Trump-backed candidate Kari Lake wins Republican nod for Arizona governor
- By Reuters -
- Aug 05, 2022
Kari Lake, a former news anchor who has embraced former President Donald Trump’s false claims of voter fraud, has been projected to win the Republican nomination for Arizona governor, according to Edison Research.
Lake has promised to try to enact a slew of election measures if elected in November’s general election, including eliminating vote-counting machines and banning voting by mail.
Edison Research projected Lake’s victory late on Thursday.
Republican voters on Tuesday chose a raft of candidates supporting Donald Trump’s 2020 election falsehoods in multiple party primaries for the November general election – a stark display of the former president’s grip on his party
One of the biggest midterm primary nights of the year, underscored the continued dominance of Trump among Republicans and widespread support for his false claims that the 2020 election was rigged. It was also a warning for any would-be Republican challengers should he seek the White House again in 2024.
In the key battleground state of Arizona, state Representative Mark Finchem won the Republican nomination for secretary of state, a position that would give him enormous sway over the conduct of elections should he prevail against his Democratic opponent in November.
Finchem was present at Trump’s Jan. 6, 2021, speech in Washington that preceded the attack on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters and has continued to assert that the former president won the 2020 election.
In Michigan, Tudor Dixon, a conservative commentator who has echoed Trump’s election claims, won the Republican nomination for governor and will face Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer in one of the most high-profile races this November, which will also revolve around abortion rights.
Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt, endorsed by Trump, secured the Republican nomination for governor. He will face Democratic Governor Laura Kelly in November in what is expected to be a highly competitive race.
Blake Masters, a former tech executive who has backed Trump’s false fraud claims, secured the Republican nomination in the Senate race, the Associated Press said, and will face Senator Mark Kelly, seen as one of the most vulnerable Democratic incumbents. Masters has Trump’s endorsement and the backing of tech billionaire Peter Thiel.
One of only 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump following the U.S. Capitol attack, U.S. Representative Peter Meijer of Michigan, lost to far-right challenger John Gibbs.
Gibbs, backed by Trump, was the beneficiary of Democratic advertising during the Republican primary, part of a risky and highly controversial strategy to try to elevate more vulnerable Republican candidates in swing districts even as party leaders warn they pose a danger to democracy.