Kari Lake, who backed Donald Trump’s false claims about election fraud in 2020, lost her bid to become Arizona’s next governor.
The hard-fought contest with Democrat Katie Hobbs was one of the most significant of the Midterm USA as Arizona is a battlefield state and is expected to play a pivotal role in the 2024 presidential election.
Ms. Lake had promised to ban the state’s mail-order voting, which conspiracy theorists falsely claim is vulnerable to fraud.
After the race was called, Ms. Hobbs tweeted: “Democracy is worth the wait.”
His defeated opponent expressed contempt for the election, tweeting: “Arizonans know BS when they see it.”
His defeat crowned a successful week for the Democratswhich defied the hopes of Republicans for a “red wave” mid term.
The Democrats retained control of the United States Senate after holding seats in the swinging states of Arizona and Nevada, with Vice President Kamala Harris holding the casting vote.
The party could gain absolute majority control if Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock defeats Republican challenger Herschel Walker in a ballot in Georgia on December 6.
Ms. Lake, a former TV host, was part of a string of Trump-aligned Republican candidates who lost state races on the battlefield.
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Voters in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin also rejected election deniers in contests for governor and other electoral posts across the state.
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Republicans are three seats from the 218-seat majority needed to take control of the House of Representatives, according to NBC.
A Republican victory would shift the balance of power from the Democrats, who have held both the House and the Senate for the past two years.
It would allow Republicans to obstruct the president Joe Bidenthe legislative agenda.
