Kari Lake, a Trump ally who campaigned on false claims of fraud in the 2020 presidential election, has won the Republican primary for Arizona governor.
Lake, a former news anchor, beat out establishment-backed Karrin Taylor Robson, who is a lawyer and businesswoman, according to an Associated Press projection.
“Arizonans who have been forgotten by the establishment just delivered a political earthquake,” Lake said in a statement celebrating her victory on Thursday.
Meanwhile Robson said: “The voters of Arizona have spoken. I accept the results, I trust the process and the people who administer it.”
Lake won the endorsement of former president Donald Trump, while Robson was endorsed by former vice president Mike Pence and the current Arizona governor, Doug Ducey. Ducey cannot run for a third term under state law.
“She will do a far better job than RINO Governor Doug Ducey — won’t even be a contest!” Trump said in his endorsement of Lake.
Lake was also endorsed by far-right U.S. Representative Paul Gosar (R., Ariz.), former national-security adviser Mike Flynn, and right-wing My Pillow entrepreneur Mike Lindell.
While campaigning, Lake falsely claimed there was widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election, calling it the “number-one issue today.”
Ahead of her victory she insinuated fraud could impact her own election, saying, “We’re already detecting some fraud, I know none of you are shocked.”
After winning she said, “We outvoted the fraud.”
Arizona’s GOP was preoccupied with allegations of election fraud for months following the presidential election. Trump allies in the state legislature ordered an election audit that ultimately confirmed Joe Biden’s victory in the state when it concluded last September.
Trump-backed candidates for U.S. Senate, secretary of state, state attorney general, U.S. House, and the state legislature all won in the Arizona GOP primaries on Tuesday.
Lake will take on Arizona’s Democratic secretary of state Katie Hobbs in the general election in November.
“This race for governor isn’t about Democrats or Republicans. It’s a choice between sanity and chaos,” Hobbs said Thursday night in response to Lake’s victory.