Katie Hobbs, the Democratic candidate, has won one of the most highly anticipated gubernatorial races against Trump-backed, Republican party candidate, Kari Lake. The race was crucial in preserving the democracy of the formerly Republican state.
“One of the sad realities is that just about a half-dozen states consistently determine the balance of power in our nation during presidential and midterm elections. While all states are important, we have to pay particular attention to the electoral map and strategically plan and execute accordingly,” Kendall Simms, a junior political science major and the executive president of the College of Arts and Sciences student council, said.
“The currency criticality of Arizona, Georgia and Nevada is that we have Republicans seeking top office who are election deniers. This fact alone should be disqualifying for elected office,” he continued.
Presently, Hobbs is leading the race with 50.4 percent and Lake is following behind at 49.9 percent. There is less than 30 percent left of votes to count. Hobbs is currently Arizona’s Secretary of State.
Lake, a former television news anchor, has centered her campaign around denying the results of the 2020 presidential election. Additionally, she has hinted at the current elections possibly being rigged or miscounted.
“I believe that Kari Lake’s denialism has cost her votes among independents who were undecided. I also believe Lake’s crude comments about Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s elderly husband also cost Lake votes,” Simms said.
In a post-election press conference on Wednesday, Lake addressed the crowd with claims about faulty voting equipment, fake media and reassurement of her win.
“When corruption has risen to the level that it has now, nothing has been easy,” she said.
For the Arizona Senate race between incumbent Democratic candidate Mark Kelly, and Trump-backed, Republican challenger Blake Masters, Kelly brought in the win with 51.4 percent of votes. Both of their campaigns focused on issues such as social security, immigration and election security.
“Preserving democracy within states is important because there needs to be a sense of control when it comes to Congress and the Senate. Without democracy, states will be in political anarchy. This will also stop candidates from becoming power-hungry. Democracy allows for checks and balances,” Joshua Hughes, a junior sociology major, said.
Kelly, a former astronaut, has centered his campaign around implementing solutions to inflation and improving the economy. Masters, a Trump-endorsed candidate, ran a campaign that focused on decreasing illegal immigration and offering solutions to the water crisis in the state.
Visit the link to stay updated about the remaining midterm election results.
Copy edited by Chanice McClover-Lee
