Lake wins GOP nom for governor

Update: Aug. 4, 2022 (9:35 p.m.)

Kari Lake, the former television news anchor and 2020 election denier, was called the winner in the Republican primary for governor.

Lake, who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump, defeated Karrin Taylor Robson, who had the backing of former Vice President Mike Pence and Gov. Doug Ducey.

Lake had garnered 46.8% of the vote as of Thursday night, while Taylor Robson had 44%.

About 10% of the vote was left to count, according to media reports.

“Lake’s victory became clear Thursday when Maricopa County released results from thousands of mail ballots dropped off at the polls on Tuesday,” the Associated Press reported.

Update: Aug. 2, 2022 (3:10 a.m.)

The Republican primary for governor is a nail-biter, with Kari Lake grabbing the slimmest of leads over Karrin Taylor Robson.

The race remained too close to call at 2 a.m. as the counting of the votes continued.

Lake, the former Fox 10 news anchor, was endorsed by former President Donald Trump. Taylor Robson, the wife of developer Ed Robson, was endorsed by former Vice President Mike Pence and the man she is trying to succeed, Gov. Doug Ducey, who is term-limited.

With 93% of precincts reporting, Lake had 45.74% of the vote to 44.85% for Taylor Robson, according to the state elections site. All vote tallies are unofficial.

Former Congressman Matt Salmon, who dropped out of the race, and Scott Neely each have less than 4% of the vote.

In Pinal County, Lake was leading Taylor Robson, 46.4% to 44.9%.

The Associated Press has projected Secretary of State Katie Hobbs as the winner in the Democratic primary. She is garnering 72.18% of the vote, easily outdistancing Marco Lopez, who is at 22.17%. Aaron Lieberman is at 5.02%.

Libertarian Barry Hess, a write-in candidate, will move on to the general election as he is unopposed.

Here are other early results in key state races:

Secretary of State

Mark Finchem is projected the winner of the Republican nomination for secretary of state.

The race for the state’s second-highest office features contested primaries in both parties, with Adrian Fontes and Reginald Bolding squaring off in the Democratic race and Finchem and three other candidates – Shawnna Bolick, Beau Lane and Michelle Ugenti-Rita – in the GOP primary.

Finchem is the state representative in LD-11, which includes the city of Maricopa.

Early returns have Finchem leading the Republican field at 38.67% over Lane at 25.80%, Bolick at 19.68% and Ugenti-Rita at 15.85%.

In Pinal County, Finchem was leading his opponents with 44.6% of the vote.

In the Democratic race, Fontes is leading Bolding, 52.71% to 47.29%.

As the second-highest elected office in Arizona, the secretary of state would assume the office of governor if a current governor was unable to complete their term. The state does not elect a lieutenant governor.

Attorney General

Republicans have a full field of six candidates vying for a spot in the November election, with Lacy Cooper, Rodney Glassman, Andrew Gould, Dawn Grove, Abraham Hamadeh and Tiffany Shedd.

Hamadeh leads in the early Republican returns at 29.47%, followed by Glassman at 24.25%, Gould at 17.79% and Grove at 13.63%.

Democrat Kris Mayes is unopposed and will face the GOP winner in November.

State Treasurer

Robert Lettieri, Jeff Weninger and incumbent Kimberly Yee are the Republican candidates for state treasurer, who serves as the state’s chief banking and investment officer and oversees Arizona’s $53 billion state budget and more than $30 billion in state assets.

Yee is easily outdistancing Weninger 57.19% to 26.14% in early returns, with Lettieri at 16.67%.

The winner will meet Democratic nominee Martin Quezada, who was unopposed in the primary.

Superintendent of Public Instruction

The race for the state’s highest education office features a crowded Republican field fighting to square off with incumbent Democrat Kathy Hoffman, who is unopposed in her primary.

Former state Superintendent Tom Horne is running to regain the office, alongside Shiry Sapir, Michelle Udall and write-in candidates Tiffany Asch and Kara Woods.

Horne is leading a relatively close Republican race at 42.63% with Sapir at 30.35% and Udall at 27.02%.

State Mine Inspector

Republican Paul Marsh will retain his office as state mine inspector, as he is unopposed in the primary and the Democrats did not field a candidate.