 35,000 unaccounted-for ballots were added at a processing facility run by a company. The lower court will examine whether Lake’s signature verification claim was properly dismissed or whether she can prove her claim and show that enough votes were affected that it altered the outcome of the election.
Barrett Marson, a Republican political consultant in Phoenix aligned with the party’s establishment wing, said some human-caused errors might be uncovered in the signature verification process, but he doubted that would be enough to undo the outcome of the race.
“Systematic? No,” Marson said. “Widespread? No. Election overturning? No.”
Nicole Demont, who served as Hobbs’ campaign manager, declined to comment on the decision.
Lake, who lost to Democrat Katie Hobbs by just over 17,000 votes, was among the most vocal 2022 Republican candidates promoting former President Donald Trump’s election lies, which she made the centerpiece of her campaign. While most other election deniers around the country conceded after losing their races in November, Lake did not.
In her challenge, the former TV anchor focused on problems with ballot printers at some polling places in Maricopa County, home to more than 60 percent of the state’s voters.