The Arizona Court of Appeals in a 3-0 ruling Thursday denied Republican Kari Lake's bid to overturn her gubernatorial election loss in November to Democrat Katie Hobbs.
The ruling upheld a December decision by the Superior Court of Arizona in Maricopa County that dismissed Lake's lawsuit about claims of widespread, intentional misconduct in the county on Election Day, specifically concerning ballot-on-demand printers that malfunctioned at polling sites, and signature verification and ballot chain-of-custody issues.
Lake lost to Hobbs, who was Arizona's secretary of state, by 17,117 votes out of more than 2.5 million cast, about six-tenths of a percentage point.
Two of the three judges in the ruling, Chief Judge Kent Cattani and Maria Elena Cruz, were appointed by Republican governors. The third judge, Peter Swann, was appointed by a Democrat.
Cattani wrote in the ruling that "Lake's arguments highlight Election Day difficulties, but her request for relief fails because the evidence presented to the Superior Court ultimately supports the court's conclusion that voters were able to cast their ballots, that votes were counted correctly, and that no other basis justifies setting aside the election results."
Lake, supported by former President Donald Trump, made election integrity a big part of her campaign and, like Trump, believed the 2020 presidential election was stolen. She has not conceded that she lost to Hobbs.
In response to the court's decision, Lake tweeted Thursday: "I told you we would take this case all the way to the Arizona Supreme Court, and that's exactly what we are going to do. Buckle up, America!"
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