When discussing the Arizona governor's race, there's no way to avoid talking about someone who isn't on the ballot: former President Donald Trump. Republican candidate Kari Lake, a former local news anchor, is perhaps the most visible—and one of the most fervent—midterm candidates peddling conspiracy theories about the 2020 presidential elections. Katie Hobbs, the Democratic candidate who currently serves as Arizona's secretary of state, was responsible for certifying the results that Lake rejects.
Coverage of the race has focused heavily on Trump and questions of election integrity. A Lake victory would put an election denier in charge of a battleground state just before the 2024 presidential election, in which Trump will almost certainly run. And Lake, when asked if she would accept her defeat, told CNN's Dana Bash, "I'm going to win the election, and I will accept that result."
